Legend
Tradition holds that after the Kurukshetra war the Pandavas sought Shiva to atone for killing their kin. Shiva avoided them by taking the form of a bull and diving into the ground; his hump remained at Kedarnath. The other parts appeared at the four other Panch Kedar shrines: arms at Tungnath, face at Rudranath, navel at Madhyamaheshwar and hair at Kalpeshwar.
Why this temple matters
Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and the most remote of them, standing at about 3,583 metres near the Mandakini river in the Garhwal Himalaya. It is part of the Chota Char Dham and the Panch Kedar. The present stone temple is traditionally credited to the Pandavas and revived by Adi Shankaracharya, whose samadhi shrine lies behind it. The temple survived the 2013 floods that devastated the valley.
What devotees pray for here
Peace & Family Harmony
Devotees undertake the hard trek as a tapas in itself. The silence of the high valley and the darshan of the Jyotirlinga are sought for inner peace, release from grief and the strength to start again after loss, in the spirit of the Pandavas' own atonement.
Dosha Remedies
As a Jyotirlinga, Kedarnath is visited for relief from karmic burdens and planetary afflictions, especially Saturn-related troubles. Devotees offer ghee abhishekam on the lingam and perform Rudrabhishekam in their name.
Festivals
- Kapat opening (late April or early May, around Akshaya Tritiya): the doors open for the season with the deity's palanquin arriving from Ukhimath
- Shravan month (July–August): Monday worship and Kanwar pilgrims
- Kapat closing (October–November, after Diwali, on Bhai Dooj): the deity moves to the winter seat at Ukhimath
- Maha Shivaratri (February–March): celebrated at the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath while Kedarnath is snowbound
Poojas & rituals
- Rudrabhishekam
- Shodashopachar pooja
- Ghee abhishekam: devotees apply ghee to the rock lingam with their hands
- Shiva Sahasranama archana
- Evening aarti
Personal predictions for your own birth chart, pooja booking and prasad delivery are in the SantoBaba app.
How to reach
Fly to Jolly Grant airport, Dehradun, or take the train to Rishikesh, then drive about 8 to 10 hours to Gaurikund via Rudraprayag and Guptkashi. From Gaurikund it is a 16 km trek, or a pony or palanquin; helicopter services fly from Phata, Sersi and Guptkashi. Kedarnath is about 220 km from Rishikesh.
Timings
Open only from the kapat opening in late April or May until the closing after Diwali. In season the temple opens early morning, closes for a few hours in the afternoon and reopens for the evening aarti; exact hours are announced by the temple committee each season.
Rules & dress code
Char Dham Yatra registration is mandatory. Warm clothing and a medical check are advised for the altitude. No photography inside the sanctum. The shrine is closed in winter; worship continues at Ukhimath.
Frequently asked questions
When is Kedarnath open?
Roughly from late April or early May until a few days after Diwali. It is snowbound and closed the rest of the year.
How hard is the Kedarnath trek?
About 16 km uphill from Gaurikund at high altitude; most pilgrims take 6 to 8 hours. Ponies, palanquins and helicopters are available.
Can I get a pooja done at Kedarnath without travelling?
Yes, in season. SantoBaba arranges Rudrabhishekam in your name through a local priest and sends you the video and prasad.
Where is the deity in winter?
At the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, where worship continues through the winter.
Photo gallery
Other temples for Peace & Family Harmony: Akshardham Temple · Badrinath Temple · Golden Temple · Jagannath Temple · Kapaleeshwarar Temple · Kashi Vishwanath Temple · Meenakshi Amman Temple · Ramanathaswamy Temple · Sabarimala Temple · Shirdi Sai Baba Temple · Sri Kanaka Durga Temple · Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple · Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple
Other temples for Dosha Remedies: Brihadeeswarar Temple · Chamundeshwari Temple · Kashi Vishwanath Temple · Ramanathaswamy Temple · Somnath Temple · Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple · Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple · Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple