Kedarnath is located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Kedarnath Dham is the most important place for devotees of the Lord Shiva. Meadows and forests of the lower mountain range of the Himalayas appear in the air, the wonderful snow-covered peaks in the way to reach to Lord Shiva. Kedarnath Dham celebrates the greatness of Lord Shiva that situated at a breathtaking place at a height of 3,584 meters from the river Mandakini. Kedarnath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlings and it is also one of the most important temple among PanchKedar (5 Shiva temples in Garhwal Himalaya). This is one of the important temples of holy shrine journey in Uttarakhand, which has increased the glory of this place to more height.
Accessible from major points of Uttarakhand, the motor-bound road towards Kedarnath temple extends up to Gauri Kund. Hard journey to the great temple of Shiva is compensated with a spiritual atmosphere that arises from the unique, peaceful and splendid beauty of this region. The famous Kedarnath Shikhar (6,940 meters) is standing behind the temple with other peaks, thereby establishing an ideal for the holy land of the Supreme God. Shiva Lingam in the Kedarnath Temple is a unique feature of the temple among all Shiva temples.
The natural beauty of the city of Kedarnath attracts many tourists from all over the world. You will find it full of crowd during the summer season (May and June). Thousands of pilgrims come to Kedarnath temple in the month of April to August. During the winter season, Kedarnath remains closed for six months due to heavy snow and extremely cold weather.
It is believed that Kedarnath Dham is a place where Lord Shiva blamed the Pandavas for their sin in killing the Kurukshetra war, killing their own cousins, Kauruvas. An appealing story behind the town and its temple are according to the Hindu Puranas, Pandavas have a great penance in Kedarnath to please Lord Shiva. Earlier, for tourist migration, there were many accommodation facilities like budget hotels, ashrams and guest houses in Kedarnath. Now with the recent flood, devotees can live only in tents or camps.
