Panch Kedar

India is a land of tradition and culture. There are thousands of temples all around the nation. Out of these, some are very famous for their rich stories. One such temple is the Panch Kedar temple, which is believed to have been formed when Pandavas started searching for lord Shiva to atone for themselves from the sin of killing their blood relatives. But as lord shiva was not happy with them and didn't want to relieve them from their sin so easily. Lord Shiva started avoiding them and went to a small village known as Kedar. But Pandavas were determined so they went to Kedar also in search of lord Shiva. Then lord shiva tried to deceive them so he took the form of a bull and got mixed with other cattle grazing nearby. The Bhim, one of the pandavas had identified him and tried to catch him but he started entering into the earth. But Bhima kept holding him by his hump and requested lord shiva to atone for them their sin. After looking at their dedication lord shiva ultimately appeared at five different places and appeared in front of Pandavas and relieved them from their sin. Pandavas worshipped lord shiva and asked him to stay at these locations to help people in gilt to get rid of their sins. Later on, Pandavas visited all these places and constructed temples for lord shiva before leaving for heaven. These five temples are collectively known as panch kedar. Having a darshan of all these temples is considered very auspicious and holds great importance in Hindu tradition. Today I am going to discuss these temples one by one.
Kedarnath:- One of the most famous and most important temples of Panch Kedar is Kedarnath temple. In addition to panch kedar it is a part of 12 jyotirlingas, Chota char dham and do dham circuit. Located at an altitude of 3583 meters above sea level, Kedarnath temple is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and its natural vistas are amazing. The hump of a bull in the form of Shiv linga is being worshipped at Kedarnath temple. As per holy scriptures, it is believed that just by visiting to Kedarnath temple one can get rid of the cycle of birth and attain salvation. Every year lakhs of devotees come on the Kedarnath yatra every year to get rid of their sins and admire the beauty of the Kedarnath temple. This temple is located in the lap of the Himalayas, one can visit Kedarnath temple on its own. But if you have no idea about this route then it's recommended that you book a Kedarnath tour package with any reputed company that can take care of all your traveling needs. On average, a Kedarnath tour package price ranges between INR 8000 to 12000 per person depending upon the quality of services, the number of places to be covered, facilities included, etc. The best part of this temple is its divine power and its glorious history which it carries with it.
Tungnath temple:- Another important temple of the Panch Kedar circuit is Tungnath temple which is also credited as the highest Shiva temple on this earth. This temple is located at an altitude of 12,106 feet above sea level. The limbs of a bull are being worshipped at this place in the form of Shivlingas. The direct road to this temple is available till Chopta, after Chopta you have to trek for around 5kms to reach Tungnath temple. Chopta is also well known as the mini Switzerland of India due to its immense beauty and snow-covered mountains during the winter season. In addition to pilgrimage, Chopta Tungnath is also famous for trekking and birdwatching. You can visit Tungnath temple along with Kedarnath yatra as it is very close to Kedarnath temple. If you are visiting Kedarnath with a travel agency then you can ask them to add Tungnath to your itinerary with or without any extra cost.
Rudranath temple: The third temple of this circuit is Rudra Nath where the face of lord Shiva appeared. This place is also known as Neelknath Mahadev. Here angry face of lord shiva so he named Rudranath as the literal meaning of the word Rudra is anger. There is no direct road connectivity for Rudranath temple. The best way to reach here is by trekking around 20 km which will start from different locations at Gopeshwar in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. In addition to pilgrimage spots, this temple is also known for its natural vistas. Lots of ponds are available around this temple and it is believed that devotees should take a bath in some of these ponds before going for the darshan of lord shiva. This would bring prosperity and wealth to one's life.
Madhyamaheshwar: The fourth temple of our circuit is Madhyamaheshwar, where the middle part of the body of lord shiva appeared. The naval part of Shiva's body is being worshipped at this place. This temple also doesn't have any direct connectivity. Unaina located around 18 km from Ukhimath is the starting point of the trek to Madhyamaheshwar. The water from the compound of this temple is considered so pious that even a few drops of water are enough for ablution.
Kalpeshwar: The last temple of this circuit is Kalpeshwar Dham where the matted hair of lord Shiva is believed to have appeared. Here shiva is also known as Jatadhari or Jateshwar. Kalpeshwar temple is located in the serene village of Urgam in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and is very close to the well-known Badrinath temple. If you are planning to come for do dham yatra then you can add Kalpeshwar dham to your itinerary. In addition to Kalpeshwar dham Urgam village is also known for apple orchards and potato farming on the rooftop. It's a must-visit place and the best part of this temple is that this is the only temple that is well-connected by road.