Kedarnath : 12 Jyotirlinga of Hindu God Lord Shiva

The Kedarnath is located near Badrinath (Vadu Naadu) Lord Shiva: Kedara Nathar, Ambal: Gowri, Theertham: Mandakini, Patikam: Sambandar, Sundarar, Travel Base: Rishikesh

Description: It is the famous and one of the best known in all India is called Lord Shivastalams and it is also known as the most sacred pilgrimage centers of the country. It is situated in the Lofty Himalayas. It is coming in the top list of 12 Jyotirlingams which is in Northern part, while Rameswaram is the Souther part. The leader of the spiritual Ali Sankaracharya is closely associated with Kedarnath, Kedarnath was the shrine steeped in antiquity, which are rich in lengend and religious significance.

The Himalayan shrines was achieved to lord shiva which has been glorifield by the Tamil Tevaram Hymns which is composed by the Nayanmars of the 1st millennium CE. It is shrines indraneela Parvatam in Nepal, there are Gowrikund, Kedarnath, and Mount Kailash which is in Tibet. But in none of that Nayanmars visited Kedarnath, Sambandar sang it has been praises from the Kalahasti. There was a Tamil hymns of the Nayanmars refer to Kedarnath as Tirukkedaram. The Kedarnath was the fourth of the Tevara Stalams which is hailed by the Tamil hymns of the Nayanmars, which is situated outside of the Tamilnadu/ Kerala/ Karnataka i.e in Vada Naadu.

The Temple: it is situated in the Himalaya and its height is a 12000 feet in which awe inspiring surrounding, this is the small shrine is accessible by foot, only 6 month a year. The temple which are there in Kedarnath enshrining the Jyotirlingam of Lord Shiva opens only when the sun enters the Zodiac sign of Aries and it is closing when the sun enter Scorpio. The priests then go to Ukhimath, where the worship of the Kedareshwara is continued during the winter season.

Kedarnath is situated on a ridge which is at right angles from below the 23000 feet it is high snowy peak of Mahapanth. Kedarnath was situated on the Rudra Himalaya range.

The Rudra Himalaya is also called the Pancha Parvata; its has five peaks which are Rudra Himalaya, Vishnupuri, Bhramapuri, Udgari-Kanth and Swargarohini. It is believed that four of the Pandavas died on the last of these peaks.

Legend: the legend is that the parvati worshipped Kedareshwar to be unite with Lord Shiva as her Ardhanareeswarar. The Kedara Munivar was also said to established this shrine visited by the Pancha Pandavas.

Legend: it has both Nara and Narayana – two incarnations of the Vishnu practised severe penances at Badrikashramam, in the front of a shivalingam fashioned out of the earth. When Lord Shiva was present in front of them, they requested to lord Shiva to take up his permanent abode as a Jyotirlingam at Kedarnath.

Legend: the pandava princes has said pandava that she want to visit the kedarnath after the great kurukshetra battle. Lord Shiva is keep watching the pandavas, he had assumed the form of a male buaffalo and entered the earth. And it is also said that the rear of its body remained here, as in Kedareshwar. The front part of the body is believed to be in Nepal. This legend says that when Lord Shiva entered the ground, he was become the five fold – his hind remained at the Kedar, his arms Tunganatha, his face Rudranath, his belly was Madhyameswara and his jata Kalpeswara. These all five shrines was known as the Pancha Kedara.

In this place it is believed that Pandavas are visited here several times. Arjuna was believed to have come here to pray to Shiva to obtain the coveted Pasupataastra. The other Pandavas are believed to have come here in search of him, and there Draupadi came across the heavenly lotus Kalyana Saugandikam, and was requested to Bhima to bring here some more of the same. It was during his venturing out to seeks these flowers that Bhima met Hanumaan.

The tradition was is that pilgrims which is first visit Yamunotri and Gangotri which is bring with them the holy waters from the sources of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga and was offer abhishekams to kedareshwara. There was a traditional pilgrim route is Haridwar – Rishikesh – Devaprayag – Tehri – Dharasu – Yamunotri – Uttar Kashi – Gangotri – Triyugnarayan – Gowrikund and Kedarnath. Alternatively, the route to Kedar from Rishikesh is via Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Ukhimath.

It is near the kedarnath is the source of the river which is Mandakini, Mandakini join Alakananda at Rudraprayag.