Wonderful Knowledge about Kedarnath Dham

The majestic temple of Kedarnath stands at a total elevation of 3,583 m. The temple stands as a testament to the sheer devotion, hard work, and effort of the people here who have managed to create and protect a temple of such proportions built at such an elevation. The worship rites of the Kedarnath temple stand the same as the 10th Century rites performed at the Jyotirlingas.

 

The temple is built on a massive base platform that is 6 feet in height. There is a worship revolutionary path that encircles the area of Graham and the Mushy Mandan. There is a courtyard outside that has a huge statue of Nandi the Bull. There is no strong evidence of the fact about who built the temple, but most erudite believe that Adi Shankaracharya was the one who built the temple. The temple rites are the same as were established by Adi Shankaracharya as this site is believed to be one of the ten Jyotirlingas. In the wee hours of the morning, the Shiva Pind is bathed naturally, and Ghee is poured on it. After this, lamps and incense sticks are lit, and a long Aarti is performed before the idol is decorated with flowers and ornaments and Chandan. There are many artistic ways in which the idol is decorated, but the devotees are only allowed to see the beauty and grandeur from a distance. The tour packages for Kedarnath will take you on a soulful journey on the Garhwal Himalayas.

 

Kedarnath temple's main priests are all Jangam Brahmins, who confirm the highest order of the Hindu priesthood. Kedarnath Lord is also worshipped as an image engraved on the back of Shankar the Holy Bull.

 

Legend has it that Lord Shankar transformed his Holy self into the form of a bull and visited the earth. The upper part of his divine torso appeared in Kathmandu, where now the temple of Pashupatinath stands. The arms of Lord Shiva are in Tungnath, the face is in Rudranath, and the head knot is in Kalpeshwar. Along with these four places, Kedarnath is also included in the Panch Kedar list. There are huge holy temples of Shiva erected over here.

Time of Darshan

.  The gates of Kedarnath open for the public every morning at 7.00 A.M. 

. The Main ceremonies are performed between 1.00 P.M to 2.00 P.M, and post that, and the temple is closed for some time.

. The temple is again to be opened to the public at 5.00 P.M again

. The idol of Kedarnath has 5 faces, and it is decorated beautifully and put on display between 7.30 P.M to 8.30 p.m

. The temple doors of Kedarnath Jyotirlinga are closed post 8.30 P.M.

In the winter, the Kedarnath clime is hidden by heavy snow. There are predictions involved in finalizing the exact time at which the temple gates are opened and closed, but usually, all worship activities are over by the 15th of November, and after 6 months, the temple doors are opened in the month of Baisakh.

 

In winter, the five-faced holy Idol of Baba Kedarnath is brought to Ukhimath, which is at a much lower elevation. Rawal Ji, the head Brahmin, performs daily worship here.

Devotees and Pilgrims offer money at Kedarnath temple, and post the procurement of receipt, they perform worship rites and get the Prasad.

 

The Pooja Order

 

The sequence of Pooja is as follows; Pratah Kalin Puja, Maha Abhishek Pooja, Abhishek, Laghu Rudrabhishek, Shodashopachara Pooja, Astropachar Pooja, whole Aarti, Pandav Pooja, Ganesh Puja, Bhairav Pooja, Parvati Ji Pooja, Shiva Sahasranama Pooja, etc. The public is asked to contribute to Dakshina for Kedarnath Pooja, and changes in the system are changed from time to time.

 

The Tales of Kedarnath

 

The Jyotirlinga was established back in time when Mahapataswi Nar, who was one of the avatars of Vishnu, used to reside on the peaks of Kedar Shringa along with Narayana Rishi. In fulfillment of their Sadhana, Lord Shiva appeared and subsequently granted the boon of always residing in the Jyotirlinga of Kedarnath. This place of Kedarnath is situated on the hill of Kedar in the Himalayas.

 

As per the Panch Kedar Katha, the Pandavas were on a quest for forgiveness from Lord Shiva after having killed their cousins during the war of Mahabharat. However, Lord Shiva was not looking to forgive them and was hiding from them. The Pandava brothers, accompanied by Draupadi, traveled all over India looking for the Lord. They went from the plains of Kashi to the higher reaches of the Himalayas but in vain. It was clear that the Lord was upset with them and was in hiding. The Lord then made his way to Kedarnath, hoping that the Pandavas would end their search for him. However, the Pandava brothers were relentless, and they made their way to the Kedarnath as well.

In an attempt to fool the brothers and hide from them, the Lord turned himself into a bull avatar in an attempt to fool the Pandavas who were looking for him eagerly. The Lord turned bull was hiding among other cattle and groups of bulls. However, Bhim recognized the Lord through his massive physical form. Bhim then put both his feet on the neighboring twin mountain peaks in an attempt to block the Lord's way. However, the Lord had other plans, and looking that there was no way out, he started to sink underground and get away from them. Bhim then held on to his tail to stop him from getting away this time. The Lord was finally impressed with the Pandavas' sheer hard work and effort and decided to grant them forgiveness. The half of his body that remained in Kedarnath is the triangular linga which is worshipped currently in Kedarnath Dham.