Kedarnath, where a form of the god Shiva is venerated as one of the 12 jyotirling (linga of light), is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. It is a two-day's journey from either Gangotri or one of the main disembarkation points on the plains.
Besides its affiliation with Shiva, Kedarnath is also believed to be the site of Sankaracaraya's samadhi (achievement of beatified afterlife).
The actual temple, an impressive stone edifice of unknown date, is accessible only after a steep 13 km walk (horses or palanquins are available for rent).
The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks.
No specific family of pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath, which focus around veneration of the stone lingam that rests in the inner sanctum of the temple.
More Information
- Kedarnath Temple - Badrinath-Kedarnath.org
Source: Wikipedia under GFDL. Photo by Arpana at Flickr, under a Creative Commons license.
