INTRODUCTION:
Kedarnath is a holy Hindu Town located in Uttarakhand India. It is one of the holy places of the char dhams located in the Himalayas. The Kedarnath temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan ranges near the river Mandakini and pursessed extreme weather conditions.
Complete travel guide
The temple is not directly accessible through road and one has two uphill the track of about 22 km from gaurikund. The holy Hindu spot was built by Pandavas and is one of the first panch Kedar pilgrimage sites. In 2013 flash floods occurred in North India. All the nearby places were extensively damaged but the temple did not suffer anything major. The temple is built at a height of 3583 metres from Rishikesh and has stone Edifice pertaining to the date. Kedarnath means the lord of the field and it is stated that the place is the crop of liberation.
After the ongoing pandemic it is compulsory that you must have your fully vaccinated certificate of covid 19 to begin with the Kedarnath Yatra. There is a daily limit set for pilgrims to visit Kedarnath and only three people will be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. After dependence and COVID-19 pandemic, taking a Holi dip in the gaurikund is also prohibited.
Chota char dham Yatra
Every year the Chota char dham Yatra opens for travellers from April to May and the temples are shut for 6 months due to the heavy snowfall that occurs in the region. The Chota char dham Yatra is incomplete without visiting Kedarnath thus it is important to visit the holy spot. Most of the tour packages are a package of all the holy spots combined. The prices may vary but for a char dham Yatra the minimum budget will be rs 30000. Gaurikund is well connected by the roads with Rishikesh and thus it is easily available to reach gaurikund with help of taxis or buses from the spot.
Before planning a trip
Before planning a trip to Kedarnath one must consider that the spot is not good, rather worrisome for citizens with health issues. There are about seven people that have died due to the lack of oxygen in Kedarnath. The main reason behind this is the heavy snowfall that occurs over here. Otherwise the spot is beautiful and has Holy significance within it. During the flood there was 4 a crack on the side of four walls which caused the following debris to act as a barrier and protect the temple from the ramishing flood. The main highlight of festivals celebrated over here is Mahashivratri.
Now it is easy to visit the temple without registration and is open for everyone. All one really needs to do is follow some basic char dham guidelines. Biometric registration is compulsory to embark on the Yatra while the epass registration is only valid when one wants to go for Temple Darshan. For smooth and efficient communication it is advised that one uses Airtel. The seamless 4G connectivity across Kedarnath allows you to communicate clearly.
Important things to carry for Kedarnath trip:
- Take all the medicines that are essential for survival and fitness.
- Good snow hiking boots and winter wear.
- For good care of the skin lotions and ointments should be kept.
- An umbrella or raincoat is advisable to be carried.
- During the Kedarnath temple track the most important thing to remember is not to carry extra stuff with you. Try to bring light baggage and clothes as per weather.
- One needs to stay hydrated. Thus carrying a water bottle throughout is very good.
For a normal traveller not more than 5 hours are enough to walk towards Temple from gaurikund. About 10 to 12 days are enough for visiting all the temples present in Kedarnath. But with the facility of helicopters it may be considered that the whole duration is minimised to 2 days easily. Dehra routine medical checkups that occur at the place for the safety of pilgrims.
Kedarnath is known as the shivlok on earth and is considered among the most important Jyotilingam sites all across India. The Temple holds great significance among Hindus and is widely worshipped.
