Kedarnath Dham Temple, a famous Hindu temple, located in the lap of Garhwal Himalayas, 221 km from Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. The magnificent Kedarnath Dam, situated at an altitude of 3,580 meters against the backdrop of the majestic Kedarnath Mandir mountain range, is a place where devotees come to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. Kedarnath Mandir is said to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD. The nearby Mandakini River, snowy mountains, rhododendron forests and scenic surroundings make Kedarnath Dhum Yatra a peaceful place. And a nice place to be.

History of Kedarnath Dham Temple

The historical name of this region is 'Kedar Khand', and according to legend, after defeating the Karavas, the Pandavas of Mahabharata felt guilty for killing so many people and wanted to make up for the blessings of Lord Shiva. The Lord ran away from them again and again and took refuge in Kedarnath in the form of a bull. The Lord left his hill in Kedarnath and entered the country. The remaining parts of Lord Shiva are shown at four other places and worship him there as his manifestation. The Lord's arms are shown in Tangnath, his face in Rudranath, his belly in Madmashwar, and his locks (His hair) in Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four shrines mentioned above make it a famous Panch Kedar trek.

Best Time To Visit Kedarnath Dham Temple

Due to its altitude and geographical location, Kedarnath dham temple remains open for pilgrims for six months. The end of April or the beginning of May is chosen to open the entrances to this sacred high altitude Hindu temple. The temple is closed after Diwali and the deity is offered to Akhim and worship continues for the next six months of winter. Therefore, the best time to visit Kedarnath Dam is between April and November, with April to mid-June and October to mid-November being most suitable.

How to reach Kedernath Dham Temple

By Road

Kedarnath is well connected with major cities like Chandigarh (387 km), Delhi (458 km), Nagpur (1,421 km), Bangalore (2,484 km) or Rishikesh (189 km). You can choose to travel to Haridwar, Kotdwar or Dehradun by train or travel to Dehradun by air.

By Train

The nearest railway stations to Kedarnath dham temple are at Rishikesh (215 km), Haridwar (241 km). Dehradun (257 km) and Kotdwar (246 km) Rishikesh is not connected by express trains and Kotdwar has fewer trains. However, Haridwar railway station, which is 25 km from Rishikesh, is better connected to New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Howrah.

By Air

The nearest airport to Kedarnath Dham Temple is Jolly Grant Airport near Dehradun which is located at a distance of 239 km from Kedarnath. Actually this airport is close to Rishikesh (about 16 km) and it takes about 20-30 minutes to reach Rishikesh. From there you have to take a taxi or take a bus to reach Joshimath. Kingfisher Airlines will connect Dehradun Airport with New Delhi with Kingfisher Red service from New Delhi Airport at 11:35 AM and 3:20 PM and Dehradun at 12:30 PM and 4:20 AM respectively.