2008-08-20 14:42:30
Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
Kedarnath situated in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state in India is one of the most sacred Dwadash (12) Jyotirlinga shrines of Hindus. The northernmost Jyotirlinga is traditionally the third stop of the Chardham yatra after Yamunotri and Gangotri .It comes before Badrinath and is close to the source of holy river Mandakini.
Kedarnath is also known as Kedaranchal or Kedareshwar. The Hindu scriptures describe four ages namely Sata, Dwapar, Treta and Kaliyuga. It is said that Kedarnath shrine attracts devotees since Dwaparyuga. This is the same place where Adi Shankaracharya took samadhi at the age of 32. Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed at Gandhi Taal, a place just near Kedarnath temple. These facts add to the importance of the place.
The yatra to Kedarnath is toughest amongst 12 Jyotirlingas because of its extreme cold weather conditions and height. One of the main reasons is its 14 km trek. Unlike other Jyotirlingas, which are well connected with road, Kedarnath is the only Jyotirlinga where the devotee has to walk or take the help of Ponies or Dandi. However, a cyclorama of trees and peaks, gushing rivers and tales of gods and consorts makes the trek to Kedarnath a great experience.
Kedarnath in the pages of scriptures
Like all important religious places, origin of Kedarnath is also shrouded in the mythological stories. One story is relates to Pandavas of Mahabharat fame.
Victory over their cousins Kauravas filled Pandavas with a great sense of guilt. They came to Himalayas to appease the Lord Shiva to free from the sin of Brahm Hatya. But the Lord Shiva was in no mood to please them. He moved to Gupta Kashi in Uttarakhand . However, Pandava learnt about his place. They followed him. He moved to Kedarnath. To hide from Pandavas, Lord Shiva turned himself into a bull and started grazing into a ground.
Even here Pandavas, found him. Bhima, second of the five Pandava stretched his leg. This forced cattle to pass under his leg. There was one which did not follow this. This bull sank itself in the ground. Reliasing that it was Lord Shiva, Bhim caught the hump of the sinking bull.. Pleased by the determination of the Pandavas to trace him, the Lord Shiva gave darshan and blessed them.
The pandavas wanted the Lord Shiva with them. The lord said that they should worship him in the form of the hump and since them the Lord is worshipped here in the conical Shiva pind here.
The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshipped there as his manifestations. The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four above mentioned shrines are regarded as Panch Kedar.The complete face of Lord Shiva appeared in Pashupatinath, which is in Kathmandu, Nepal. Hence, it is mandatory for the devotee to have a darshan at Pashupatinath after completing darshan of Dwadash Jyotirlinga.
The second story is like this:According to the Vayu Purana,Lord Vishnu in the form of Nara and Narayana came down to the earth for the good of mankind. He landed at Badrikashram(Badrinath) which was then the abode of Lord Shiva. Nara and Narayan performed penance. Lord Shiva pleased with them. On Nara and Narayan's request Shiva accepted Kedar as his permanent abode.
Kedarnath Temple:
The present temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya in 8th century A.D. It is adjacent to the site of an earlier temple which is said to be built by the Pandavas. The Katyuri style temple stands against the backdrop of lofty snow covered peaks. It is built with extremely large heavy and evenly cut grey slabs of stones and has a wooden ceiling topped by a gold kalash.
The temple comprises of three parts, the garbhagriha, the darshan mandap, where pujas are conducted and the sabha mandap where the devotees assemble. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva representing his Sadashiva form. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.
Pilgrims also worship idols of Ganeshji with Riddhi and Siddhi, Parvati, Vishnu and Lakshmi,Kunti,Draupadi,Yudhisthir,Bhim,Arjun,Sahdev and Nakul. Pilgrims offer ghee to the Jyotirlinga and then embrace it, touching it with their forehead.
Kedarnath Temple:When it opens,closes and Timings:
The opening date of Kedarnath temple is not fixed. It is decided every year on Mahashivaratr i(mostly in February) by panch purohits (five priests) and then announced and communicated through the various agencies. Normally it falls around first or second week of May. The closing date is however is fixed. The temple closes on Yamadwitiya or Bhai Bij mostly in November. No one lives in Kedarnath after main doors, Kapats, are closed for the winter. The idol of Lord Shiva in a special ceremony comes to the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, where the pujas are performed during winter. When the temple closes for winter, a special samadhi puja is also organised.
Kedarnath temple daily opens at 6:00 am and closes at 2:00 p.m. During this period the devotees can enter into garbhgriha and perform puja. The temple remains close between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. At 4:00 pm, the priests offer Bhog. The temple again opens at 5:00 pm for Shringar Darshan. The evening arti is performed at 7:45 pm and the temple closes at 8:00 p.m. Special Shravani Annakoot Mela is celebrated on the day before rakshabandhan. On that day the Jyotirlinga is covered with cooked rice, which is distributed as prasad.
Chief Priest and Purohits:
The chief priest of the temple is known as Rawal. It is said that Adi Shankaracharya had appointed celibate Veera Shaiva priests as the Rawals of Kedarnath. They were namboodari Brahmins from Kerala. There are local purohits from the villages around Guptakashi and Ukhimath. They are not part of the temple committee but they take care of the pilgrims. They have divided the country between themselves into 360 districts for functional purpose.
During winter, the Rawal stays in Ukhimath and the purohits stay in Guptakashi and surrounding villages.
The purohits are devoted and dedicated and perform different pujas for the devotees. They are very helpful type of people. During the peak season in May and June, the purohits also accommodate the yatris at their home in Kedarnath. The purohits are not greedy by nature like other shrines.
Performing Puja in the temple:
The thali with prasad is available near the temple. There are many shops, which offer puja material. The thali is available at a price of Rs.21, 31, .51,101 and more.
The devotee can take the thali with prasad and enter into the temple. Normally, during 10 am and 2:00 pm, there is crowd. It takes one to two hour for the devotee to enter into garbhgriha for Jyotirlinga darshan . The pilgrims start from Gaurikund early morning at around 4:00 am and reach Kedarnath around 10 am or 11:00 am .The purohit hired by the devotee performs puja at Jyotirlinga. The devotee after performing puja gives dakshina to the purohit
There are two types of pujas performed in the temple. These are managed by Shri Badri Kedar Temples committee. It comprises of Pratahkalin (morning) and Sayamkalin (evening) pujas. The pratahkalin pujas are in 8 different types , Mahabhishek Puja(Rs.3501/-),Rudrabhishek(Rs.3001/-),Laghurudrabhishek(Rs.2501/-),Shodapashochar(Rs.2101/-),Astopachar(Rs.351/-) ,Panchopachar puja(Rs.301/-),Full day puja(Rs.11,551/-) and Pratahkalin puja(Rs.301/-).The evening pujas include Shivaastotari Patha(Rs.351/-),Shivasahastranam(Rs.751/-),Shivanamavali(Rs.751/-),Shivamahimanstotra(Rs.751/-),Shivatandav strota(Rs.701/-),Shivaparadhkshamapannastotra(Rs.701/-) and sampurna arti(Rs.3001/-).The devotee has to deposit the amount for the puja, which he wants to perform with the committee office. The devotee can not take part in these pujas and they are performed only by the purohits fixed by the committee office.
Temple Administration:
The Kedarnath temple is managed by Shri Badarinath - Shri Kedarnath Temples committee. The committee comprises of 17 members, which include Members selected by the Uttaranchal Legislative Assembly, Members selected by the Zilla Parishad of Garhwal,Uttarkashi,Tehri,Chamoli districts, Members nominated by the State Government.The President and Vice chairman of the committee is nominated by the State Government .
Number of pilgrims:
According to figures from Shri Badarinath - Shri Kedarnath Temples committee,4,15,000 yatris have visited Kedarnath in this year upto 17th July'08. Last year, 5,57,923 yatris had visited the shrine.
Places around Kedarnath:
Apart from beautiful temple of Kedarnath, there are many places around Kedarnath to visit.
Shankaracharya Shrine:Adi Shankaracharya attained samadhi at the age of 32 here. The place is just behind the Kedarnath temple. It is interesting to know that Dwarka based Shankaracharyaji took initiative to built this place in an organised way in 2006.The shrine is beautiful, clean and peaceful, with the serene surroundings.
Chaukhadi Taal: The place is also known as Gandhi Taal as Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed here. The lake normally covered by snow is a beautiful place.
Hanskund: Just nearby the Kedarnath temple, the place is known for Pitrutarpan and Pind daan.
Udakkund: The place is 50 meters away from Kedarnath temple. The devotees come here to take holy water, which arrives from main Kedarnath Jyotirlinga.
Vasuki Taal: It's a 9 km arduous trek from Kedarnath. The place is situated at the height of 4135 meter above sea level.
Bhukund Bhirav:The locals have strong faith in Bhukund Bhirav temple.It is 500 meters away from Kedarnath temple.
Kedarnath trek: Memorable experience:
The 14 km trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is really a memorable experience, which one has to enjoy at least once in a life time. It's a gradual ascent up the banks of the sacred river Mandakini with refreshing breeze and glimpse of the snow covered mountains. After every few hundred yards, the yatri has to stop for a while to balance their breathings.
The first stop is at Rambada, which is middle of the 14 km trek. It is 7 km away from Gaurikund. This is the place when most of the yatris take halt for 15/20 minutes and take snacks, tea, soft drinks etc.
Garudchatti is 11 km from Gaurikund, where the yatri clearly feels the effects of high altitude. When the yatri reaches Kedarnath, he may have vomiting sensation , low blood pressure known as high altitude sickness.
Options for 14 km route:
If the yatri can not walk for 14 kms, there are 3 options to reach Kedarnath shrine.
Poinies, Palanquins or Dandi or Doli (hoisted by four men) and Helicopter.
Ponies are easily available. The rates are fixed by the government. The charges are Rs.950 for to and fro journey (up to 60 km weight of the person). If you want to stay overnight at Kedarnath, the pony charge increases to Rs.1150. The rate from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is Rs.600 and from Kedarnath to Gaurikund is Rs.400.
Dandis are also available. They charge Rs.2450 (up to 65 km weight) for Gaurikund-Kedarnath-gaurikund on the same day and Rs.3220 for night stay. One side charge is Rs.1320.
For the children below 5 years the Kandi is also available. They charge Rs.480 (up to 25 km weight) for Gaurikund-Kedarnath-Gaurikund on the same day and Rs.660 for night stay. The charges for Gaurikund-Kedarnath is Rs.290, Kedarnath-gaurikund is Rs.190.
However, bargaining also takes place for ponies,dandis and kandis.
Besides,the yatri has to pay a tax of Rs.50 if they hire any servce like porter,pony or dandi to Rudraprayag Zilla Panchayat.
Heli Yatra to Kedarnath:
Helicopter service is also available from Augustyamuni and Phata .It's a 5 seater bell 407 Helicopter operated by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. During July and August, the services are closed due to rough weather conditions. Augustyamuni is 67 km from Gaurikund and Phata is 18 km from Gaurikund.
In the Heli yatra, the passengers get 90 minutes for Kedarnath darshan. The yatri coming by helicopter gets priority for darshan in temple as the yatri has to return in helicopter and uncertain weather conditions. The yatri who wants to stay overnight at Kedarnath can take last flight around 11:30 am from Augustyamuni and 5:30 pm from Phata.
The fare per passenger from Augustyamuni is Rs.9100 for Augustyamuni-Kedarnath-Augustyamuni round trip. The fare per passenger from Phata is Rs.6900 for Phata-Kedarnath-Phata round trip. The fare is exclusive of priority darshan charges of Rs.500.00.
The yatri can also take one way tickets like Augustyamuni-Kedarnath and Kedarnath-Augustyamuni which are priced at Rs.5650 and Rs.3450 respectively and Phata-Kedarnath and Kedarnath-Phata tickets are priced at Rs.4300 and Rs.2600 respectively.
Infants upto 2 years are charged 10 % of normal ticket. Others have to take full ticket as full seat is allotted to them.
Many yatris who have traveled through this service have observed that sometimes it becomes very difficult to get refund if the flight could not take off due to weather conditions.
How to Go?
From Ahmedabad, 9105 Haridwar Mail is daily , which starts at 9:25 am from Ahmedabad and reaches next day Haridwar by 12:30 pm. Just get down at Haridwar, take state transport bus or shuttle rickshaw (normally charge Rs.30) for Rishikesh. The distance between Haridwar and Rishikesh is 24 km. If you don't want to go Rishikesh, Haridwar is also very good option. Take state transport bus or private bus, which starts early morning for Gaurikund. The bus takes 8 to 9 hours to reach Gaurikund.
If you are in Rishikesh, shuttle jeeps are available. However there is no direct shuttle jeep between Rishikesh-Gaurikund and one has to take split journey option by shuttle jeep.
Take shuttle jeep from Rishikesh to Srinagar or Rudraprayag(charge Rs.120 or 130),take another shuttle jeep from Rudraprayag to Guptakashi (charge Rs.40) and finally Guptakashi to Gaurikund(charge Rs.40). The distance between Rishikesh-Gaurikind is 223 km and it takes 6 hours by shuttle jeep. The route includes Devprayag, Rudraprayag which is a centre point for Kedarnath and Badrinath journey), Augustyamuni, Guptakashi,Phata, Sonprayag and finally Gaurikund.
In return journey 9106 Haridwar mail is daily available from Haridwar which departs at 3:25 pm from Haridwar and reaches next day in Ahmedabad at 6:40 p.m.
Facilities at Kedarnath:
Hotels, Dharmashalas are enough to accommodate yatris at Kedarnath. The charges are between Rs.150 and Rs.800.However due to high altitude and extreme cold, one should carry necessary medicines and woolen clothes. Medical Centre is available at Kedarnath. The Hotels/ Dharmashalas are clean with basic facilities like blankets etc.
However one has to pay Rs.20 extra for one bucket of hot water if one wants to bathe with hot water. Electricity is a major problem in this region and hence one should also have torch and candles. You are lucky if you find electricity for the full day. BSNL and Reliance mobile networks work in this area. If you are talking through BSNL landline, one has to take pause for few seconds.
Related Information:
Gaurikund-Kedarnath route is a 14 km trek. The temple is situated at the height of 11,746 ft above sea level. This ascent can cause the potentially fatal mountain sickness or high altitude sickness, which is a mild swelling of the brain tissue due to lack of oxygen. The experts and doctors suggest immediate return to lower altitudes.
Vipul K Shukla
(The writer is Ahmedabad based Public Relations Consultant. He visited the shrine in July, 2008. He can be contacted at:vipulkshukla@gmail.com)
