18 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Kedarnath

Kedarnath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines located in Kedarnath Town of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand. This holy site is perched at an altitude of 3,584 m in the Garhwal region of Himalayas. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of the temple. The temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva along with one of the Panch Kedars.

The original temple of Kedarnath is said to have been built by the Pandavas. The current shrine is said to have been built near the old temple by the Hindu spiritual leader, Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD. The temple is still intact after the floods of 2013 as the town surrounding the temple has been washed away.

According to mythology, Pandavas were seeking remorse from Lord Shiva for killing their relatives in the battle of Kurukshetra. Shiva didn't want to give darshan so Lord Shiva converted himself into a big bull and tried to escape. In search of Lord Shiva, Pandavas then reached Gaurikund where they spotted an unusual .....

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At a distance of 3 km from Kedarnath, Chorabari Tal, also known as Gandhi Tal, is a beautiful lake produced from the Chorabari Bamak glacier.

Chorabari Tal is a small lake that holds crystal clear water. Perched at an altitude of 3,900 m above sea level, Gandhi Sarovar lies on the foot of Kedarnath and Kirthi Stambh peak. It offers magnificent views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks.

The original name of the lake is Kanti Sarovar. In the year 1948, some of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed here, after which it was renamed Gandhi Sarovar. According to mythology, this lake was the place where Lord Shiva imparted the knowledge of Yoga to the Saptrishis. There is a Bhairava Temple close to the glacier adjacent to a cliff known as Bhairava Jhamp. The cliff was a place where devotees jumped off, believing that it would bring them mukti. The practice was banned by the British administration in the 19th century.

The lake demands a trek of 3 km and is visited in summer. .....

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At a distance of 500 m from Kedarnath Temple, Bhairavnath Temple is situated on a hillock towards northern side of the Kedarnath Temple.

Bhairavnath Temple is one of the most popular temples in Kedarnath after Kedarnath temple. This temple is dedicated to God Bhairav, who is supposed to be the main gana of Shiva. The weapon of the Lord is Trishula and his vahan is a dog. The deity of the temple is also known as Kshetrapal or the guardian of the region. According to legend, when Kedarnath Temple closes during winter months due to heavy snow fall, the deity in Bhairavnath temple protects the main temple area as well as the whole Kedarnath valley.

The trek distance from Kedarnath temple to Bhairavnath Temple is 500 meters. The place offers the magnificent views of Kedarnath Temple and entire Kedarnath Valley.

Timings: 6 AM to 8 PM

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At a distance of 3 km from Chopta, 32 km from Ukhimath, 88 km from Kedarnath, 73 km from Rudraprayag, Tungnath is one of the Panch Kedar temples and at an altitude of 3,680, it is the highest Shiva temple in the world. It is located on the Chandranath parvat in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is a well know pilgrimage center and also a frequented place of trekking in Uttarakhand.

Tungnath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be 1000 years old and is the third in the order of the Panch Kedars. This sacred temple was discovered by Adi Shankaracharya. According to mythology, Vyas Rishi told the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own cousins during the Mahabharata war; their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva. Pandavas began to search Lord Shiva in the Himalayas and Lord Shiva kept avoiding them because they were guilty. In order to escape from the Pandavas, Lord Shiva disguised himself as a bull and took refuge underground. .....

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At a distance of 25 km from Gopeshwar, 83 km from Ukhimath and 140 km from Kedarnath, Rudranath is a pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva, situated in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It lies at an altitude of 2286 m in the Garhwal Himalayan Mountains. Rudranath is the third temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit. It is a popular pilgrimage site and also a famous place for trekking in Uttarakhand.

The Rudranath temple is believed to be established by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Legend has it that the Pandavas came to the Himalayan mountains in search of god Shiva, to redeem them of the sins of killing Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. God Shiva did not wanted to meet them and escaped in form of a bull in the ground and reentered in parts in the Panch Kedar places: the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the navel and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar, the face showing up at Rudranath and the hair .....

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At a distance of 20 km from Ransi village, 36 km from Ukhimath, 89 km from Kedarnath, Madhyamaheshwar is an ancient Hindu temple located at the base of Chaukhamba peak in the Garhwal region of Rudraprag district in Uttarakhand. Madhyamaheshwar is a beautiful place among the Panch Kedars and is situated at an altitude of 3,497 m.

Madhyamaheshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple architecture is a classic Nagara style. This is the fourth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar Pilgrimage circuit; the other temples being Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar. The middle (madhya) or navel of the bull, considered a divine form of Shiva, is worshipped at this temple. There are two other smaller shrines, one for Shiva's consort Parvati and the other dedicated to the Ardhanarishwara. Bhima, the second Pandava brother is believed to have built this temple and worshipped Shiva here. To the right of the main temple there is a small temple where the marble image of Saraswati .....

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At a distance of 12 km from Helang, 27 km from Joshimath and 56 km from Gopeshwar & 215 km from Kedarnath, Kalpeshwar is a pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the picturesque Urgam valley in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It lies at an altitude of 2200 m in the Garhwal Himalayas. It is a part of the famous Panch Kedars and also a good trekking route near Joshimath.

Kalpeshwar temple is the fifth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region. Kalpeshwar is the only Panch Kedar temple accessible throughout the year. This temple is a small stone temple and has a stone idol of Lord Shiva. Nearby the temple is a cave upon which is the image of hair locks are carved naturally. These are considered to be the hair locks of Lord Shiva that appeared in Kalpeshwar. Hence, Lord Shiva is also called as Jatadhar or Jateshwar. Kalpeshwar houses the famous Kalpavriksha. This tree is believed to fulfill all the wishes .....

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At a distance of 61 km from Ghuttu village and 15 km from Kedarnath, Mayali Pass is situated at an elevation of 5300 m in Bhilangana Valley and it offers great views of Masar Tal and Vasuki Tal. Also the pass is famed for the spectacular view of Thalay Sagar, Kedar dome and other peaks of Gangotri region.

Mayali Pass is a famous place for trekking in Uttarakhand and is followed by many trekkers every year. In ancient time this trek was used by pilgrims to travel between Gangotri and Kedarnath. The Mayali Pass trek route starts from Ghuttu and the goes along Bhilangana valley. The Mayali Pass trek from Ghuttu to Gaurikund is of moderate difficulty. The trek offers an extraordinary experience of Himalayan peaks. The remote Indian villages of Gangi, Bhilangna River Catchment, Thalay Sagar peak, and Khatling glacier are the highlights of Mayali Pass trek.

Mayali Pass is approachable by two routes. One is from Ghuttu and the other is from Mala, a village right above Uttarkashi. .....

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At a distance of 14 km from Kedarnath and 4 km from Sonprayag, Gaurikund is an important Hindu pilgrimage site on the way to Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is situated at an altitude of more than 6000 feet (1982 m) in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Gaurikund has a temple named as Gauri Devi Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Parvati. According to a legend, it is believed that Parvati meditated at Gaurikund for a long time to win Lord Shiva as her husband. Finally Lord Shiva admitted his love for her and married her at Trijuginarayan, which is located nearby.

This place is also associated with the legend of how Ganesha acquired his elephant head. Goddess Parvati had formed an image of Ganesha from the soap lather on her body and breathed life into it. She placed Ganesha at the entrance of her home as her doorkeeper to prevent anyone from entering while she was bathing. Now Lord Shiva happened to return at this point of time and was stopped by Ganesha. The offended .....

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At a distance of 8 km from Kedarnath, Vasuki Tal or Vasuki Lake is an enchanting lake situated at an altitude of 4135 m in the beautiful hills of Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. It is also a famous place among Uttarakhand Treks.

Vasuki Tal is surrounding with very high mountains and provides beautiful view of several peaks of Himalayas. This is the lake where Lord Vishnu is believed to have bathed in ancient times. Crystal clear water flowing through the lake revealing the rock stacks inside is an amazing view in Vasuki Tal. This beautiful lake provides a charming view of the neighboring Chaukhamba peaks. There are several beautiful, colorful flowers around the Vasuki Tal and one of the famous flowers is Brahma Kamal. During winter the lake it is completely frozen.

Vasuki Tal is quite large in size and also the trekking is difficult. The total distance of Vasuki Tal trek is about 8 km from Kedarnath. The trek from Kedarnath to Vasuki Tal is a continuous ascent along a narrow track. .....

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The Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya is located just behind the Kedarnath temple. The grave of Shankaracharya is one of the most popular and most visited places in Kedarnath.

Adi Shankaracharya was a great scholar and a saint who established four sacred Mathas in India. According to history, he had made relentless journeys so as to propagate his Advaita Philosophy. The current shrine of Kedarnath is said to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD. It is said that after establishing four sacred Mathas, Shankaracharya attained Nirvana at this place at the age of 32 years.

Originally it was a very small temple but the entire structure of Samadhi, statue of Shankaracharya and spatika lingam were rebuilt by Shankaracharya of Dwarka and Jyothir Peeth in 2006. Spatika lingam is basically a trigonal crystal, one part silicon and two parts oxygen. It has mysterious healing properties and removes all curses and negative karma. During the Flash Floods of 2013, .....

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At a distance of 59 km from Kedarnath, 36 km from Madhyamaheshwar, 43 km from Sonprayag and 43 km from Rudraprayag, Ukhimath is picturesque hill town situated in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It lies at an elevation of 1317 m in Himalayas.

Earlier known as Ushamat, the town derives its name from Banasur's daughter Usha. According to mythology, Ukhimath was the land where the wedding of Usha and Anirudh, grandson of Lord Krishna was celebrated.

The famous Omkareshwar Temple located in Ukhimath is one of the oldest in the region and is known as the abode of Lord Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar during winters. Utsav Doli of Lord Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar are brought to Ukhimath during winter and worshiped for six months. These deities are taken back in a procession to their original temples in the month of Apr/May.

The place has many other temples dedicated to Usha, Shiva, Anirudh, Parvati and Mandhata. Ukhimath offers panoramic views of the Kedarnath and Neelkanth .....

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At a distance of 18 km from Rudraprayag, 24 km from Ukhimath, 53 km from Gaurikund and 67 km from Kedarnath, Agastyamuni is a religious town situated on the banks of the River Mandakini in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It lies at an elevation of 1000 m above sea level.

Agastmuni town is famous for Agastyamuni Temple. It is believed that the sage had meditated here for almost one year. The temple is locally known as Agasteshwar Mahadev. The temple has few stunning carvings of the Hindu Gods and Goddess on the walls. There is also a Shiva temple named as Agastheswar Mahadev temple in this place.

Agastyamuni plays host for a large fair that takes place during the festival of Baisakhi. Devotees throng to this temple in large numbers during this festival, while they worship and pay their homage to the deity. Tourists can also enjoy fishing in the Mandakini River and have an unforgettable experience.

The town of Agastyamuni also serves as a base for Pawan Hans helicopter .....

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At a distance of 4 km from Gaurikund, 18 km from Kedarnath and 70 km from Rudraprayag, Sonprayag is a small hamlet situated in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It lies at an altitude of 1829 m.

Sonprayag is a place of religious significance located enroute to Kedarnath Dham. Prayag means confluence and Sonprayag lies at the confluence of two holy rivers Basuki and Mandakini. There is a common belief among people that bathing in the river can wash away their sins.

Surrounded by the snowcapped peaks, Sonprayag attracts visitors in large numbers. The snow peaks and the streams of river add a majestic charm to this serene location. Triyuginarayan, which is supposed to be the marriage place of Lord Shiva and Parvati, is located at a distance of 10 km from Sonprayag.

The current trek route to Kedarnath starts from Sonprayag which will be changed back to original Gaurikund route.

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At a distance of 1 km from Tungnath, 4.5 km from Chopta, 32 km from Ukhimath, 74 km from Rudraprayag and 89 km from Kedarnath, Chandrashila is the summit of the Chandranath Parvat on which Tungnath Temple of Panch Kedar is located. It is situated at a height of 4000 m above sea level. This is one of the most popular Tourist places in Uttarakhand.

According to the mythology, Chandrashila peak is believed to be the spot where Lord Rama meditated after killing Raavana. Rama came to Chandrashila to meditate and pray Lord Shiva to cleanse the sins of killing Raavana. Local legend also states that Chandradev, the Moon God, had performed penance at Chandrashila for years.

Chandrashila trek is one of the most popular treks in the region. The trek to the peak is about 4.5 km which starts from Chopta via Tungnath (3 km from Chopta), where the highest Shiva temple is situated. Chandrashila can be reached by a further 1.5 km steep trek from .....

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At a distance of 13 km from Ukhimath, 46 km from Kedarnath, 32 km from Gaurikund and 45 km from Rudraprayag, Guptakashi or Gupta Kashi is a small town situated on the way to Kedarnath on the banks of Mandakini river in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand. It lies at an elevation of 1,319 m above sea level.

The name Guptakashi means Hidden Kashi and the town's mythological history is associated with the epic of Mahabharata. It is believed that after the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas wanted to meet Lord Shiva and seek his blessing. But Lord Shiva didn't want to meet them and first concealed himself in Guptakashi but later ran away from them further up the valley to Kedarnath. The hereditary pilgrimage priests of Kedarnath temple live in Guptakashi.

Gupt Kashi is a religiously important town of Uttarakhand as it houses ancient temples like Vishwanath Temple and Ardhnareshwara Temple. The ancient Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is similar .....

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At a distance of 27 km from Kedarnath, 13 km from Gaurikund and 10 km from Sonprayag, Triyugi Narayan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in Triyuginarayan village in Rudraprayag District of Uttarakhand. It lies at an altitude of 1980 m.

Triyugi Narayan Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The present temple, believed to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya. This temple offers panoramic views of snowcapped mountains with beauty of Garhwal hill region. The word Triyuginarayan is formed of three words tri means three, yugi denotes Yuga and Narayan is another name of Vishnu.

This place is associated with marriage of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. According to mythology, Triyuginarayan is the capital of Himavat. It was the venue of the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati. Lord Vishnu as Parvati's brother did kanyadaan and Lord Brahma was the priest of the wedding. Brahma Shila in front of the temple also marks the exact place of the wedding.

The architect of .....

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At a distance of 16 km from Ukhimath, 59 km from Gaurikund, 73 km from Kedarnath and 56 km from Rudraprayag, Deoria Tal is a beautiful mountain lake located near Saari village in Uttarakhand. It lies at an altitude of 2438 m about 3 km uphill trek from Saari on Ukhimath-Chopta road. It is a popular destination for trekking near Badrinath and also one of the top Uttarakhand places to visit for trekking.

The lake is surrounded by thick forests and the crystal clear water of this lake offers the reflection of the mighty Chaukhamba peak. It offers a splendid view of Chopta, Tungnath and Chandrashila peak to the right and the breathtaking view of mountains like Chaukhamba, Nilkantha, Bandarpunch, Kedar Range, and Kalanag to the left. It is located in the Nanda Devi Biodiversity Park and has an abundance of colorful birds and mammals.

According to the Hindu mythology, Devas used to bath in this lake hence the name. The lake is also .....

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