Kedharnath temple is situated in the himalayan range of garhwal area(uttrakand),Kedharnath Temple is one of the most sacred shiva temples in the world.This holy abode of shiva is said to be build by the pandavas to atone for their sins committed during their battle with kauravs.The temple was restored by Adi Sankaracharya in 8th century.It is one of the Chota Char Dhams of Uttrakhand and requires a pilgrim to walk a distance of 14 Kms over the hilly surface.One can make use of a pony or manchan to simlify the journey.
Surrounded by the glaciers and snow-covered peaks and standing at a heigth of 3,583m,the temple is closed during winters due to severe cold conditions.Even the idol of lord shiva is shifted to ukhimath and worshipped there throughout the 5\6 months for which the extreme condition prevail.
N.SAVITHA
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteINSIDE TEMPLE:
ReplyDeleteThe first hall inside Kedarnath Temple contains statues of the five Pandava brothers, Lord Krishna, Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva and Virabhadra, one of the guards of Shiva. Statue of Draupadi and other deities are also installed in the main hall. A medium-size conical rough stone formation is worshiped in the Garbagruha and considered as Sadashiva form of Lord Shiva. An unusual feature of the temple is the head of a man carved in the triangular stone fascia. Such a head is seen carved in another temple nearby constructed on the site where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati was held. Adi Shankara was believed to have revived this temple, along with Badrinath and other temples of Uttarakhand; he is believed to have attained Mahasamadhi at Kedaranath. Behind the temple is the samādhi mandir of Adi Sankara.
The head priest (Raval) of the Kedarnath temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community from Karnataka.However, unlike in Badrinath temple, the Raval of Kedarnath temple does not perform the pujas. The pujas are carried out by Raval's assistants on his instructions. The Raval moves with the deity to Ukhimath during the winter season. There are five main priests for the temple, and they become head priests for one year by rotation. The present (2013) Raval of Kedarnath temple is Shri Vageesha Lingacharya. Shri Vageesh Ligaacharya who belongs from the Village Banuvalli of Taluka Harihar of Davanagere district in Karnataka. During Pooja of Lord Shiva at Kedaranath the mantras will be pronounced in the Kannada language. This has been a custom from hundreds of years.
J N Chandra Kala
Kedarnath Temple
ReplyDeleteKedarnath, nestled around 221 km from Rishikesh, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga’s of Lord Shiva. Lying against the backdrop of the magnificent Kedarnath range, at an altitude of 3,580 m, the splendid Kedarnath temple is enveloped by the imposing snow draped peaks. The temple was constructed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century A.D. The cascading Mandakini River and the images of verdant landscapes and snow draped Himalayas make Kedarnath a tranquil place.
The devotees can experience a great peace of mind and undertaking a spiritual trip here always rekindles human beings faith in the almighty. Devotees flock to this holy pilgrimage site every year. Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is one of the most prominent sacred pilgrimages, particularly for the Hindus. The temple opens its gates for the visitors in the first week of May on the eve of Akshaya Tritiya and shuts down in the month of October-November. Gandhi Sarovar, Vasuki Tal, Gaurikund, Sonprayag, Triyuginarayan, Agastyamuni Temple and Deoria Tal are some of the memorable sites around Kedarnath.
The mesmerizing vistas and splendid sceneries in the form of the snow-fed mountains, rhododendron forests, and salubrious environment make the place truly enchanting.
PADMAPRIYA I