Kedarnath Temple

Last updated

Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Temple in Rainy season.jpg
Kedarnath Temple
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
District Rudraprayag
Deity Shiva
Festivals Maha Shivaratri
Governing bodyShri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee
Location
Location Kedarnath
State Uttarakhand
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
India Uttarakhand location map.svg
Om symbol.svg
Location in Uttarakhand
Geographic coordinates 30°44′6.7″N79°4′0.9″E / 30.735194°N 79.066917°E / 30.735194; 79.066917
Architecture
TypeNorth-Indian Himalayan Architecture
Creator Pandavas
Elevation3,583 m (11,755 ft)
Website
badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in
Chota Char Dham
Yamunotri temple and ashram.jpg
Yamunotri
Gangotri (ganga river).jpg
Gangotri
Kedarnath Temple.jpg
Kedarnath
Badrinath Temple , Uttarakhand.jpg
Badrinath
This box:

Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ मंदिर, IAST: Kēdāranātha Mandira, lit. 'temple of the God of the field') is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range [1] near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon). During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedarkhand', the historical name of the region. [2]

Contents

The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 22 kilometres (14 mi) uphill trek from Gaurikund. Pony, mule and manchan service is available to reach the temple. According to Hindu legends, the temple was initially built by the Pandavas, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva. [1] The Pandavas were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. [1] [3] The temple is one of the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas and is the first of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites. This temple is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. [4] It is one of the 275 paadal petra sthalams expounded in the Tevaram, a sacred Tamil Shaivite text written during the 6th and 7th centuries by 63 saints called Nayanars. This temple is sung of by Thirugnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar and Sekkizhar in their Tevaram texts. [5]

Kedarnath was the worst affected area during the 2013 flash floods in North India. The temple complex, surrounding areas, and Kedarnath town suffered extensive damage, but the temple structure did not suffer any major damage, apart from a few cracks on one side of the four walls which was caused by the flowing debris from the higher mountains. A large rock among the debris acted as a barrier, protecting the temple from the flood. The surrounding premises and other buildings in the market area were heavily damaged. [6]

History and legends of origin

The Pandavas visit Kedarnath after the Mahabharata War Panda visit Kedarnath.jpg
The Pandavas visit Kedarnath after the Mahabharata War

At a height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), 223 km (139 mi) from Rishikesh, on the shores of Mandakini river, a tributary of Ganga, is a stone edifice of unknown date. [7] It is not certain who built the original Kedarnath temple and when. The name "Kedarnath" means "the lord of the field": it derives from the Sanskrit words kedara ("field") and natha ("lord"). The text Kashi Kedara Mahatmya states that it is so called because "the crop of liberation" grows here. [8]

A folk legend about Kedarnath relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas wanted to atone for the sins committed during the Kurukshetra war. Thus, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of the lord Shiva and to seek his blessings. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them and assumed the form of a bull (Nandi). Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then saw the bull grazing near Guptakashi ("hidden Kashi" — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the face showing up at Rudranath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. These five places are collectively known as Panch Kedar. [1] [9] [10]

A variant of the tale credits Bhima for not only catching the bull but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas. [9] After building the Panch Kedar Temples, the Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice) and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation. The Panch Kedar Temples are constructed in the North-Indian Himalayan Temple architecture with the Kedarnath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples looking similar. [11]

After completing the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit Lord Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Lord Shiva. [12]

The Mahabharata , which gives the account of the Pandavas and the Kurukshetra War, does not mention any place called Kedarnath. One of the earliest references to Kedarnath occurs in the Skanda Purana (c. 7th-8th century), which contains a story describing the origin of the Ganges river. The text names Kedara (Kedarnath) as the place where Shiva released the holy water from his matted hair. [13]

According to the hagiographies based on Madhava's Sankshepa-shankara-vijaya, the 8th century philosopher Adi Shankara died at the mountains near Kedarnath; although other hagiographies, based on Anandagiri's Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya, state that he died at Kanchipuram. The ruins of a monument marking the purported death place of Shankara are located at Kedarnath. [14] Kedarnath was definitely a prominent pilgrimage centre by the 12th century, when it is mentioned in Kritya-kalpataru written by the Gahadavala minister Bhatta Lakshmidhara. [15] Adi Shankara was believed to have revived this temple, along with Badrinath and other temples of Uttarakhand; he is believed to have attained Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath.

Kedarnath Teerth Purohits are the ancient Brahmins of this region, their ancestors (Rishi-Muni) have been worshiping the lingam since the time of Nara-Narayana and Daksh Prajapati. King Janmejay, grandson of the Pandavas, gave them the right of worshiping this temple and donate the whole Kedar region, and they have been worshiping pilgrims ever since. [8] [13] [14]

According to a tradition recorded by the English mountaineer Eric Shipton (1926), "many hundreds of years ago" one priest used to hold services at both the Kedarnath and Badrinath temples, travelling between the two places daily. [16]

Deities and architecture

Panch Kedar
Kedarnath Temple.jpg
Kedarnath
Tungnath temple.jpg
Tungnath
Rudranath temple.jpg
Rudranath
Madhyamaheshwar Temple, Uttarakhand.JPG
Madhyamaheshwar
Kalpehswar.jpg
Kalpeshwar

The presiding image of Kedarnath in the form of lingam is more triangular in shape with a pedestal 3.6 m (12 ft) in circumference and 3.6 m (12 ft) in height. [17] There is a small pillared hall in front of the temple, that has images of Parvati and of the five Pandava princes. There are four temples around Kedarnath itself, namely- Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar which form the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites. [18] The first hall inside Kedarnath Temple contains statues of the five Pandava brothers, Krishna, Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva and Virabhadra, one of the guards of Shiva. [19] Statues of Draupadi and other deities are also installed in the main hall. [2] An unusual feature of the temple is the head of a man carved in the triangular stone lingam. Such a head is seen carved in another temple nearby constructed on the site where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati was held. Behind the temple is the samādhi mandir of Adi Sankara. [20]

Rituals

The head priest (Raval) of the Kedarnath temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community from Karnataka. [21] However, unlike in Badrinath temple, the Raval of Kedarnath temple does not perform the pujas. The pujas are carried out by Raval's assistants on his instructions. The Raval moves with the deity to Ukhimath during the winter season. There are five main priests for the temple, and they become head priests for one year by rotation. The present (2013) Raval of Kedarnath temple is Shri Vageesha Lingacharya from Davanagere district, Karnataka. [21] Surrounding Kedarnath, there are many symbols of the Pandavas. Raja Pandu died at Pandukeshwar. The tribals here perform a dance called "Pandav Lila". [22] The mountain top where the Pandavas went to Swarga, is known as "Swargarohini", which is located off Badrinath. When Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas, was leaving for the heaven, one of his fingers fell on the earth. At that place, Yudhishtira installed a Shiva Linga, which is the size of the thumb. To gain Mashisharupa, Lord Shiva and Bheema fought with maces. Bheema was struck with remorse. He started to massage Shiva's body with ghee. In memory of this event, even today, this triangular Shiva lingam is massaged with ghee. [17]

Administration

The temple was included in the Uttar Pradesh State Government Act No. 30/1948 as Act no. 16,1939, which came to be known as Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act. The committee nominated by the state government administers both temples. The act was modified in 2002 by the Uttarakhand State Government, which provisioned adding additional committee members including government officials and a vice-chairman. [23] There are a total of seventeen members in the board; three selected by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, one member each selected by the District Councils of Chamoli, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi districts, and ten members nominated by the Government of Uttarakhand. [24] On the religious side, there is a Rawal (chief priest) and three other priests: Naib Rawal, Acharya/Dharmadhikari and Vedpathi. [25] The administrative structure of the temple consists of a chief executive officer who executes the orders from the state government. A deputy chief executive officer, two OSDs, an executive officer, an account officer, a temple officer, and a publicity officer assist the chief executive officer. [26]

2013 floods

Rear view of the Kedarnath Temple in the aftermath of the flood with the huge rock that protected the temple. Temple in the aftermath of the flood.jpg
Rear view of the Kedarnath Temple in the aftermath of the flood with the huge rock that protected the temple.

The Kedarnath valley, along with other parts of the state of Uttarakhand, was hit with unprecedented flash floods on 16 and 17 June 2013. On 16 June, at about 7:30 p.m. a landslide and mudslides occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud peals of thunder. An enormously loud peal was heard and huge amounts of water started gushing from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini river at about 8:30 p.m. washing everything away in its path. On 17 June 2013 at about 6:40 a.m. waters again started cascading at a huge speed from river Swaraswati and Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks, and boulders. A huge rock got stuck behind Kedarnath Temple and protected it from the ravages of the flood. The waters gushed on both the sides of the temple destroying everything in their path. Even eyewitness observed that one large rock got carried to the rear side of Kedarnath Temple, thus causing obstruction to the debris, diverting the flow of river and debris to the sides of the temple avoiding damage. The rock which protected the temple is worshipped as the God's Rock (भीम शीला).

Another theory for the temple not being destroyed is because of its construction. [27] [28] [29] [30] Although the temple withstood the severity of the floods, the complex and surrounding area were destroyed, resulting in the death of hundreds of pilgrims and locals. Shops and hotels in Kedarnath were destroyed and all roads were broken. People took shelter inside the temple for several hours, until the Indian Army airlifted them to safer places. [21] The Uttarakhand Chief Minister announced that the Kedarnath shrine would remain closed for a year for clearing the debris.

Front view of the Kedarnath Temple in the aftermath of the flood Kedarnath Temple in 2014.jpg
Front view of the Kedarnath Temple in the aftermath of the flood

The experts, who were asked by the Archaeological Survey of India to examine the condition of the foundation in wake of the floods have arrived at the conclusion that there was no danger to the temple. The IIT Madras experts visited the temple thrice for the purpose. Non-destructive testing instruments that do not disturb the structure of the temple were used by the IIT-team for assessing the health of the structure, foundation, and walls. They have submitted their interim report that the temple is stable and there was no major danger. [31] [32]

Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) was given the responsibility of rebuilding Kedarnath. Although the institute did not have the expertise in urban planning or construction, they mastered in high altitude training. Under the leadership of veteran mountaineer, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal, NIM rigorously worked for a year and made the pilgrimage yatra possible from the next year. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kedarnath</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near the Chorabari Glacier, which is the source of the Mandakini river. The town is flanked by snow-capped peaks, most prominently the Kedarnath Mountain. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund about 16 km away. The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from the Flash Floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.

The Chota Char Dham is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Badrinath is also one of the four destinations of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudraprayag</span> City in Uttarakhand, India

Rudraprayag is a city and a municipality in Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag of Alaknanda River, the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. Kedarnath, a Hindu holy city is located 86 km from Rudraprayag. The man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag hunted and written about by Jim Corbett dwelled here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badrinath Temple</span> Hindu temple of Vishnu in Uttarakhand, India

Badarinath or Badarinarayana Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India. The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu—holy shrines for Vaishnavas—who is worshipped as Badrinath. It is open for six months every year, because of extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region. The temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of India, having recorded 2.8 million visits in just 2 months in 2022. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tungnath</span> Hindu Temple in Uttarakhand, India

Tungnath (IAST:tuņgnāth) is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples located in the Rudraprayag district, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Tungnath mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. It is located at an altitude of 3,690 m (12,106 ft), and just below the peak of Chandrashila. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharata epic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindu pilgrimage sites in India</span>

In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas has special significance for earning the punya needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana, the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna, the Dhyana, the puja (worship), the prarthana, the dakshina, the seva, the bhandara, etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries, the kundas, the ghats, or the stepwells, or the temple tanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Char Dham</span> Four major Hindu pilgrimage sites in India

The Char Dham, also rendered the Chatur Dhama is a set of four Hindu pilgrimage sites in India, consisting of Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri are shrines of Vishnu, whereas Rameswaram is a shrine of Shiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panch Kedar</span> Group of five Shiva temples in Uttarakhand, India

Panch Kedar, rendered Pancha Kedara in Sanskrit, refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Indian epic Mahabharata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudranath</span> Hindu temple in Uttarakhand, India

Rudranath is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva, located in the Garhwal Himalayan mountains in Uttarakhand, India. Located at 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) above sea level, this natural rock temple is situated within a dense forest of rhododendron dwarfs and Alpine pastures. The temple is the second temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region to be visited in a strict pecking order starting with Kedarnath at an altitude of 3,583 m, the Tungnath (तुंगनाथ)(3,680 m or 12,070 ft), Rudranath (रुद्रनाथ), Madhyamaheshwar (मध्यमहेश्वर) and Kalpeshwar (कल्पेश्वर).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhyamaheshwar</span> Hindu temple in Gaundar village, Uttarakhand, India

Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in Gaundar, a village in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India. Situated at an elevation of 3,497 m (11,473.1 ft), it is one of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuits, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region. The other temples in the circuit include: Kedarnath, Tungnath and Rudranath which are culturally visited before Madhyamaheshwar and, Kalpeshwar generally visited after Madhyamaheshwar. The middle (madhya) or belly part or navel (nabhi) of Shiva is worshipped here. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pandavas, the central figures of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalpeshwar</span> Hindu temple in Uttarakhand, India

Kalpeshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located at an elevation of 2,200 m (7,217.8 ft) in the Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state in India. The temple's ancient legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the epic Mahabharata, is the fifth temple of the Panch Kedar of Shiva's five anatomical divine forms; the other four temples in the order of their worship are Kedarnath, Rudranath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples; all in the Kedar Khand region of the Garhwal Himalayas. Kalpeshwar is the only Panch Kedar temple accessible throughout the year. At this small stone temple, approached through a cave passage, the matted tress (jata) of Shiva is worshipped. Earlier it was approachable only by 12 km (7.5 mi) trek from the nearest road head of Helang on the Rishikesh-Badrinath road but now the road goes up to Devgram village from where the trek now is just 300 metres. The road is accessible to bicycles and small cars except in monsoons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapta Badri</span> Group of seven Hindu temples of Vishnu in Uttarakhand, India

Sapta Badri constitutes a group of seven sacred Hindu temples, dedicated to god Vishnu, located in Garhwal Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Badrinath temple, called the Badri Vishal is the primary temple among the seven shrines. The other six being Adi Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Yogadhayan Badri, Vriddha Badri, Ardha Badri and Dhyan Badri. The Panch Badri temple circuit consisted of only five temples, omitting Ardha Badri and usually Dhyan Badri. Rarely, Narasingh Badri, is included in the Sapta Badri or Panch Badri list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panch Prayag</span> Five sacred river confluences in Uttarakhand, India

Panch Prayag is an expression in Hindu religious ethos, specifically used to connote the five sacred river confluences in the Garhwal Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The five prayags - prayaga meaning "place of confluence of rivers" in Sanskrit - also termed as "Prayag pentad" are Vishnuprayag, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag, in the descending flow sequence of their occurrence.

Guptakashi, Gupta Kashi or Guptkashi is a fairly large town located at an elevation of 1,319 metres (4,327 ft) in the Kedar-khanda, in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand, India. It is known for its ancient Vishwanath Temple dedicated to the god Shiva, which is similar to the one in Varanasi (Kashi). The other well known temple here is dedicated to Ardhanareshvara, a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati. The name Guptakashi has legendary significance linked to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Its religious importance is considered next to that of Varanasi, believed to be the most pious of all Hindu pilgrimage sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandrashila</span> Peak above Tungnath temple in Uttarakhand, India

Chandrashila is the summit above Tungnath temple in India. It literally means "Moon Rock". It is located at a height of about 3,690 metres (12,110 ft) above sea level. This peak provides views of the Himalayas, including Nandadevi, Trisul, Kedar Peak, Bandarpunch and Chaukhamba peaks. There are various legends associated with this place. According to one such legend, this is where Lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon-king Ravana. Another legend says that the moon-god Chandra spent time here in penance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukhimath</span> Small town and Hindu pilgrimage site in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, India

Ukhimath is a small town and a Hindu pilgrimage site in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand in India. It is situated at an elevation of 1,311 meters and at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag. During the winter, the Utsava Idols from the Kedarnath Temple, and Madhyamaheshwar Temple are brought to Ukhimath and worshipped here for six months. Ukhimath can be used as center destination for visiting different places located nearby, the Madhyamaheshwar Temple, Tungnath Temple and Deoria Tal and many other picturesque places. According to Hindu Mythology, the wedding of Usha and Aniruddha was solemnized here. By name of Usha this place was named as Ushamath, now known as Ukhimath. King Mandhata had performed severe penances to Lord Shiva here. During the winter, the Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar Temples are closed due to heavy snowfall in the area. As a result, the Utsava Idols of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar are brought from Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar to the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath. The winter puja of Kedarnath and Omkareshwar is performed here. The Omkareshwar Temple is located at Ukhimath, which is at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag.

In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a very long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred area or shrine of importance to innate faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.

Uttarakhand is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites found throughout the state. As a result, religious tourism forms a major portion of the tourism in the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas. 2019 Tourist Arrivals Domestic – 40,000,000 per/year and Foreigner – 150,000 per year. Tourism business in Uttarakhand generated ₹ 23,000 crores during 2013–14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doleshwor Mahadeva Temple</span> Hindu temple in Nepal

Doleshwor Mahadeva is a Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva located in Suryabinayak, south eastern part of Bhaktapur District, Nepal, and is believed to be the head part of Kedarnath temple located in Uttarakhand, India.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. Rosen. pp. 363–364. ISBN   978-0-8239-3179-8.
  2. 1 2 "Kedarnath Temple". Kedarnath - The official website. 2006. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  3. ↑ J. Gordon Melton; Martin Baumann, eds. (2010). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 1 (A-B) (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 1624. ISBN   978-1-59884-204-3.
  4. ↑ "KEDARNATH". chardhamtour.
  5. ↑ "Tiruketharam (Kedarnath)" (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  6. ↑ Joanna Sugden; Shreya Shah (19 June 2013). "Kedarnath Temple Survives Flash Floods". WSJ.
  7. ↑ Abram, David (2003). The Rough guide to India. New York: Rough Guides.
  8. 1 2 Diana L. Eck (2013). Banaras: City of Light. Knopf Doubleday. pp. 185–186. ISBN   978-0-307-83295-5.
  9. 1 2 "Panch Kedar Yatra" . Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  10. ↑ Kapoor. A. K.; Satwanti Kapoor (1994). Ecology and man in the Himalayas. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 250. ISBN   9788185880167.
  11. ↑ "Panch Kedar". chardhamtour.in. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Panch Kedar". Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  13. 1 2 Alex McKay (2015). Kailas Histories: Renunciate Traditions and the Construction of Himalayan Sacred Geography. Brill. p. 135. ISBN   978-90-04-30618-9.
  14. 1 2 N. V. Isaeva (1993). Shankara and Indian Philosophy. SUNY Press. pp. 90–91. ISBN   978-0-7914-1282-4.
  15. ↑ Edward Quinn (2014). Critical Companion to George Orwell. Infobase. p. 232. ISBN   978-1-4381-0873-5.
  16. ↑ Jean M. Grove (2004). Little Ice Ages: Ancient and Modern. Taylor & Francis. p. 238. ISBN   978-0-415-33422-8.
  17. 1 2 "Kedarnath Temple: Interesting Facts About The Significant Lord Shiva Temple That Will Leave You Surprised". English Jagran. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Harshananda, Swami (2012). Hindu Pilgrim centres (2nd ed.). Bangalore, India: Ramakrishna Math. pp. 71–3. ISBN   978-81-7907-053-6.
  19. ↑ Whitmore, Luke (2018). Mountain, Water, Rock, God: Understanding Kedarnath in the twenty-first century. University of California Press. p. 38.
  20. ↑ "Uttarakhand government website". Government of Uttarakhand. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 "Kedarnath priest's family prays for his safe return". Deccan Herald. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  22. ↑ "Garhwali Dance Forms". euttaranchal.com. 6 March 2013.
  23. ↑ "Administration of the temple". Shri Badrinath - Shri Kedarnath Temples Committee. 2006.
  24. ↑ "Committee members of the temple". Shri Badrinath - Shri Kedarnath Temples Committee. 2006.
  25. ↑ "Religious setup of the temple". Shri Badrinath - Shri Kedarnath Temples Committee. 2006.
  26. ↑ "Power structure of the temple". Shri Badrinath - Shri Kedarnath Temples Committee. 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  27. ↑ "What happened on the night of 16th June inside Kedarnath temple". Tehelka.com. 17 June 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  28. ↑ "Account of survivors of Uttarakhand floods". Yahoo newsuutar. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  29. ↑ "Account of survivors". youtube.com. 17 June 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  30. ↑ "Account of flood victims". youtube.com. 17 June 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  31. ↑ "Monsoon fury leaves Kedarnath shrine submerged in mud and slush". The Indian Express. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  32. ↑ "Kedarnath shrine safe, to remain closed for a year". The Hindu. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  33. ↑ "In Rebuilding Kedarnath, a New Disaster in the Making". The Wire. Retrieved 1 June 2019.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.