Kedarnath Temple and Tungnath Temple

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Kedarnath Temple is one of the major pilgrimage centers of the country. Located at a high altitude in Uttarakhand state, this temple attracts lakhs of Hindu devotees every year. Nine of us planned to visit Kedarnath temple in mid-March 2021 to October 2021. We were very worried whether the temple would be open during our visit in October 2021. We started train booking in June 2021. Also we got to know that Uttarakhand will start Chardham Yatra from 11 July 2021. We both started getting e pass and entry pass along with covid vaccination certificate. The government announced only 800 pilgrims to visit Kedarnath. So started the process of getting e-pass. And started dreaming of visiting Sri Kedarnath Temple.

A short Story of Kedarnath
Kedarnath has been a place of pilgrimage since ancient times. It is not certain who built the original Kedarnath temple and when. A mythological account credits the construction of the temple to the legendary Pandavas. Many folk legends related to the creation of the Panch Kedar temples have been narrated. A folk legend about Pancha Kedar is related to the Pandavas, who defeated and killed their cousins the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War. He wanted to atone for the sins of fratricide (gotra killing) and brahmanatya (killing Brahmins). Thus, handed over the reins of his kingdom to his relatives and set out in search of Lord Shiva and seeking his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), considered the favorite city of Shiva and known for its Kashi Vishwanath temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid him as he was deeply enraged by the death and dishonor in the Kurukshetra war and so, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.

Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to the Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, then stood on two mountains looking for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi. Bhima immediately recognized the bull as Shiva. Bhima caught the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-shaped Shiva disappeared into the ground and later appeared in parts, the hump appeared in Kedarnath, the hands appeared in Tungnath, the face appeared in Rudranath, the navel and belly appeared in Madhyamhesvara and the hair appeared in Kalpesvara. The Pandavas, pleased with this restoration in five different forms, built temples at five places to worship and worship Shiva. Thus the Pandavas were freed from their sins. It is also believed that the front parts of Shiva appeared in the Doleshwar Mahadev Temple, Bhaktapur District, Nepal.

A variant of the story credits Bhima with not only capturing the bull, but also preventing it from disappearing. As a result, the bull was torn into five parts and appeared in five places in the Kedar Khand of the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. After building the Panch Kedar temples, the Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for liberation, performed Yajna and then attained heaven or moksha through the heavenly path called Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini)… Panch Kedar Temples in North-Indian Himalayan Temple Architecture
Kedarnath, Tungnath and Madhyamheswara temples are built with similar appearance.

It is an unwritten ritual to visit Lord Vishnu at Badrinath Temple, after completing the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s darshan at the Panch Kedar temples, as a final affirmative proof by the devotee that he has sought Lord Shiva’s blessings.
Kedarnath Trek
Kedarnath trek starts from Gaurikund and Sonprayag is the last place where government buses stop. You have to take a private jeep from Sonprayag to Gaurikund which costs a maximum of Rs 10 to 15 per person (Rate Value in 2021).

Kedarnath trek is 19 km which starts from Gaurikund till Kedarnath. The track has changed after the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand and since then the 14 km track to Kedarnath has increased to 19 km. The route followed earlier was from Rambara and facilitated trek route. However the government has now changed the track route of Kedarnath after the 2013 disaster as the old track route of Kedarnath was completely washed away. Gaurikund to Jungle Chatti (6 km) via Rambara Bridge, Jungle Chatti to Bhimbali (4 km), Bhimbali to Linchauli (3 km), Linchauli to Kedarnath Base Camp (4 km) and Kedarnath Base Camp to Kedarnath Temple (1 km). The trekking route to Kedarnath is slightly different.

On the way from Gaurikund to Kedarnath, many facilities are provided by the administration. Medical and first aid facilities are available at Bhimbli, Lincholi and Kedarnath. The Kedarnath route first moves along the banks of the holy Bhagir river, then passes through dense forests and grassy areas.

Huts are available to rest if you are tired in between trekking and small shops are also available for your food if you are hungry. Around 7.15 pm we reached Kedarnath temple and evening aarti was going on. When we reached the Kedarnath temple and saw the beautiful scene, the whole body pain and tiredness went away and we felt like we were in heaven. We had already booked an overnight stay hotel near the temple, stayed overnight there. Got up early in the morning and got fresh. And stood in line for puja inside the temple.

The beauty of the ancient temple was amazing and magnificent. We were blessed to visit the Kedarnath temple. We started our downward trekking journey at around 10 am. At approximately 6 pm we reached Gaurikund. We stayed overnight at Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited which was pre-booked.

Get Ready to go Triuginarayan temple at 9.30 am. Triuginarayan Temple is a Hindu temple in Triuginarayan village of Rudraprayag district. The ancient temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Its fame is given to the legend of Lord Shiva’s marriage with Goddess Parvati, witnessed by Vishnu at this place and hence it is one of the popular Hindu pilgrimage sites. A special feature of this temple is the eternal fire, which burns in front of the temple. The flame is believed to burn from the time of divine marriage. Thus, the temple is also known as Akhand Dhuni temple.

Then we visited Guptakashi temple. Then also visited Ukhimath Omkareshwar temple. Kedarnath and Madhyamheswar temples are closed during winter due to heavy snowfall in the area. As a result, festival idols of Kedarnath and Madhyamheswara are brought from Kedarnath and Madhyamheswara to the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath. And worship is done here for six months.

The 5 km trek to Tungnath starts from a place near Chopta. Tungnath is one of the tallest Shiva temples in the world and the tallest among the five Panch Kedar temples located in Rudraprayag district. The Tungnath Mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. It is situated at an altitude of 11,385 feet and just below the peak of Chandrashila (12110 feet). And it is the third Kedar in the great order of Panchakedar. The Tungnath trek was only 5 km but the spectacular scenery was mind-blowing.

Chandrashila was only a 1.5 km uphill trek from Tungnath temple. But getting there is very difficult. After reaching the Chandrashila peak the 360 degree view of the Himalayas was spectacular.

The next morning we had a heavy breakfast and got ready to leave for Haridwar. At 6.00 pm we reached Haridwar. The journey to Kedarnath was completed very pleasantly and it was a different experience.