Kedarnath Jyotirlinga

Fifth Jyotirlinga high in the Garhwal Himalaya — open seasonally after the snow clears.

दर्शन महत्व: Raw mountain pilgrimage and a pillar of the Uttarakhand Char Dham; Pandava lore and Adi Shankara tradition.

यात्रा का सर्वश्रेष्ठ समय: May–June, Sept–Oct (weather permitting)

History

Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a pillar of the Char Dham pilgrimage in the Garhwal Himalaya. The present stone temple is traditionally attributed to the Pandava era and later renewed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. The shrine sits near the Mandakini river at roughly 3,500 m, and opens only in summer when snow clears the route.

Legends

• The Mahabharata tradition holds that the Pandavas sought Shiva here to atone for the war; the Lord eluded them as a bull and dived into the ground, leaving his hump worshipped at Kedarnath.
• Adi Shankaracharya is said to have established the ritual order of the temple and attained samadhi nearby at Kedarnath.