Panch Kedar ( sa, पञ्चकेदार) refers to five
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...
s or holy places of the
Shivaite
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
sect dedicated to god
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 ...
. They are located in the
Garhwal Himalayan region in
Uttarakhand, India
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 ...
. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to
Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...
, the heroes of the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
epic Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
.
The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage for worship are the
Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ मंदिर, IAST: ''Kēdāranātha Mandira'', ) is a Hindu temple roughly 1200 years old dedicated to Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river ...
( sa, केदारनाथ) at an altitude of , the
Tungnath Temple (तुङ्गनाथ)(), the
Rudranath Temple (रुद्रनाथ) (), the
Madhyamaheshwar Temple (मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madmaheshwar () and the
Kalpeshwar Temple (कल्पेश्वर) (). The Kedarnath is the main temple, which is part of four
Chota Char Dham
The Chota Char Dham (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region ...
s (literally 'the small four abodes/seats') or pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas; the other three dhams are the
Badrinath
Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. ...
,
Yamunotri and
Gangotri. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve
Jyotirlingas.
The Garhwal region is also called the Kedar-Khanda after Kedar — the local name for Shiva. The region abounds in emblems and aniconic forms of Shaiva sect of Shiva, much more than the
Vaishnava
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
sect. The western part of this region in particular, which constitutes half of
Chamoli district
Chamoli district is a district of the Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by the Tibet region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Pauri Garhwal to the southwest, ...
being known as Kedar-Kshetra or Kedar mandala, encompasses in its ambit all the five temples constituting the Panch Kedar.
Visitors to Kedarnath shrine, the first of the Panch Kedar temples for which records are available, was an impressive 557,923 in 2007 as against 87,629 in 1987, a quantum jump in 20 years.
History
It is said that the Panch Kedar Yatra (pilgrimage) could be directly related to the
Gorakhnath Sampradaya (recognized for their pilgrim traditions) of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
. As a proof, it is stated that the culmination of the pilgrimage was at
Pashupatinath temple in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
, rightly where Shiva's head is worshipped and not at Kedarnath where the hump is venerated. A further supporting fact mentioned in this regard is that the emblem used in Kedarnath temple dome is the same as displayed in the Pashupathinath temple dome in
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
.
Legends
Many folk legends related to the Garhwal region,
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 ...
and the creation of the Panch Kedar temples are narrated.
A folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the
Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...
, the heroes of the Hindu epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the
Kauravas
''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...
in the epic
Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing
fratricide
Fratricide (, from the Latin words ' "brother" and the assimilated root of ' "to kill, to cut down") is the act of killing one's own brother.
It can either be done directly or via the use of either a hired or an indoctrinated intermediary (a ...
(''
gotra hatya'') and
Brāhmanahatya (killing of
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
s — the priest class) during the war. On the advice of
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 ...
, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of
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 ...
and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
(Kashi), believed to be Shiva's favourite city and known for its Shiva temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (
Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.
Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to
Garhwal Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
.
Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near
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 ...
(“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in
Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of t ...
, the arms appearing in
Tungnath
Tungnath (IAST:tuņgnāth) is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples located in the Rudraprayag district, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Tungnath (literal meaning: Lord of ...
, the face showing up at
Rudranath
Rudranath ( sa, रुद्रनाथ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva, located in the Garhwal Himalayan mountains in Uttarakhand, India. Located at above sea level, this natural rock temple is situated within a dense forest of ...
, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in
Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in
Kalpeshwar. It is believed that Shiva's throat fell on the
Kedarkantha
Kedarkantha ( Hindi: केदारकंठ) is a mountain peak of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Its elevation is . Kedarkantha is located within Govind Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarkashi district
Uttarkashi District is a district ...
mountain. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.
A variant of the tale credits Bhima of not only catching the bull, but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas.[ After building the Panch Kedar Temples, the Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice) and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation.. The Panch Kedar Temples are constructed in the North-Indian Himalayan Temple architecture with the Kedarnath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples constructed in a similar manner.
After completing the pilgrimage of Shiva's darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit ]Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
at the Badrinath Temple
Badrinath or Badrinarayana Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India. The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu - holy shrines for Vaishnavas - who is ...
, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Shiva.
;Worship rights
The priests and pundits
A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport).
Origins
The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowle ...
who worship in the Panch Kedar temples are from South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
, except in Tungnath. Jangamas who areVeerashaiva
Veerashaivism is a sect within the Shaivism fold of Hinduism. According to tradition, it was transmitted by ''Panchacharyas'', ( kn, ಪಂಚಾಚಾರ್ಯರು, paṃcācāraya from sa, पंचचार्य, pañcācārya), or five ...
Lingayats founded by Panchacharyas are the chief priests at the Kedarnath and Madhyamaheswar temple.The chief priest of kedarnath is called Rawal and Jagadguru. Dasnami Gosain Gosain is an Indian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Satpal Gosain (1935–2020), Indian politician
* Shivani Gosain (born 1975), Indian actress
* Suhit Gosain (born 1985), Indian pop singer, actor, and performer
See also
* Gosa ...
s founded by Adi Shankaracharya are the chief priests in Rudranath and Kalpeshwar temples. The Tunganath temple is served by the Khasi Brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
. In the case of Tungnath, it is also said that the local Brahmins from Mokumath officiate as priests.
File:Pashupatinath.Overview.jpg, Overview of Pashupatinath temple
Pashupatinath Temple ( ne, श्री पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is located in Kathmandu, Nepal.
This temple was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1979. This "extensi ...
complex in Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
, Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
File:Badrinathji temple.JPG, The Badrinath Temple
Badrinath or Badrinarayana Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India. The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu - holy shrines for Vaishnavas - who is ...
File:Ukhimath Temple, near Kedarnath, Uttarakhand.jpg, Ukhimath
Ukhimath (also spelled Okhimath) is a small town and a Hindu pilgrimage site in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand in India. It is situated at an elevation of 1,311 meters and at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag. During the winter, t ...
Temple, where the Kedarnath and the Madhyamaheshwar deities are kept during the winter months
Geography
The five temples lie ensconced in the region of the Upper Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
with the high, snow-covered hill ranges of the Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi is the second-highest mountain in India, after Kangchenjunga, and the highest located entirely within the country (Kangchenjunga is on the border of India and Nepal). It is the 23rd-highest peak in the world.
Nanda Devi was consi ...
, Chaukhamba
Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Gangotri Group of the Garhwal Himalaya. Its main summit, Chaukhamba I, is the highest peak in the group. It lies at the head of the Gangotri Glacier and forms the eastern anchor of the group.Andy Fansha ...
, Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of t ...
and Neelkanth peaks forming their backdrop. Kedarnath is located in the Mandakini River
The Mandakini River is a tributary of the Alaknanda River in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The river runs for approximately between the Rudraprayag and Sonprayag areas and emerges from the Chorabari Glacier. The river merges with river Song ...
valley while the other shrines are situated in the highlands between the Mandakini valley and the Alakananda
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism. In hydrology, the Alaknanda is considered the source stream ...
gorge. They are so remotely located that except Kalpeshwar, the other four are still not accessible by motorable roads but reached by strenuous trekking, starting from late April or early May till early October. For the rest of year (the winter season), the shrines are closed due to heavy snowfall. Kalpeshwar is accessible throughout the year by a short trek of about from the nearest road head. (See External links for schematic maps of the locations of Panch Kedar).[
The village of Kedarnath is on the edge of Kedarnath mountain slope in a remote northern part of the Garhwal Himalayas. Kedarnath ranges drain into the Mandakini River that emerges from the steady edge of the Churabre glacier and forms the picturesque Mandakini valley. The Dudhganga, Madhuganga, Swargaduari and Saraswathi are the streams that flow in the valley behind the Kedarnath temple. Also seen close to the temple are four sacred ponds called Retah, Udak, Rudra and Rishi.][ Tunganath has an impressive backdrop of the peaks of Panchulli, Nanda Devi, Dunagiri, Kedarnath and Bandar Poonch. The Vaitarani stream flows near Rudranath.] Kalpeshwar is located in the Urgam valley in a dense forest area. Urgam Valley has apple orchards, terraced fields where potato is grown extensively. Kalp Ganga river, a tributary of the Alaknanda, flows through the valley.
File:Chaukhamba peak, Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand.jpg, Chaukhamba peak
File:Trishul.jpg, Trishul peak
File:Nanda devi.jpg, Nanda Devi Peak
Access by trekking
The Panch Kedar temples are accessible by only from the nearest road heads but in different directions, lengths and scale of difficulty (ruggedness, steepness and snow cover). The trek routes located in the Garhwal region provide a dazzling and enchanting display of the high snow peaks of Nanda Devi (), Trishul () and Chaukhamba (). Garhwal region is where the most worshipped Ganga River and its many tributaries originate adding to the reverence of the Panch Kedar temples.[
The total trek length to cover all the five temples of Panch Kedar is about (including road travel up to Gaurikund), involving 16 days of effort. The trek starts from Gauri Kund, which has views of the Himalayan range of hills.][ The trekking is undertaken during two seasons; three months during summer and two months after the monsoon season, as during the rest of the period, except Kalpeshwar, the other four Panch Kedar temples are inaccessible due to snow cover.]
The road from Rishikesh is the first entry point to Garhwal from the plains of Uttarakhand. Rishikesh is approachable from Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
by road over a distance of . The road from Rishikesh leads to the Gaurikhund on the Rudraprayag
Rudraprayag is a town and a municipality in Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River, the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. K ...
–Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of t ...
road from where the trekking would start to Kedarnath temple. The trek to Kedarnath is of , each way. After Kedarnath, road travel to Guptakashi and further to Jagasu covers a distance of . From Jagasu, the trek to Madhaymaheshwar temple via Gaundhar is over a distance of. This trek provides views of the Chaukhamba, the Kedarnath and the Neelkanth peaks. Returning from Madhyamaheshwar the road drive to Chopta via Jagasu is of . From Chopta, the trek is to the Tunganath temple over a distance of about . After the Tunganath trek, the drive along the road up to Mandal (known Cherrapunji of Garhwal due to heavy rainfall) is for a distance of. From Mandal, the trek to Rudranath temple is of . After visiting Rudranath temple the return journey is to Mandal and the drive down by road to Helang. From Helang, the trek to Kalpeshwar temple is for via Urgam village and is considered strenuous due to the steepness of the route. After completing the pilgrimage trek of Kalpeswar temple, the last of the Panch Kedar temples, the return road drive from Helong to Riishikesh via Pipalkothi is a distance of .
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun (). The nearest railway station is Rishikesh ().
Worship during winter season
During the winter period when the temples are inaccessible due to snowfall, the sanctified symbolic Shiva idol of Kedarnath is worshipped at the Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath
Ukhimath (also spelled Okhimath) is a small town and a Hindu pilgrimage site in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand in India. It is situated at an elevation of 1,311 meters and at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag. During the winter, t ...
, the representational idol of Tunganath is worshipped at Makkumath, the Rudranath symbolic image is brought to Gopeshwar
Chamoli Gopeshwar is a township in the Garhwal hills and a municipal board within Chamoli district. It is the administrative headquarters of the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand in India. Located above sea level, it is famous for its weather (p ...
, and the Madhyamaheshwar symbolic idol is venerated at Ukhimath.[
Kalpeshwar is the only temple of the sacred Panch Kedar that remains open throughout the year.]
References
External links
Locations of Panch Kedar - Schematic sketch
Panch Kedar, trek map, page 78
Related Yatras
* Panch Prayag
Panch Prayag (Pañcha prayāga) is an expression in Hindu religious ethos, specifically used to connote the five sacred river confluences in the Garhwal Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The five ''prayag''s - prayag meaning "place o ...
* Chhota Char Dham
The Chota Char Dham (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal regio ...
{{Uttarakhand
Shiva temples in Uttarakhand
Hindu temples in Uttarakhand