Deemed for being one of the most ancient
and popular temple dedicated to Shivji, Kedarnath Dham is one of the most
pristine destinations for pilgrims to find peace, solitude and a spiritual
awakening of their own. People who have visited Kedarnath have had potentially
life changing experiences there making the tough journey to the divine
absolutely worth it. Forming one of the 3 cornerstones for Chardham Yatra of
Uttarakhand, this temple located amongst the lush green mountains of Kedar dome
and on the banks of the holy Mandakini River.
But there are a few lesser known facts
about Kedarnath that are still unexplained and mysterious to the pilgrims, here
are a few fascinating facts which will add a hint of thrill to your journey:
Who
is it Named After?
Little have we given this a though. Kedarnath
literally translates into ‘Lord Kedar’ who refers to the idol of the presiding
deity of Shivji. But the story goes back to Saty-Yug. The whole valley of was
ruled by a king named Kedar who is believed to have first laid the foundation
of this temple and installed the shiv ling here which is said to be one of the
several abodes of Lord Shiv making it a significant place of worship.
Direction
of the Temple
Situated on a plateau amongst the tall
imposing and snow clad mountain ranges this temple offers stunning views of the
surroundings. A unique feature that has attracted the attention is that usually
all the temples face east in order to allow the first rays on the sun into the
temple. However, Kedarnath Dham faces south which is said was done with a
purpose of saving the temple from the rolling rocks from the north.
Destruction
Caused in 2013 Flash Floods
The destructions caused due to the 2013
cloudburst of Uttarakhand was a well-documented fact. However if you had not
been a part of it then you will not be able to gauge the actual magnitude of
the destruction that was caused. In the pictures people can see the devastation
caused on the Mandap however on the back side of the temple large rocks had come
out of the ground. Ishan temple which was situated inside the premise of the temple
had been completely washed away along with the Shankaracharya Samadhi (which
cannot be seen in the pictures now).
Getting
Easily to Kedarnath
People generally believe that visiting Kedarnath
Dham is an extremely difficult journey. However with the advent of technology
and increased focus on tourism by the government devout pilgrims can make these
pilgrimages easily. Along with development of strong and smooth roadways you
can also visit Kedarnath by Helicopter service. Although a little pricey, this is one of the most comfortable and
hassle free ways of getting to this incredibly holy Dham.
Interesting
Information about Nandi Bull
If you are visiting Kedarnath the first
thing that you will witness apart from the age old temple is a statue of Nandi
the bull gracing the entrance of the temple. This bull signifies the incident
between the Pandavas and Shivji on their way to heaven. It is also one of the
most important structures where devotees had clung on to during the flash
floods and it also helped in saving lives.
Story
about Shankaracharya Samadhi
As the name suggests this holy shrine is
dedicated to the 8th century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya who is
credited with the creation and establishment of various shrines and mutths
across India. This Samadhi structure marks the place where Adi Shankara had
taken his last breath. It is an important resting place for a great philosopher
and pilgrims make it a point to offer their prayers here as well as a mark of
respect.
What
to Expect Inside the Temple
The first thing that you will notice while
entering the temple are the exquisitely and elaborately carved out walls of the
inner chamber depicting various types of deigns and even stories about the Mahabharata.
The Garbha Griha or the inner sanctum is very tiny housing an irregular shiv
ling structure and people are not allowed to take the picture of the presiding
deity inside, it considered to be bad luck.
The
Protector of the Temple
Once the temple Kapat shuts down for Darshan
for a duration of 6 months, the temple structure is stranded amongst the inhospitable
weather conditions. With the presiding idol shifted to its winder home in
Ukhimath, the temple of Kedarnath is abandoned for the season. However, people
believe that this structure remains protected by Lord Bhairavnath whose shrine
is situated on top of a hill at an upward distance of 1 km from the temple.
The
Mini Himalayan Ice Age
Scientists studying on the origin of
Kedarnath have still a lot of the breakthrough discoveries to make before
finally deciding on its exact origin date however, according to studies, the
temple was once a part of the mini ice age which had taken place and covered
the entire Rudraprayag district for 400 years. The researchers were able to postulate
this by the ancient ice marks that were left behind on the temple’s outer
walls.
Color
of the Temple
Although in pictures and up close the
color of the temple may seem greyish and ashen like, the original color of the
temple was once white as a symbol for peace and calmness. The creator of the
temple had kept in mind that the temple should send a positive message to the
devotees visiting. Now over a period of centuries the temple has lost its
original color.
A
Part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
Kedarnath temple lies outside of the
northern border of the Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary. Therefore all the travel
activities to the temple are shut down after sunset in order to protect and
maintain the natural order here. With the growing and increased levels of tour
to Kedarnath, the officials are now taking bigger steps into the proper
conservation of the natural habitat of Kedarnath.
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