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Sri Kedarnath ji

One of the twelve "Jyotirlingas" of Lord Shiva, Kedarnath is amongst the premier pilgrimage centres in the country. Situated at and altitude of 3,581 mts. above sea level, against the backdrop of the awe-inspring Kedarnath range , the temple of Sri Kedarnath is visited by hundreds of devotees every year.

It was at Kedarnath, narrates the epic Mahabharat, that Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, departed to Heaven; another legend has is that the Pandavas of the Mahabharat epic underwent severe penances here to atone the killings of their kith and kin in the great battle of Kurukshetra and so estanlished this shrine. At the entrance to the temple is a statue of Nandi, the divine the bull. The interiors of the Kedarnath temple are exquisitely carved with images.


Places of Religious Interest
From Kedarnath one can also visit Ukhimath, the winter home of Sri Kedarnath, Samadhi of Shankracharyaji, Bhairavnath temple, Agastyamuni, Gupta Kashi, Triyuginarayan, Vasuki Tal, the shrines of Madmaheswar , Tungnath, Rudranath & Kalpeshwar.


FACILITIES
Kedarnath is 239 km from Dehradun of which the first 225 km. Is by road and the remaining 14 km a trekking route. Rishikesh the last railhead is 221 km from Kedarnath. Kedarnath is well connected by bus services to other centeres in the region. Ponies, dandis and porters are available at Gaurikund, from where the 14 km. Trek to Kedarnath starts.

The temple remains closed from mid November to early April.