Nestled in the lap of Himalayan beauty, Kedarnath is one of the holiest pilgrim sites in the northern part of India. Rising at an altitude of 3584 meters, the city of Kedarnath in the Uttarakhand. One of the Char Dhams, Kedarnath is embedded in the Garhwal Himalayas. The remotest pilgrim site among the Char Dhams, Kedarnath is blanketed by snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas. The mesmerizing lakes, the landscapes and the authentic shrine of Lord Shiva mark to the beauty of the Dham. Silver streaks peak near the Chorabari Glacier turns the place one of the most beautiful and vividly visited by tourists. Kedarnath tourism is mainly about the Kedarnath temple history, Kedarnath yatra and Gaurikund To Kedarnath Trek.
The Kedarnath temple history believed that Nar Narayan was the worshipper of Lord Shiva in terms of the idol. Several mythologists say that the Lord appeared and wished to make the place his home. This lead to the name Kedar a name of Lord Shiva.
Another belief pertaining to the king Kedar who was the then ruler of the land and so the name Kedar. This is just a believes that this story is the actually Kedarnath temple history.
A tale about the temple narrates as, after the battle of Mahabharata, Pandavas visited Lord Shiva to seek forgiveness. They visited Kashi first but found that the lord has shifted go the snow clad mountains. So they migrated towards the Himalayan region and entered the place via Haridwar. But lord was not interested and hence avoided them hiding in the form of a bull. The place is now regarded as Guptakashi. The two Pandavas brothers now moved towards Gaurikund and spotted a different buffalo.
When they noticed him, he shoves into the river leaving behind a hump which is now deemed as the holy idol and people from across the globe visit Kedarnath to worship the same.
The most famous place that Spurs from the hot spring water, the Kedarnath treks originates from the Gaurikund. A dip in the Kund is freed from the fatigue of Kedarnath trekking and then move towards the thick forests and spectacular waterfalls. The total distance between the Gaurikund and the temple of Kedarnath via Kedarnath trek is near about 14 km. The entire route is decked up with several shelters, fences, public shops and several conveniences for people who find it difficult to trek further. The earlier route was directed through Rambara with impeccable valleys, lush green and waterfalls beside.
Owing to the disaster in the year 2013, this route was totally washed away leaving behind no further scope for reconstruction. The NIM team members worked to draft a new route for the temple that to passes through Rambara with a trek stoppage at Linchauli.
Though the Kedarnath trek might seem fascinating and simple it induces a steep incline while trailing through the dense forests and the meadows. People go for the trek but having a mindset prepared regarding the problems or the difficulties while on the trek would make it easier to tackle the same. It requires a lot of high spirits and a pushing ability to go more. As the shrine appears to be nearer the ascent rises and difficulty increases. One of the most difficult trek as pressure drops and some might find hard breathing. However, it is all the will of the person that takes it going no matter how hard the Kedarnath trek is.
Kedarnath yatra is one of the sacred places and the holy site, the Kedarnath yatra offers a blissful experience. The place is an abode of God. As winter sets in, the doors of the temple closes on first of October with proper rituals and the idol is shifted to Omkareshwara temple. After six months the lord is back at his iconic site to please his devotees. Every year 1000 pilgrims do Kedarnath yatra.
The trek from the ethnic Gaurikund to the temple of Kedarnath yatra is 15-16 km. The route has been advised by NIM members. Since the old route via Rambara has been shattered during the landslides in the year 2013, a newly constructed bridge is the only means to reach the temple.
From Gaurikund to Kedarnath trek time is around 3 to 4 hours.
Kedarnath is one most sacred places and lakhs of people visit the place. The place has no direct connectivity via road and one needs to take a helicopter. Several service’s plies in terms horses, Pony, Palki, Dandi between the trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath. A 14 km hilly ride gives you beautiful vines throughout the journey. The rates for hiring horses vary depending upon the route you choose for the same. The minimum is 1500 for the same day trip from Gaurikund to Kedarnath by horse and if you opt for a halt then you would be charged 1800.
The time for trekking from Gaurikund to Kedarnath depends upon the route you choose and the duration. A direct trek takes one night time however if you choose to pause in between and rest, then you would take a day for the same. The initial seven km are straight and further, it takes a steep rise which leads to the delay in trekking.
Kedarnath can be reached through various cities such as Chandigarh, Delhi, Bangalore, Nagpur. You can also prefer visiting Haridwar, Kotdwar or Dehradun by rail or road. Several buses ply from Dehradun to Gaurikund which is them your starting point of the trek. A one day ride would have you in Gaurikund and the entire journey would enthrall you by it’s beautiful and scenic places.
People can opt for a helicopter to reach Kedarnath from different places such as Dehradun or Delhi. The trek can be completed via the helicopter to reach the Chardham
Several places in Uttarakhand opt for helicopter services like the Dehradun, Phata, Sitapur etc. Helicopter services ply each day and Yatris can buy tickets for the same. The services by helicopter spread across 418 km and can accommodate up to six people. People can reach the place from Delhi or Dehradun via helicopter.
A fare of 6900 is charged for the to and fro tour from Kedarnath. Tickets can be brought from Phata and it totally depends upon the availability of the seats. You can even book your tickets online from different websites.
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