Uttarakhand
5 Highest Shiva Temple in Uttarakhand
Sawan Shivratri – Panch Kedar in Uttarakhand
On the Auspicious day of Sawan Shivratri the month dedicated to lord Shiva let us tell you about the panch Kedar Yatra the Five temples of Lord Shiva located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand are called Panch Kedar. Five different parts of the body of Lord Shiva are worshiped in Panch Kedar temples.
Every year lakhs of devotees visit Panch Kedar temples. Sawan month is one of the time when most of the devotees visit the panch kedar temples. However, the Panch Kedar Yatra is considered the most difficult in the temples of Lord Shiva. But most of the devotees of Lord Shiva prefer to visit the five Kedar temples at once. Here are the Panch Kedar Name
Kedarnath Dham
The back of Lord Shiva is worshiped in the first Kedar Kedarnath.
Madhyamaheshwar Dham
Second Kedar Madhyamaheshwar, the belly (navel) of Lord Shiva is worshipped.
Tungnath Dham
The arms of Lord Shiva are worshiped in the third Kedar Tungnath.
Rudranath Dham
The face of Lord Shiva is worshiped in the fourth Kedar Rudranath
Kalpeshwar Dham
The Hair of Lord Shiva is worshiped in the last and fifth Kedar Kalpeshwar.
According to the legend the Pandavas built Panch Kedar temples after the war of Mahabharata to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. The Pandavas wanted redemption and atonement for their mistakes killing their brothers during the war of Mahabharata.
Panch Kedar Yatra Travel Guide and Best Time to Visit Panch Kedar Yatra
Complete Panch Kedar Yatra takes 10-15 days. Let us guide you how you can complete the Panch Kedar Yatra
Kalpeshwar Kedar Temple is the only temple in panch kedar which is open for devotees throughout the year other four Kedar temples is closed for the devotees during the winter season due to extreme weather condition in Uttarakhand. Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath and Madhyamaheshwar are are situated at a very high altitude above sea level and received vary heavy snowfall during the winter season in uttarakhand which completely close the trek routes. From November to April four kedar temples are closed so you need to plan accordingly and need to check all the panch kedar temple are open for panch kedar yatra.
If you are looking to see the snow as well during your panch kedar yatra then April is the month when you can see the snowfall during your trip. Best recommended time to do the panch kedar yatra is between May to First week of November also keep checking the weather alert because July to September is the monsoon season in uttarakhand and panch kedar yatra can be a bit difficult during the monsoon season.
Panch Kedar Yatra Complete Route Guide
To start the Panch kedar Yatra you need to reach Rishikesh or Haridwar which is well connected through motor roads as well as trains and the nearest airport to reach Haridwar or rishikesh is Jolly grand airport Dehradun.
- Rudraprayag from Rishikesh or Haridwar – Approximately 165 km , it may take 6-7 hours
- Rudraprayag to Gaurikund – Rudraprayag to Gaurikund distance is about 73 km which takes 3 hours by taxi/car
- Gaurikund to Kedarnath – Gaurikund to Kedarnath distance is about 16 km which you need to complete by trek or you can take pony services in Kedarnath or Kedarnath helicopter services. To reach the first kedar of Panch Kedar Yatra.
- Kedarnath to Guptkashi via Gaurikund – Kedarnath to Guptkashi distance is about 25 Km need to take taxi/car once you reached back to Gaurikund from Kedarnath.
- Guptkashi to Uniyana village – From Guptkashi you need to reach Uniyana village via Ukhimath from Uniyana village it’s a 21 Km Trek to Madhyamaheshwar Temple the second Kedar on Panch Kedar Yatra.
- Madhyamaheshwar to Chopta via Uniyana Village – The distance from Uniyana village ukhimath to chopta is about 45 kms.
- Chopta to Tungnath – Chopta to Tungnath distance is about 3.5 KM which you need to complete by trekking to visit Third Kedar of Panch Kedar Yatra, you can also visit Chandrashila situated at a walking distance of 1.5 km from Tungnath.
- Tungnath to Sagar village by road via Chopta – Chopta to Sagar Village Distance by road is about 99 kilometres after reaching Sagar village.
- Sagar village to Rudranath – Sagar village to Rudranath distance is about 23 kms which need to be completed by trekking to visit fourth Kedar of Panch Kedar Yatra.
- Rudranath to Helang village via Sagar village – Sagar Village to Helang village distance is about 60 Km
- Helang village to Kalpeshwar mahadev – Helang village to Kalpeshwar distance is about 3 kms which need to be completed by trekking.
Let us tell you Badrinath is must visit to complete the panch kedar yatra From Helang village you can reach Badrinath via Joshimath. After visiting Badrinath, you can return to your home after reaching Haridwar or Rishikesh.
