If you want to get in touch with your spiritual self, visit Kedarnath, a place that houses one of the most important temples in the Himalayas.

Say the word 'Kedarnath' and most Indians will tell you that it happens to be home to one of the most important temples in the Himalayas. This is because it is amongst the biggest of Lord Shiva's temples. The shrine of Kedarnath is located in the Garhwal Himalayas at the source of the river Mandakini.

According to Indian mythology, the deity of Kedarnath temple is identified with the rump of a bull, a form assumed by Lord Shiva, when he was trying to escape from the Pandavas' (these were the legendary five princes who fought their 100 cousins at the battle of Kurukshetra, where the Holy book 'The Geeta' was revealed to the Pandava prince Arjun by Lord Shri Krishna) clutches. When the five brothers, the Pandavas, followed him, he dived into the ground, leaving behind a hump on the surface. This conical projection is worshipped as the idol in the temple.

The Pandavas are given credit for building the temple of Kedarnath. It is said that the Pandavas, on their last journey followed the Manadakini to its source and Yudhisthira, the eldest prince, finally ascended into heaven from where the temple now stands. The statue of Nandi, the divine bull of Shiva, stands at the entrance of the temple. The wall inside the temple is exquisitely carved with images, and the temple houses a Shivalingam (the phallic iconic representation of Shiva), which is worshipped by hordes of pilgrims. What is truly unique about the Shivalingam is that it is pyramidal, unlike its usual oblong structure.

The rest of Lord Shiva's body is worshipped at four other sites - the arms at Tungnath, the mouth at Rudranath, the navel at Madmaheshwar and the hair at Kalpeshwar. These five shrines, including Kedarnath, collectively are known as the Panch Kedar.

The present temple was built in the 8th century AD by priest Guru Adishankaracharya. (The guru was responsible for establishing four regional monasteries, called dhams, in the four corners of the country for the study of the religious text of 'Vedanta'). The temple lies adjacent to the site of the ancient temple built by the Pandavas. The walls of the exquisitely styled temple are embellished with figures of deities and scenes from mythology.

Kedarnath is situated in a very scenic locale. It is enveloped by snow-capped mountains and grassy meadows. The Kedardome peak is behind the temple.

As winter dawns in the month of November, the holy statue of Lord Shiva is carried down from Kedarnath to Ukhimath. The idol is reinstated at Kedarnath in the first week of May. It is at this time, that the doors of the temple are thrown open to pilgrims, who flock from all parts of India for a holy pilgrimage.

A brahmin (member of the priest class in Hindus) was going on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath. Along the way, he kept helping other pilgrims, unmindful of the fact that he was getting late and that the Kedarnath shrine would soon shut for winter. Sure enough, by the time the brahmin reached the shrine, the doors were closed. When he requested the head priest to open the doors just once, he advised him to return next spring. The brahmin was heartbroken. "Lord! I have come all this way to meet you and was delayed only because I was trying to help others. How is it that you refuse to see me?" The temple door closed with a bang, but the brahmin refused to budge. All of a sudden, he saw a sadhu (holy man) coming down the mountain. The brahmin recounted his woeful tale to the sadhu.

"Who told you that the temple has closed for the winter? You are mistaken. Tomorrow is the last day of the pilgrimage. Don't lose heart, you still have a whole day left to meet the Lord," said the sadhu. The brahmin was utterly confused. "Why don't you come and spend the night with me?" said the sadhu. "I know of a nice, warm cave behind the temple." The brahmin agreed and went with the sadhu. After a frugal meal, the two men began a game of chess. The sadhu was a good player, but the brahmin managed to beat him once, twice, thrice... every time. The brahmin hardly noticed that the night was almost over and dawn was breaking.

He realized that it was time to go. Since it was the last day when he could see his Lord, he did not want to waste time. He hurriedly packed his bags and bade farewell to the sadhu. "Thank you very much for the company last night, but it would have been better if you could have beaten me just once. There is no fun in winning all the time, " he said.

The sadhu replied, "Do you not know that I always lose myself to those who seek the Lord as intensely as you?" The brahmin was in a tearing hurry and barely heard what had been said. He rushed towards the temple and found the doors open. The brahmin entered the temple and met the head priest who had refused to open the doors. "Why did you say that the temple was closed for the year when it is possible for me to enter the temple today and meet my Lord?"

The head priest was amazed. "You must be out of your mind! Today is the first day when the temple is opened for this year. The temple had been closed for winter. How could I have told you anything last night, when I have come up to Kedarnath only this morning?"

The brahmin was thunderstruck! The truth finally dawned on him - this morning was actually the NEXT year! He started running towards the cave shouting, "My Lord, my Lord, you played with me last night. Show me your face again..." But there was neither any trace of the sadhu nor any sign of the cave where they had spent the "night".

Air
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, at Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh, about 251 kms from Kedarnath. The best way would be to route your journey through the holy city of Rishikesh, which is 40 kms away from the airport. Cabs or buses will take you to Rishikesh in roughly an hour's time from the airport. From Rishikesh you will have to make your way to Gaurikund by bus or taxi.

Rail
In case you are travelling by rail the best place to get off would be Rishikesh, which is about 230 kms from Kedarnath. From Rishikesh one has to take the road to Gaurikund. And from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is a climb of 14 kms, which has to be done on foot or on ponies that can be hired at the spot.

Road
Kedarnath is approachable on foot from Gaurikund, which is connected by road to cities like Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun, Haridwar and other important hill stations of the Garhwal and Kumaon region in Uttar Pradesh.

The best place to stay while in Kedarnath is at any of the numerous dharamshalas, ashrams or cottages, which provide accommodation for free.

There is also a government-run guesthouse that is right behind the temple. Contact:
Tourist Rest House
Kedarnath
Garwhal, Uttar Pradesh
Tel No: (091-1372) 86-6210

Shankaracharya Samadhi
Behind the Kedarnath Temple lies the samadhi or the final resting place of Guru Adishankaracharya. It is believed, after establishing the four dhams in India, he went for his samadhi when he was just 32 years old.

Vasuki Tal
The pristine lake at Kedarnath with its exquisite scenic surroundings offers a wonderful view to the nature lover.

Gaurikund
Gaurikund is an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess Parvati. Legend has it that Parvati meditated here for a long time to win Shiva as her consort. Finally, she succeeded, and the Cosmic Couple finally wed at Trijuginarayan.

Chorabari
Located 2 kms from Kedarnath, Chorabari is also called the Gandhi Sarovar. It is a small lake, which has floating ice on it - an amazing site to behold. It is believed that the eldest of the Pandava brothers, Yudhishtira, departed to heaven from this place.

Ukhnimath
This is the winter home of the deity of the Kedarnath temple, where He rests from November to late April, and located 60 kms from Kedarnath. 73 kms from this place is the Agastyamuni temple dedicated to the famous sage Agastya.

Ukhnimath	Tungnath

Situated at an altitude of 3, 581 meters in the Himalayas, the climate here remains cold during the day and chilly at night in the winter months from September to March. In summer, from May to August, it is pleasant and cool during daytime and gets cold at night.

Since the temple remains shut for the winters, you can go for a darshan only from May to October. However, it is a good thought to avoid the monsoon months of July and August, as the region is prone to mudslides and landslides during this time.

While travelling one must ensure that one carries light woollens in summer and heavy woollen gear in winter.