North India · Uttarakhand
Kedarnath, Uttarakhand
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
Open only from around late April/May to Diwali (Kartik Purnima); a ~16 km trek (or pony/palanquin/helicopter) from Gaurikund at 3,583 m. Registration on the state's Char Dham portal is mandatory.
Questions travellers ask
When is Kedarnath open?
Roughly late April or May until Diwali, around Kartik Purnima. It is closed the rest of the year.
How do I get up to the temple?
It is about a 16 km trek from Gaurikund, the trailhead, to 3,583 m. Pony, palanquin and helicopter are the alternatives to walking.
Do I need to register?
Yes. Registration on the state's Char Dham portal is mandatory.
What is Kedarnath?
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and one of the Chota Char Dham.
What else is there once I am up?
Bhairavnath Temple above the town, and the Vasuki Tal trek if you have the time and the legs.
About Kedarnath
- Mountains
Where it is
Kedarnath is a temple town in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, high in the Garhwal Himalaya at about 3,600 m near the source of the Mandakini river, reached by a trek of about 17 km from Gaurikund.
History
Tradition links the shrine with the Pandavas of the Mahabharata and credits Adi Shankaracharya with reviving it in the 8th century. The stone temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and the first of the Panch Kedar, survived the devastating floods of June 2013, when a great boulder lodged behind it and held back the debris.
People
The shrine's porters and traders are largely Garhwali, speaking Garhwali and Hindi, and families from villages lower in the valley run the pony, palanquin and lodging trade in the pilgrim season. In winter the temple closes under snow and Kedarnath's worship moves to Ukhimath.
Known for
- The Kedarnath Temple, a Jyotirlinga
- The trek from Gaurikund
- Bhairavnath Temple above the town
- The Chota Char Dham yatra
- Vasuki Tal
Did you know?
Kedarnath's chief priest, the Rawal, traditionally comes from the Veerashaiva community of Karnataka.
Shrines and sites
- Kedarnath Temple
- Bhairavnath Temple above the town
- Vasuki Tal trek
- Gaurikund
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.