The
holy place Kedarnath is our next target for India travelers. This Hindu religious
town is positioned in Himalayas of Uttarakhand State, India. Kedarnath is also
the nagar panchayat of Rudraprayag region. This Lord Shiva’s place is included
in Char (four) Dham sites of India. Altitude of Kedarnath from sea level is 3584
meters and Chorabari Glacier is one best spot for hill lovers. River Mandakini
flows from Kedarnath and surrounding area of River is breathtaking and
eye-catching as the area is completely covered with snow.
This
holiest shrine is famous holy spot for Hindu pilgrims. People throughout the
world are attaining to Kedarnath, which is key location in Char Dham Yatra. Town
got name after King Kedar, who ruled the place during Satyug. His daughter name
was Vrinda a big devotee of Goddess Lakshmi. To honor the daughter the land
area where she uses to live was named as Vrindavan. Sources say Kedarnath shrine
and the town was exist from the period of Mahabharata when Pandavs did prayer
of Lord Shiva to meet him.
Kedarnath
is popular for many things like temples, backdrop of Himalayas, wonder vistas,
natural beauty, valleys, snow full hills, greenery and many other things. Himalaya
areas of India are world-famous and Kedarnath is nestled in middle of striking peaks
of mount Himalayas. Town is full of breezy mild wind offering composed atmosphere.
This picturesque spot is one where people can feel the calmness and silence of scenery.
Attraction in Kedarnath:
Chandrashila:
First location for holy voyagers is Chandrashila located in Rudraprayag region. Altitude of Chandrashila is 3679 meters from sea level. Trekking lovers must not miss the spot, though they should not reach location in December to January because the place becomes dangerous due to covered with heavy snow.
Chopta:
Next spot for voyagers is trek area known as Chopta having snowy environment all the time. Eye-catching sights of grand hills of Himalayas are always appreciated by world tourism hence people can enjoy the snowy mountains at Chopta.
Chorabari:
Also known as Gandhi Sarovar is our next tourist place of Kedarnath. Mostly surrounding areas of Kedarnath are linked to Mahabharata in one or the other way. Voyagers must visit the lake Chorabari that is recognized as Gandhi Sarovar. People believe Samrat Yudhishthira started his haven journey from Chorabari.
Deoria Tal:
Closer
tourist attraction of Kedarnath is Deoria Tal located in Garwhal ranges. Place is capable to attract voyagers
throughout the year, though in winter it becomes difficult to attain the
location because of heavy snowfall.
Few
other finest spots of Kedarnath are Son Prayag (located at 1829 meters altitude),
Vasuki Tal (lake close to Shrine), Agastyamuni (named after Agastya Rishi), Bhairav
Nath Temple (shrine having idol of Bhairav Nath [shrine is closed during winter
because the place get covered with snow in winter]), Gupt Kashi (popular for Viswanath
and Ardhanareeshwar temples), Kedarnath Temple (constructed by Sage
Sankaracharya), Shankaracharya Samadhi, Triyuginarayan (5 kms away from Son
Prayag), and Ukshimath.
How to reach Kedarnath?
Reaching
Kedarnath is not easy task because the way to reach the spot is go through
dangerous locations. Only 2 ways are available to attain Kedarnath town in
which one is vertical 14 kms trek (though palanquins and horses are accessible
on rent) starts from Gaurikund. Reaching Gaurikund is possible from Rishikesh, Dehradun, Haridwar
and few more hill areas of Garhwal. Next route is helicopter service which is
most convenient, but expensive as well. People can hire the helicopter from
closer areas of Kedarnath.
Chandigarh city is 387 kms away from Kedarnath, New Delhi is
458 kms away, Nagpur is
1421 kms away, Bangalore is
2484 kms away and Rishikesh is 189 kms distant.
By Rail: Rishikesh railway station is closer big rail hub located at 189 kms distance from
Kedarnath. Voyagers can hire prepaid taxi available from outside of station,
though their charges will be nearly Rs 3,000. Travelers can also attain the
buses from Rishikesh, though they have to travel for 207 kms by road to attain
Gaurikund and from there a toughest 14 kms journey will start. Trains for Rishikesh are available from Jammu, Haridwar, Chennai, New Delhi, Dehradun, Kotdwara, Kolkata, Ramnagar,
Varanasi, Kathgodam,
Kanpur,
and some other cities.
By Air: closer
airport for Kedarnath is JGA (Jolly Grant Airport) in Dehradun. This domestic airport is located at 239
kms distance from Kedarnath. Frequent flights from New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad
and few other big cities are available for Kedarnath. Talking about
international airport abroad visitors can attain to New Delhi
to reach Kedarnath.
By Bus: Kedarnath
town is properly linked through road and NH from Delhi towards
Mana is allowing voyagers to attain single route to reach destination. From
Gaurikund people have to get either helicopter service or have to go through 14
kms steep route. Buses for Kedarnath are available from Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehradun, Haridwar and
other Garhwal regions.