Kedarnath Yatra, Uttarakhand

Kedarnath is a popular pilgrim site which is one glorious mountain peak that has a snow blanket covered all the time. This place is located on the northern side of India and is said to be an ancient shrine of Lord Shiva for which most travelers visit at least once in their lifetime. This Shiny and pilgrimage site is considered to be holy for the Hindus and is quite a well-known tourist destination too.

As you reach the destination your eyes will be wide open to see the colorful rhododendron woods with an incredible sight of nature which is mesmerizing. The city is sacred in its way and is often visited by people to seek the Lord’s blessing.

Kedarnath is located at the height of 11,755 ft which is quite at the height of sea level. This place is not just a pilgrimage site but also has got many attractions to explore too.

History of Kedarnath

Kedarnath holds quite a good history and is said to be one of those crucial places where after the battle of Kurukshetra Mahabharata's Pandavas went to Varanasi's journey to get the Lord’s blessing. It is believed that they wanted to clean off their guilt of killing their kin and kith which is why a place is quite popular.

It is believed that Lord Shiva initially was ignoring to meet them which is why he hid in guptkashi.

However, later Pandavas found the Shiva who then decided to get in form of buffalo so that nobody would be able to recognize but still Pandavas managed to get close to the Lord. That is the main reason Lord decided to go underground forever. It is at that movement when Bhima who is one of the five Pandavas made huge efforts to stop him by holding the kegs and tails of the bull but lord Dived and then turned into evaporation at the place where he left his lump this lump is now called as Kedarnath Temple.

The Best Time to Visit

To visit Kedarnath the best time is from April(april weather in india) to September when the climate is mostly warm and not so chilly n snow gets subsided to a great extent. However, it is always good if you have a check on the condition of the weather before you plan out for the trip.

Once you reach Kedarnath make sure you get the information about the closing and opening timing of the temple. Usually, it opens at morning 6 am and closes by evening 6 pm and both the time there is a pooja being conducted.

Why this place is Famous

Many places in Kedarnath city will give you great exposure to rich culture and tradition that you may not find elsewhere. As you visit the city, the first thing you shall be doing is visiting the Kedarnath temple for which it is popular.

• Inside the temple: Inside the temple is the Lord Shiva shrine which is made of the great color stone. There is also a huge statue of the Bull which is said to be guarding the temple too. This temple was found by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th Century and is amongst those few shrines that need good trekking to be done to take the Lord Shiva’s blessings.
• Gauri Kund: This is another popular attraction which you will find on the way to Kedarnath temple. It is located at 1982m height and is said to be a harmonious and religious place where most of the people visit before Kedarnath temple. It has been devoted to Goddess Parvati who had done penance here to win Lord Shiva's
• Vasuki Tal: This is another major attraction of Kedarnath where most o visitors plan to visit. This place is located at 5miles distance from Kedarnath and at 4135 which is all covered with this snow-clad mountains. You can enjoy the charming sight of Chaukhamba Peaks.

Other than this Sonprayag and Chopta are other great places that you might want to explore. This place is said to be known for the wonders of nature with majestic views that have some great adventure buffs too.

Now you might want to plan out visiting this place but for this, it is important to make a better plan in the future. Most of the places are accessible by road at a maximum distance of 14 to 15 km.

Kedarnath by Helicopter

During winter season, Kedarnath is not at all available for the visit since it is all covered up in the snow.

But thankfully in summer, you can plan things better. If you have some senior citizens whom you think to reach the destination could be the problem, there are trips possible to Kedarnath by Helicopter.

The darshan is possible because there is a regular helicopter service that departs at day time and arrives back to the place at evening tie. Each helicopter service is available at the short interval of the timing.

It is, however, expected for the yatris to book the tickets well in advance so that the service, especially for the senior citizens, will brightly be utilized.

Festivals Celebrated in Kedarnath

There are many festivals that you can be a part of when you plan for a visit to Kedarnath such as:

• Badri-Kedar Utsav which is held in June
• Samadhi Pooja which is held during the day when Kedarnath Temple closes for six months
• Shravani Annakoot Mela is held a day before Raksha Bandhan

Festivals Celebrated in Kedarnath

There are many festivals that you can be a part of when you plan for a visit to Kedarnath such as:

• Badri-Kedar Utsav which is held in June
• Samadhi Pooja which is held during the day when Kedarnath Temple closes for six months
• Shravani Annakoot Mela is held a day before Raksha Bandhan

Of all other things Diwali is Kedarnath is quite incredible experience those who worship Shiva make sure that they visit the place during this festival. The entire temple at this time along with other adjoining areas is all covered with colorful flowers and has glimmering lights too. It is a NIM team which ensures the lighting responsibility is rightly taken.

More than 6000 days are illuminated even in the darkest corner. This is one of the huge events for which even TV and movie actors plan to be a part of this auspicious eve.