Devotees sometimes prefer to go for an individual dham due to time restraints. Therefore, Trekking Compass brings to you Kedarnath Dham Yatra. The yatra concludes in 4 days and 3 nights. The journey to Lord Shiva’s abode at Kedarnath is a strenuous one, but the chants of "Om Namah Shivay!," "Har Har Mahadev!" etc. keep the devotees going.
While on the 22 km trek to Kedarnath Temple, devotees understand the penance of the Pandavas, for sure. It's the most visited of Lord Shiva's shrines and is located at a high altitude. This temple is among the 5 Kedars revered by Hindus, worldwide. Its significance is elevated as it is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas around India.
The journey map includes the following relevant markers (Dhams):
Haridwar → Kedarnath → Haridwar
This Haridwar to Haridwar, round trip has many visit-worthy stops enroute. One of these spots is the Dhari Devi Temple, famously known for the Kedarnath floods. The proper route for Kedarnath Dham is explained below:
Haridwar → Sitapur → Sonprayag → Gaurikund → Kedarnath → Gaurikund → Sonprayag→ Sitapur → Haridwar
For more details, check the Kedarnath Dham Itinerary below. If your doubts persist, contact us here.
The day will start with you, meeting our representative at Haridwar, early in the morning. There, after a small introduction, you board a taxi for Sitapur. Driving through the spiralling roads, lined with pines, along river Ganga and Alakhnanda, you reach Sitapur by evening. After the hotel check-in, you can explore Sitapur or rest for the trek tomorrow. Tomorrow is a big day, especially with the 22 km long trek.
There are many temples on your way to Sitapur. They are Mata Dhari Devi Temple, Shree Vishwanath Temple Guptkashi, Shree Kamaleshwar Mahadev Temple, Raj Rajeshwari Mandir, Vashishth Gufa Temple, etc. On the way to Sitapur, you will also encounter Triveni Ghat, Rudraprayag, Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Ukhimath, etc.
Your morning starts with a light walk ( 700 m ) from Sitapur to Sonprayag taxi stand. Here, you board taxis for Gaurikund, which is a 6 km drive from Sonprayag. At Gaurikund, devotees have two options;
Kedarnath Dham tests your patience and perseverance to get the darshan (view) of, Lord Shiva’s idol. After stops and light snacking at some intervals, you eventually reach Kedarnath Dham, at the right time for evening aarti (prayer). The Kedarnath Temple lights majestically, in the evening’s hue, giving you a one-in-a-million chance to look at Kedarnath Dham.
Kedarnath Dham, apart from its religious significance, is also famous for its placement amidst the Garhwal Himalayan Ranges. The Dham’s backstory is one of Lord Shiva’s trials of the Pandavas’ intentions. He wanted to test their patience and perseverance and the Dham's location continues to do so at present.
Pandavas built Kedarnath Temple to worship the back hunch of Lord Shiva in bull-from. This with 4 other Lord Shiva temples in Uttrakhand makes Panch (5) Kedar. Lord Shiva is the Destroyer, in Hindu Mythology. He destroys to make way for more creation and by destroying the inner demons of the devotees, he helps them turn a new leaf.
Once the evening aarti is done, you'll all retire to camps or dormitories after dinner at Kedarnath.
It's the day for Kedarnath Dham Darshan, you wake up early in the morning and take a bath. After soaking in the divinity of Lord Shiva, have your breakfast and descend to Gaurikund. For devotees with walking-related issues, mules and horses are available.
The descent brings you views of mountains that you will cherish for a lifetime. Other than that, the whole idea of this day is to trek down to Gaurikund, take a taxi to Sonprayag, and walk to Sitapur. The evening will call for a hotel check-in, where you have dinner and retire for the night.
The day starts with breakfast at Sitapur and ends with a see-off at Haridwar. The drive from Sitapur to Haridwar gives you chances to explore places in Uttarakhand like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Srinagar, Devprayag, and Rudraprayag. The Garhwal Himalayan range is also a constant site at some places on the route, the views are not as up-front, but they are beautiful nonetheless.
The Rudraprayag confluence on the way, gives you the chance to get the darshan of River Bhagirathi and Alaknanda together. This darshan makes up for the devotees not being able to visit Gangotri Dham, some might say. In Haridwar, you can book hotels and homestays to spend the night or you can take a bus or train to your location of choice.
Kedarnath Dham holds its special status because of several reasons. The temple being dedicated to Lord Shiva (The Destroyer) is amongst the most common reasons. Other reasons include Kedarnath Dham being part of the Char Dham Yatra within Uttarakhand i.e., the Chota Char Dham Yatra. Pandavas (the five brothers from the Mahabharata epic) having taken part in building this temple, is also the reason for its widespread popularity.
The Mandakini River flows near Kedarnath Temple. The Chorabari Glacier, where the Mandakini River originates, is at a trekking distance from Kedarnath Dham.
No. Kedarnath is not harder than Amarnath. While Kedarnath has its level of difficulty, it cannot be compared to Amarnath. At Amarnath, there's a diverse terrain including snow patches, steep ascents, and rocky paths. This makes the trek difficult. Wherein at Kedarnath, the route is comparatively more accessible and the trail is well-marked with gradual ascents.
Char Dhams around India were decided by Adi Shankaracharya and they are Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameshwaram, and Puri. Therefore, Kedarnath is not among these Dhams, although, it's a belief that where there is Lord Vishnu, there is Lord Shiva too. Therefore, with each Char Dham, one Shiva temple is in pairs. Like Kedarnath is the pair of Badrinath. Similarly, Rameshwaram has Ram Setu as its pair and Dwarka has Somnath. Kedarnath is considered one of the 4 Dhams in the Chota Char Dham Yatra within Uttarakhand.
At an altitude of 3,583 m, Kedarnath might raise health concerns due to low oxygen levels for senior citizens and kids. Therefore, the pilgrims are safer when carrying an oxygen cylinder. This strictly applies to devotees with respiratory or heart conditions. A consultation with your family doctor before a visit is a must.
Yes. Kedarnath temple has a plethora of overnight stay facilities. These include GMVN guesthouses, private Dharamshala, etc. Pilgrims can conveniently lodge and enjoy their visit.
Kedarnath Dham is at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft). This sort of altitude is where you might experience a shortage of oxygen. It will also vary from person to person, not everyone will be affected by the altitude gain.
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