KEDARNATH

  Kedarnath Temple  ( Sanskrit : केदारनाथ मंदिर,  IAST :  Kēdāranātha Mandira ,  lit.   ' temple of the God of the field ' ) is a  Hindu temple , one of the twelve  jyotirlinga  of  Shiva . The temple is located on the Garhwal  Himalayan range [ 1 ]  near the  Mandakini river , in the state of  Uttarakhand , India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April ( Akshaya Tritiya ) and November ( Kartik Purnima , the autumn full moon). During the winters, the  vigraha  (deity) of the temple is carried down to  Ukhimath  to be worshipped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedarkhand', the historical name of the region. [ 2 ] The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 17 kilometres (11 mi) uphill trek from  Gaurikund . Pony, mule and  manchan  ...

      Kedarnath, a popular Hindu temple, tucked away in the lap of Garhwal Himalayas, some 221 km from Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. Lying against the backdrop of the magnificent Kedarnath Mandir Range, at an altitude of 3580 meters, the splendid Kedarnath Dham is where the devotees come seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva. Kedarnath Mandir is said to have been constructed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century A.D. The nearby flowing Mandakini River, mesmerizing vistas and splendid sceneries in the form of the snow-clad mountains, rhododendron forests, and salubrious environment make Kedarnath Dham Yatra, a tranquil and picturesque place to be at. Best Time to Visit Kedarnath Temple Due to its elevation and geographical location, Kedarnath Temple remains open to the pilgrims for a period of six months. The end of April or beginning of the month of May is chosen for the opening of the portals of this high altitude sacr...

The Kedarnath temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva in India.  The temple is believed to be over 1,000 years old and is made from large, evenly cut grey stones.  The temple houses a conical-shaped Shiva lingam, which is considered to represent Shiva's hump.   Kedarnath is part of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, which includes the Kedarnath temple and four other shrines. Kedarnath is in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, at an altitude of 3,586 meters above sea level.  It's located on the banks of the Mandakini River, surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range.