Panch Kedar Trekking
by G.S.Krishnan Kartha
The Legend behind Panch Kedar
It is believed that at the end of their life, the Pandavas (Refer Mahabharatha) decided to give up their kingdom and go to the Himalayas and meditate on their favourite deity, Lord Shiva. So they set out accompanied by their wife, Draupadi. When they reached the place called Rudraprayag, they thought they had a glimpse of Lord Shiva. They tried to chase him but he took on the form of a buffalo and dashed off towards the north. They followed in hot pursuit and eventually caught up with him at the place that is now known as Kedarnath. The Lord now dived into the earth. Only the hind portion of the buffalo was sticking out. This was caught by one of the brothers Bhima. But pull as he might, he couldn’t get the rest of the buffalo out of the ground. The hump now turned into a Shiva Lingam and remained at this place. Each of the other parts appeared at four other places and came to be collectively known as the Panch Kedars or the five Kedars. All these lie in the Garhwal Himalayas in the modern state known as Uttranchal.
The Garhwal Himalayas lie to the north east of the Indian peninsula and is known as the Valley of the Gods. The air is fragrant with the aroma of spirituality. When one gazes at the snow clad peaks and hear the gurgling of the Ganga as she jumps over boulders and rocks and watch the mists rise up from the rivers and valleys one can easily believe that this is indeed the playground of the devas. (Gods). This is the place where countless sages have meditated and become enlightened and the very air is fragrant with the perfume of their amazing vibrations that have lasted through the centuries. The Himalayas are filled with the power and passion of Lord Shiva and in this part of India, we find more shrines to this deity than to any other. The most famous of them is the temple of Kedarnath. Cradled in the bosom of the Himalayan ranges there are four other temples, which along with Kedarnath that go under the name of the Panch Kedars or the five Kedars. They are situated in inaccessible places and provide a challenge to any devotee of Shiva who wishes to worship him in places that are far away from the madding crowd. Shiva is noted for his love of lonely peaks and solitary ranges. His true worshippers should always be prepared to take the leap into the unknown and face all the challenges that he places in their way, as the Pandavas did. Those intrepid ones who actually dare to go to these places will find that they are amply rewarded for their determination and devotion. The air is saturated with Shiva Shakti and one can easily imagine him striding across mountain crags and peaks, his matted hair mingling with the clouds and snakes twirling around his neck!
These five temples are sprawled all over the vast Kedar valley at altitudes ranging from 1500 m. to 3680 m. Out of these Tunganath is the highest at 3,810 m, Kedarnath is 3584 m., Madmaheswar is 3289 m., Rudranath is 2286 m. and Kalpeshwar, 2134 m.
A pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines can be undertaken only by those who are not haunted by the spectre of Time looming behind them with the proverbial scythe. To these adventurous types, the Himalayan shrines offers a vast storehouse of not mere spiritual merit but also a feeling of profound fullness and satisfaction on all levels of the personality – physical, mental and aesthetic.
Kedarnath
Of these Kedarnath is the biggest of the temples and the most popular. The Shiva Lingam (sign of Shiva) here is a natural rock in the shape of a buffalo’s hump.
Kedarnath is situated at the head of the Mandakini River. It is at an altitude of 3,584 m. with a breathtaking view of the snow capped Himalayas in the background. The temple is made out of huge granite slabs. Adi Shankaracharya, the initiator of the Advaita philosophy is supposed to have worshipped here and fixed the method of puja. With his usual foresight, he made a rule that the pujaris (priests) of this temple should be brought from the state of Karnataka in the south and the priests of Garwal should go to the Shiva temple of Rameshwaram in the south. This is the custom up to this day.
The journey by automobile to Kedarnath starts from the pilgrim town of Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. The nearest railhead in Rishikesh where you can alight from a train from New Delhi. From here one can take a car or bus and go up to Rudraprayag. This is a famous spot being the confluence of two rivers where the green River Mandakini, which comes from Kedarnath, meets the white River Alakananda, which comes from Badrinath.
From here one has to take the route to the place called Gaurikund, last spot reachable by an automobile. This place, which is dedicated to the goddess Gauri, the consort of Shiva, has a beautiful hot water spring in which all pilgrims are supposed to take a bath. However, when I went to Kedarnath in June 1992, the spot was so crowded with pilgrims that even to touch the hot water was difficult. So I haven’t bathed in Gaurikund. There is a lovely shrine to the goddess Gauri close to the spring.
The 14 km. trek to Kedarnath begins from Gaurikund. We proceeded to trek to Kedarnath as soon as we got down from our chartered bus. Elderly people who do not prefer to walk along the cobbled path upwards can take either ponies (mule) or be carried in something called a doli, which is a kind of hammock, carried by four people. Another method “kamdi” a cane basket carried by prters on shoulders is also used for wightless aged people.The path is slippery due to moisture and pony dung and even the doli is not so safe. But if one among the four carriers of a doli slips all the other three carriers will at once bend their knees and sit on floor to avoid the traveller from falling down to the narrow path.They are trained and experienced in this and I have seen them doing this at many places in this route.If one falls down from doli, there is a remote change of his rolling down to the ravine and get lost in the cold river down the mountain path.
Riding (not actually riding in full sense…) on a pony (mule in guise..) is also equally troublesome. You have to sit disciplined on the horseback , not to drive the horse. The owner of the pony will be guiding it. But a small pull of the reins will irritate the animal and there is every chance of it galloping or even diving in the ravine.
Unlike Yamunotri trekking path, Kedar route is almost through ever green forests.The track is made out of cobbled stones and is quite difficult to walk on. But the problems of the trek are forgotten when we gaze at the breathtaking vistas that open out before our astounded eyes at every turn. All through we are followed by the gurgling sound of the Mandakini as she rushes down the deep gorges and valleys. Actually most of the fascination of the route is spoilt for the earnest pilgrim who goes on foot, by the ponies that come behind and threaten to nudge him off the cliff. The track clings to the hillside that overlooks valleys that are more than 500 km deep so the prospect of being nudged off these cliffs is not such a happy one. . En route we come to a halting place called Rambara where we can have chai (tea) with rotis and proceed further. There are lot of dhabas (road side tea shops) where you can have there refreshments.The prices are higher than those in plains, since all the provision has to be carried on horseback to these mountains in night.
We reached Kedarnath towards sunset. The final phase of the trekking is comparatively easier as the path is just a small ascent with a vast bugyal (meadow) on both the sides. The first view of the temple as we come up is enough to take away all the fatigue of the journey. The stark granite structure of the shrine with the backdrop of silver snow mountain is a scene beyond compare. You literally give a gasp of delight when you see this view. Apart from an inn run by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (a public enterprise to develop tourism in the area hereafter termed as GMVN) there were no other shops or establishments when we made our journey. Unfortunately the approach road is now filled with modern restaurants and shops so part of the charm is lost ,the latest travel reports say.
Hindu pilgrims are always required to take a bath before they enter any temple.Unfortunately, there is no hot spring here as there is at Badrinath or Yamunotri, so one has to take a bath in the icy waters of the Mandakini. However ,I was told that,in the past few years two and three-star hotels have sprung up so hot and cold showers are available in the bathrooms. In June 1992, when there were no such facilities.
Unlike Vishnu temples where the devotee is not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, in Shiva temples you can go right up to the lingam and do one’s own abhishekam (ritualistic pouring of water over the idol) as well as touch the idol. This is a great thrill for everybody.
The pujari with the title “Mahanth”(priest) is there and will also do a puja for you if you so wish. In fact there are many pujas during the course of the day in which you can participate. The lingam is a huge hump-shaped rock that is anointed and decorated very beautifully. Shiva is supposed to be “abhisheka priya” (one who loves to have water poured over him) while Vishnu is said to be “alankaara priya” (one who loves to be beautifully dressed), so you will find that Shiva Lingams are never as beautifully decorated as the idols of Vishnu.
We witnessed the Night Arati ( camphor lighting ritual marking the finale of daily routine in the temple) to Kedar Nath and a different style of showing that was noticed by me.I saw the same style being adopted in many parts of Garhwal and later adopted this rhythmic style in our ceremonial worship for Sai Baba of Shirdi.
At the approach of winters in the month of November, the holy statue of Lord Shiva, is car carried down from Garhwal (Kedarkhand) to Ukhimath, and is reinstated at Kedarnath, in the first week of May. It is at this time, that the doors of the temple are thrown open to pilgrims, who flock from all parts of India, for a holy pilgrimage. The shrine closes on the first day of Kartik (Oct-Nov) and reopens in Vaishakh (Apr-May) every year. During its closure the shrine is submerged in snow and worship is performed at Ukhimath. Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Samiti manage this temple. The Samiti (council)was constituted in the year 1939 under the Badrinath Temple Act no. 16,1939.
The Area of this pilgrim centre is 3 sq.km at an altitude 3,581 mtrs above sea level.The ideal time to visit shall be May to October (The temple & township remains closed between November & May) with woollen and heavy woollen clothing. The population according to 1991 census is 301.One Govt dispensary is here for urgent needs. STD code is 01372-86 .A sub Post office is also seen here. A branch of State Bank of India is working at Kedarnath now.
We stayed in a choultrey near the temple at moderate rates.I do not remember the cost. The floor was with wooden planks with gaps.One among us lost the pendent of his chain.We got up early in the morning and went to Temple again and hurried to trek down to Gaurikund. We did not visit any other places nearby.
The return journey is also to be covered in one day if one plans for Madhyamaheswar trek. There is a short stop at Rambara and then on to Gaurikund where one has to stay the night and then proceed to the next shrine known as Madhyamaheswar.
The other spot near Kedarnath temple,usually visited by not-so-adventurous pilgrims is the samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya. There is a lot of debate about the place where Adi Shankaracharya actually passed away. One faction claims that it was at Kedarnath so there is a shrine here to this most renowned teacher of the Advaita philosophy, which is the philosophy of non-duality.
Another spot is Lake Chorabari ,renamed as Gandhi Sarovar by Indian government. It is a small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed to heaven.Reported trekking is 1 km. ( I shall drop a blog on this place later)
Adventurous trekkers can take up a journey to Vasuki Tal an extraordinary lake located about 6 km. from Kedarnath, at a height of 4135 m from the sea level. Surrounded by lofty mountain peaks, the lake offers an amazing view of the Chaukhamba peaks.
To be continued in second part : Madhyamaheswar
by G.S.Krishnan Kartha
The Legend behind Panch Kedar
It is believed that at the end of their life, the Pandavas (Refer Mahabharatha) decided to give up their kingdom and go to the Himalayas and meditate on their favourite deity, Lord Shiva. So they set out accompanied by their wife, Draupadi. When they reached the place called Rudraprayag, they thought they had a glimpse of Lord Shiva. They tried to chase him but he took on the form of a buffalo and dashed off towards the north. They followed in hot pursuit and eventually caught up with him at the place that is now known as Kedarnath. The Lord now dived into the earth. Only the hind portion of the buffalo was sticking out. This was caught by one of the brothers Bhima. But pull as he might, he couldn’t get the rest of the buffalo out of the ground. The hump now turned into a Shiva Lingam and remained at this place. Each of the other parts appeared at four other places and came to be collectively known as the Panch Kedars or the five Kedars. All these lie in the Garhwal Himalayas in the modern state known as Uttranchal.
The Garhwal Himalayas lie to the north east of the Indian peninsula and is known as the Valley of the Gods. The air is fragrant with the aroma of spirituality. When one gazes at the snow clad peaks and hear the gurgling of the Ganga as she jumps over boulders and rocks and watch the mists rise up from the rivers and valleys one can easily believe that this is indeed the playground of the devas. (Gods). This is the place where countless sages have meditated and become enlightened and the very air is fragrant with the perfume of their amazing vibrations that have lasted through the centuries. The Himalayas are filled with the power and passion of Lord Shiva and in this part of India, we find more shrines to this deity than to any other. The most famous of them is the temple of Kedarnath. Cradled in the bosom of the Himalayan ranges there are four other temples, which along with Kedarnath that go under the name of the Panch Kedars or the five Kedars. They are situated in inaccessible places and provide a challenge to any devotee of Shiva who wishes to worship him in places that are far away from the madding crowd. Shiva is noted for his love of lonely peaks and solitary ranges. His true worshippers should always be prepared to take the leap into the unknown and face all the challenges that he places in their way, as the Pandavas did. Those intrepid ones who actually dare to go to these places will find that they are amply rewarded for their determination and devotion. The air is saturated with Shiva Shakti and one can easily imagine him striding across mountain crags and peaks, his matted hair mingling with the clouds and snakes twirling around his neck!
These five temples are sprawled all over the vast Kedar valley at altitudes ranging from 1500 m. to 3680 m. Out of these Tunganath is the highest at 3,810 m, Kedarnath is 3584 m., Madmaheswar is 3289 m., Rudranath is 2286 m. and Kalpeshwar, 2134 m.
A pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines can be undertaken only by those who are not haunted by the spectre of Time looming behind them with the proverbial scythe. To these adventurous types, the Himalayan shrines offers a vast storehouse of not mere spiritual merit but also a feeling of profound fullness and satisfaction on all levels of the personality – physical, mental and aesthetic.
Kedarnath
Of these Kedarnath is the biggest of the temples and the most popular. The Shiva Lingam (sign of Shiva) here is a natural rock in the shape of a buffalo’s hump.
Kedarnath is situated at the head of the Mandakini River. It is at an altitude of 3,584 m. with a breathtaking view of the snow capped Himalayas in the background. The temple is made out of huge granite slabs. Adi Shankaracharya, the initiator of the Advaita philosophy is supposed to have worshipped here and fixed the method of puja. With his usual foresight, he made a rule that the pujaris (priests) of this temple should be brought from the state of Karnataka in the south and the priests of Garwal should go to the Shiva temple of Rameshwaram in the south. This is the custom up to this day.
The journey by automobile to Kedarnath starts from the pilgrim town of Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. The nearest railhead in Rishikesh where you can alight from a train from New Delhi. From here one can take a car or bus and go up to Rudraprayag. This is a famous spot being the confluence of two rivers where the green River Mandakini, which comes from Kedarnath, meets the white River Alakananda, which comes from Badrinath.
From here one has to take the route to the place called Gaurikund, last spot reachable by an automobile. This place, which is dedicated to the goddess Gauri, the consort of Shiva, has a beautiful hot water spring in which all pilgrims are supposed to take a bath. However, when I went to Kedarnath in June 1992, the spot was so crowded with pilgrims that even to touch the hot water was difficult. So I haven’t bathed in Gaurikund. There is a lovely shrine to the goddess Gauri close to the spring.
The 14 km. trek to Kedarnath begins from Gaurikund. We proceeded to trek to Kedarnath as soon as we got down from our chartered bus. Elderly people who do not prefer to walk along the cobbled path upwards can take either ponies (mule) or be carried in something called a doli, which is a kind of hammock, carried by four people. Another method “kamdi” a cane basket carried by prters on shoulders is also used for wightless aged people.The path is slippery due to moisture and pony dung and even the doli is not so safe. But if one among the four carriers of a doli slips all the other three carriers will at once bend their knees and sit on floor to avoid the traveller from falling down to the narrow path.They are trained and experienced in this and I have seen them doing this at many places in this route.If one falls down from doli, there is a remote change of his rolling down to the ravine and get lost in the cold river down the mountain path.
Riding (not actually riding in full sense…) on a pony (mule in guise..) is also equally troublesome. You have to sit disciplined on the horseback , not to drive the horse. The owner of the pony will be guiding it. But a small pull of the reins will irritate the animal and there is every chance of it galloping or even diving in the ravine.
Unlike Yamunotri trekking path, Kedar route is almost through ever green forests.The track is made out of cobbled stones and is quite difficult to walk on. But the problems of the trek are forgotten when we gaze at the breathtaking vistas that open out before our astounded eyes at every turn. All through we are followed by the gurgling sound of the Mandakini as she rushes down the deep gorges and valleys. Actually most of the fascination of the route is spoilt for the earnest pilgrim who goes on foot, by the ponies that come behind and threaten to nudge him off the cliff. The track clings to the hillside that overlooks valleys that are more than 500 km deep so the prospect of being nudged off these cliffs is not such a happy one. . En route we come to a halting place called Rambara where we can have chai (tea) with rotis and proceed further. There are lot of dhabas (road side tea shops) where you can have there refreshments.The prices are higher than those in plains, since all the provision has to be carried on horseback to these mountains in night.
We reached Kedarnath towards sunset. The final phase of the trekking is comparatively easier as the path is just a small ascent with a vast bugyal (meadow) on both the sides. The first view of the temple as we come up is enough to take away all the fatigue of the journey. The stark granite structure of the shrine with the backdrop of silver snow mountain is a scene beyond compare. You literally give a gasp of delight when you see this view. Apart from an inn run by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (a public enterprise to develop tourism in the area hereafter termed as GMVN) there were no other shops or establishments when we made our journey. Unfortunately the approach road is now filled with modern restaurants and shops so part of the charm is lost ,the latest travel reports say.
Hindu pilgrims are always required to take a bath before they enter any temple.Unfortunately, there is no hot spring here as there is at Badrinath or Yamunotri, so one has to take a bath in the icy waters of the Mandakini. However ,I was told that,in the past few years two and three-star hotels have sprung up so hot and cold showers are available in the bathrooms. In June 1992, when there were no such facilities.
Unlike Vishnu temples where the devotee is not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, in Shiva temples you can go right up to the lingam and do one’s own abhishekam (ritualistic pouring of water over the idol) as well as touch the idol. This is a great thrill for everybody.
The pujari with the title “Mahanth”(priest) is there and will also do a puja for you if you so wish. In fact there are many pujas during the course of the day in which you can participate. The lingam is a huge hump-shaped rock that is anointed and decorated very beautifully. Shiva is supposed to be “abhisheka priya” (one who loves to have water poured over him) while Vishnu is said to be “alankaara priya” (one who loves to be beautifully dressed), so you will find that Shiva Lingams are never as beautifully decorated as the idols of Vishnu.
We witnessed the Night Arati ( camphor lighting ritual marking the finale of daily routine in the temple) to Kedar Nath and a different style of showing that was noticed by me.I saw the same style being adopted in many parts of Garhwal and later adopted this rhythmic style in our ceremonial worship for Sai Baba of Shirdi.
At the approach of winters in the month of November, the holy statue of Lord Shiva, is car carried down from Garhwal (Kedarkhand) to Ukhimath, and is reinstated at Kedarnath, in the first week of May. It is at this time, that the doors of the temple are thrown open to pilgrims, who flock from all parts of India, for a holy pilgrimage. The shrine closes on the first day of Kartik (Oct-Nov) and reopens in Vaishakh (Apr-May) every year. During its closure the shrine is submerged in snow and worship is performed at Ukhimath. Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Samiti manage this temple. The Samiti (council)was constituted in the year 1939 under the Badrinath Temple Act no. 16,1939.
The Area of this pilgrim centre is 3 sq.km at an altitude 3,581 mtrs above sea level.The ideal time to visit shall be May to October (The temple & township remains closed between November & May) with woollen and heavy woollen clothing. The population according to 1991 census is 301.One Govt dispensary is here for urgent needs. STD code is 01372-86 .A sub Post office is also seen here. A branch of State Bank of India is working at Kedarnath now.
We stayed in a choultrey near the temple at moderate rates.I do not remember the cost. The floor was with wooden planks with gaps.One among us lost the pendent of his chain.We got up early in the morning and went to Temple again and hurried to trek down to Gaurikund. We did not visit any other places nearby.
The return journey is also to be covered in one day if one plans for Madhyamaheswar trek. There is a short stop at Rambara and then on to Gaurikund where one has to stay the night and then proceed to the next shrine known as Madhyamaheswar.
The other spot near Kedarnath temple,usually visited by not-so-adventurous pilgrims is the samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya. There is a lot of debate about the place where Adi Shankaracharya actually passed away. One faction claims that it was at Kedarnath so there is a shrine here to this most renowned teacher of the Advaita philosophy, which is the philosophy of non-duality.
Another spot is Lake Chorabari ,renamed as Gandhi Sarovar by Indian government. It is a small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed to heaven.Reported trekking is 1 km. ( I shall drop a blog on this place later)
Adventurous trekkers can take up a journey to Vasuki Tal an extraordinary lake located about 6 km. from Kedarnath, at a height of 4135 m from the sea level. Surrounded by lofty mountain peaks, the lake offers an amazing view of the Chaukhamba peaks.
To be continued in second part : Madhyamaheswar
