Thread by @VandanaJayrajan

#PanchKedarTemples
Kedar Khand region of Garhwal Himalayas is home to Panch Kedar temples. These are Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheswar and Kalpeshwar. It is the only pilgrimage in the world that requires pilgrims to worship five Shiva temples in strict order.

It is believed that after the Mahabharat war, in which the Pandavas had defeated the Kauravas, sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas to seek pardon from Lord Shiva as their act of killing their own kin could be pardoned only by him. So the Pandavas went in search of Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva was already convinced of the guilt of the Pandavas and he did not want to bless them so easily. In order to avoid them, he took the form of a bull(Nandi) and went into hiding. Pandavas chased him to an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where he was hiding.

Lord Shiva is said to have split his body into 5 parts. His hair is believed to be at Kalpeshwar, face at Rudranath, mid-torso at Madhyamaheshwar, Nandi’s hump at Kedarnath & legs at Tungnath.
After he went back to his natural form, these 5 places came to be known as Panch Kedar.

The Pandavas built temples of Lord Shiva at each of these 5 places as a sign of seeking his pardon & blessings.

1: The Kedarnath Temple

This temple on the Garhwal Himalayan range near Mandakini River is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India and the holiest shrines of Lord Shiva.

The temple is also one of the four major sites in India’s Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas. The grand structure of Lord Shiva's shrine is made of grey stone. Gauri Kund is the starting point of the trek towards the temple of Kedarnath.

A large statue of Nandi sits right opposite it. There's one Garbha Griha which houses the primary idol of Lord Shiva. Idols of Lord Krishna, Pandavas, Draupadi, Kunti are in Mandapa section. The temple has withstood natural calamities for over 1000yrs and still stands strong.

2: The Tungnath Temple

It is the highest Shiva temple in the world, located in the mountain range of Tunganath in Rudraprayag. It is located at an altitude of 3,680 m (12,073 ft), just below the peak of Chandrashila. The temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old.

The priest at this temple is a local Brahmin from Ukhimath village, unlike other Kedar temples where priests are from South India, a tradition set by Sankaracharya. During winters, the temple is closed and the symbolic image of the deity & temple priests are moved to Makkumath.

Tungnath is at the top of the mountain ridge dividing the waters of the Mandakini River from those of the Alaknanda River. The Tungnath peak on this ridge is the source of three springs, which form the Akashkamini River.

3: The Rudranath Temple

It is a natural rock temple and is sometimes considered as the toughest Panch Kedar temple to reach. In the Rudranath temple, Lord Shiva's face is worshiped as 'Neelkanth'. The temple is also known as Rudramukh.

It is located at an altitude of 2290 meters above sea level. The Nanda Devi and snow-covered peaks of Trishul are visible from the front of the Rudranath temple.
It is said that this temple should be visited after Kedarnath and Tungnath and before Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar.

4: Madhyamaheshwar Temple

This temple is an integral part of the Panch Kedar and is the fourth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage. The middle (madhya) or navel (nabhi) of the bull, considered a divine form of Lord Shiva, is worshipped at this temple.

The temple is situated in a picturesque green valley surrounded by snow peaks of Chaukhamba and gives a spectacular view of the Himalayan mountains.
The silver statues of this temple are transferred to Uikhamtha in the winter.

5: Kalpeshwar Temple

It is located in the Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of and is the only Panch Kedar temple accessible throughout the year. It is the 5th temple of the Panch Kedars. It is a small stone temple and has a stone idol of Lord Shiva.

Near the temple is a cave upon which image of hair locks are carved naturally. These are considered to be hair locks of Lord Shiva. Hence he's also called Jatadhar or Jateshwar. Kalpeshwar houses the famous Kalpavriksha. This tree is believed to fulfill all wishes of a person.

Panch Kedar yatra has great spiritual significance. It takes 15-20 days to complete the spiritual journey. Uttarakhand is also home to Panch Prayag, confluences of 5 rivers and Sapta Badri, a group of 7 sacred temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Video credits @wildfilmsindia

Kedarnath Temple
#HarHarMahadev