Ukhimath (also spelled Okhimath) is a small town and a
Hindu pilgrimage site in
Rudraprayag district
Rudraprayag is a district of the state of Uttarakhand of northern India. The district occupies an area of 1984 km2. The town of Rudraprayag is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is bounded by Uttarkashi District ...
,
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is situated at an elevation of 1,311 meters and at a distance of 41 km from
Rudraprayag. During the winter, the
Utsava Idols from the
Kedarnath Temple, and
Madhyamaheshwar Temple are brought to Ukhimath and worshipped here for six months. Ukhimath can be used as center destination for visiting different places located nearby, the
Madhyamaheshwar Temple,
Tungnath Temple and
Deoria Tal (a natural fresh water lake) and many other picturesque places. According to
Hindu Mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
, the wedding of Usha (Daughter of
Banasura
Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana.
Legend
A mighty ...
) and
Aniruddha
Aniruddha ( sa, अनिरुद्ध ') is a character in Hindu mythology, the son of Pradyumna and Rukmavati, and the grandson of Krishna and Rukmini. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he is con ...
(Grandson of Lord
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
) was solemnized here. By name of Usha this place was named as Ushamath, now known as Ukhimath.
King Mandhata had performed severe penances to Lord
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
here. During the winter, the Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar Temples are closed due to heavy snowfall in the area. As a result, the
Utsava Idols of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar are brought from Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar to the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath. The winter
puja of Kedarnath and Omkareshwar (the presiding deity of Ukhimath) is performed here. The Omkareshwar Temple is located at Ukhimath, which is at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag.
Ukhimath has many other ancient temples dedicated to several Gods and Goddesses such as Usha, Shiva, Aniruddha,
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
and Mandhata.
Ukhimath Travel Guide
/ref> Situated on the road connecting Guptakashi
Guptakashi, Gupta Kashi or Guptkashi is a fairly large town located at an elevation of in the Kedar-khanda ('khanda' means "sector"), in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand, India. It is known for its ancient Vishwanath Tem ...
with Gopeshwar, the holy town is mainly inhabited by the head priests of Kedarnath known as Rawals who move here to spend the winter.
Ukhimath has an All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
Relay station known as Akashvani Ukhimath. It broadcasts on FM frequencies.
Gallery
File:Rooms around Ukhimath Temple, Uttarakhand.jpg, The courtyard around the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath.
File:Ukhimath Temple.jpg, Close-up view of the ''mandapa'' (pillared hall) in the temple.
See also
* Panch Kedar
Panch Kedar ( sa, पञ्चकेदार) refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shivaite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many l ...
* Kedarnath
* Chota Char Dham
* Char Dham
* Jyotirlinga
A Jyotirlinga () or Jyotirlingam, is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of ('radiance') and ('sign'). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also ''Shiva Purana'') mentions 64 original ''jyotirlinga'' s ...
References
Hindu temples in Uttarakhand
Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
Rudraprayag district
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