Kedarnath Dham

The journey begins

One begins the journey to Kedarnath after a bath at Gaurikund, which is a hot water spring. The 2013 floods brought much destruction to the facilities at Gaurikund. The kund is now covered with plastic sheets.

The pony ride to the top

There are many ways to reach the Kedarnath temple. You can walk. Also there are helicopters, ponies, palkhis, or one can even be carried on the back. I chose to ride the pony. It took four hours to reach the top with two short breaks. There is food and water available all along the way. After the pony ride there was a two km walk to the GMVN guest house. A Pony ride costs Rs. 2300 which is not much cheaper than a helicopter ride which costs Rs. 3200. But it is much better to walk or take the pony if you can spare the time because you really get to understand the mountain which is revered by millions of Indians for eternity.

The Kedarnath temple

The backdrop of the temple is Kedarnath, the snowy mountain from which Mandakini originates. At Rudraprayag, Mandakini will join Alaknanda which originates from Badrinath. The Chardham yatra is definitely about the sources of Ganga and the mountains that contain these sources. Way before scientists learned to monitor river sources, sages in India revered and indirectly monitored the sources of the Ganges. But this post is about the beautiful and serene temple where ceremonies happen all day and night. Where common people can access, do pooja, and even touch the Jyothirling. An environment that encourages a true communion with god.

Mandakini or Kedar Ganga

One of the sources of the river Ganga is Mandakini (also called Kedar Ganga).
The Goddess Mandakini.

GMVN, Kedarnath

The GMVN accomodations at Kedarnath are quite good. Authentic local food is served for Rs 200 a meal to everyone visiting Kedarnath. Nights in Kedarnath get really cold and rooms are not heated. Though GMVN provides heavy duty blankets and comforters. Luckily the days were very warm and nice in Mid June, while we were visiting.

Bheem Shila

The 2013 floods always come up in conversation when we visit Kedarnath. The floods were devastating destroying lives and property. Nothing survived except the temple. The Bheem Shila is a large stone that came with the floods and positioned itself behind the temple in such a way that it diverted the waters away from the temple. Sometimes words cannot do justice. Just watch in awe.

Shankaracharya Samadhi

The 2013 floods destroyed Shankaracharya's Samadhi though the spot is marked with a picture. I had seen Shankaracharya's birthplace at Kalady in Kerala. It was a special moment to visit his grave. Shankaracharya was a great philosopher and composed many bhajans including the famous Bhajagovidam bhajan. The best way to honor him, I thought, was to recite Bhajagovindam to him.

Kedarnath Jyothirling

Me after doing Abhishekham. Kedarnath Jyothirling is accessible to the public. It is a people's Jyothirling. Regular people can touch the Jyothirling. Compared to all other famous temples of India, this is a very different temple. You feel ownership of this temple even though it is so famous.