Kedarnath Yatra Packages Tours
At
Yamunotri & Gangotri, the pilgrims are cleansed body & soul and
with having achieved purity in that sense, pilgrims to Sri Kedarnath becomes
most rewarding. It is also customary to worship Lord Shiva with water of
Ganga, which pilgrims going from Gangotri as well take some there to Kedarnath.
Kedarnath is the seat of Lord Shiva. It is one of the twelve "Jyotirlingas"
of Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 m at the head of river Mandakini,
the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimage for the Hindus.
It is no wonder that Adi Guru Shankaracharya - a great scholar & saint,
chose to enshrine Lord Shiva in this land, where the unholy becomes oly
and the holy becomes holier. It is the place where Lord Shiva absolved Pandavas
from the sin of killing their own cousins Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra.
The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic Mahabharat.
At Kedarnath there are several Kunds (pools, tanks) that are known for their religious significans - shivkund, Retkund, hanskund, Udakkund, Rudhirkund are the most important. A little away from Kedarnath is a temple dedicated to Bhaironathji who is ceremoniously worshipped at the opening & closing of Kedarnath. The belief is that Bhairavnathji protects this land from evil during the time when temple of Kedarnath is closed.
During the winters, the shrine is submerged in snow & hence is closed. Fortunate are those who have good weather, but twice blessed are those who are at Kedarnath on a moonlit night- the snow peak gleams like hundred silver pinnacles atop the glittering mountains.
The
holiest of Shiva's shrines is linked to Gold among base metals so that every
pilgrims finds peace here, and it is said that devotees who die here become
one with Shiva himself. Beyond the temple is the highway to heaven, called
Mahapanth. According to legend, the place came into being during the period
when the five Pandavas brothers were asked to seek Shiva's blessings purging
them of the sin of killing their cousins. Lord Shiva unwilling to give darshans
to the Pandavas frled Kashi to live incognito in Guptkashi, where eventually
he was detected by the Pandavas. While fleeing Shiva took refuge at Kedarnath
in the form of a bull and started to plunge underground when he was spotted
by the Pandavas. He dived into the ground, leaving behind his hump on the
surface. No wonder the natural rock formation that is worshipped here resembles
the hump of a bull. Thus Shiva pleased with the determination of the Pandavas,
exonerated them from their sin, gave them darshan & bestowed upon them
the opportunity to worship his hump. The other four places where Shiva is worshipped take their appearance from different parts of his body -the naval at Madmaheshwar, the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. The latter four along with Kedarnath are known as the Panch Kedars.
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SIGHT SEEING & EXCURSION :
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Kedarnath Temple: An imposing sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple, built in 8th century A.D. by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architecture Kedarnath temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut gray slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs had been handled in the earlier days. The temple has a "Garbha Griha" for worship and a Mandap, apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
Shankaracharya Samadhi : The Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya is located just behind the Kedarnath temple. It is said that after establishing four sacred Dhams in India, he went into his samadhi at an early age of 32 years.
Chorabari (Gandhi Sarovar) : Only 1 km trek away from Kedarnath. Floating-ice on the crystal clear waters of the lake fascinates the visitors.
Gaurikund
: It is the base for a trek to Kedarnath and serves as a roadhead. The
village has a temple dedicated to Gauri and hot water springs. Trijuginarayan : According to legend, this was the place where the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati was solemnized. In front of the Shiva Temple is an eternal flame, which is said to be a witness to the marriage. It can be reached by a 12 km drive from Sonprayag.
Ukhimath : Winter home of the deity at Kedarnath temple and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath. Connected by bus services to Rudraprayag and other major centres.
Agastyamuni : The temple of sage Agastya is the main attraction here.
Madhmaheshwar : One of Panch Kedar, the temple of Madhmaheshwar is located at an altitude of 3,289 mt above sea-level, on the slope of a ridge, 25 km north-east of Guptkashi. There is a motorable road from Guptkashi to Kalimath. The best statue of Har Gauri in India measuring over a meter high is found in the Kali temple. The trek from Kalimath to Madhmaheshwar is distinguished by wild unparalleled scenic beauty and engulfed by Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks. Gaundar at the confluence of Madmeshwar Ganga and Markanga Ganga, is the last settlement before one reaches Madhmaheshwar, the place where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of belly.
Tungnath : The arms of Lord Shiva came out as per the Kedarnath myth at Tungnath. He is worshipped here as one of the Panch Kedar. Tungnath Temple at an altitude of 3,680 mt, is the highest Shiva shrine among the Panch Kedar but the easiest to reach from Chopta, the nearest roadhead.
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KEDARNATH TOUR PACKAGE :
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The Kedarnath shrine, one of the 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, is a scenic spot situated, against the backdrop of the majestic Kedarnath range. Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. According to legend, the Pandavas after having won over the Kaurava in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty of having killed their own brothers and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption....
Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights
Destination Covered : Delhi / Haridwar / Rudraprayag / Gaurikund / Kedarnath / Delhi
Day
1: Delhi - Haridwar (230 kms/6hrs) Arrival Delhi Railway Station, Meet & Assist further drive to Hardwar, enroute lunch. Later drive to Hardwar transfer to your Hotel. Visit Har-ki-Pauri for Ganga Aarti in evening. Back to your hotel, Dinner & Night halt.
Day 2: Haridwar - Rudraprayag (165kms/6hr)
Morning visit Haridwar Local Sight Seeing, later drive to Rudraprayg enroute visit Deoprayag. On Arr. Rudraprayag, Check in Hotel. Overnight stay.
Rudraprayg : Named after Lord Shiva (Rudra), Rudraprayag is situated at the holy confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, at a distance of 34 Kms. from Srinagar (Garhwal). The meeting of Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers has a unique beauty of its own and it seems as if two sisters were embracing each other. It is believed that to master the mysteries of music, Narad Muni worshipped Lord Shiva. who appeared in his Rudra Avtaar (incarnation) to bless Narad. The Shiva and jagdamba temples are of great religious importance.
Day 3: Rudrprayag - Gaurikund (75kms/3hr) - Kedarnath (14kms Trek)
Morning drive to Gaurikund, Trek start from Gaurikund to Kedarnath (3584 mts) on foot or on by pony / Doli. Tour members should carry personal medicines, heavy woolen, tolietteries and clothes for an overnight halt at Kedarnath. Check in Hotel. Later visit Kedarnath Temple. Night halt.
Kedarnath Temple: An imposing sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple, built in 8th century A.D. by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architecture Kedarnath temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut gray slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs had been handled in the earlier days. The temple has a "Garbha Griha" for worship and a Mandap, apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
Shankaracharya
Samadhi : The Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya is located just behind
the Kedarnath temple. It is said that after establishing four sacred Dhams
in India, he went into his samadhi at an early age of 32 years. Chorabari (Gandhi Sarovar) : Only 1 km trek away from Kedarnath. Floating-ice on the crystal clear waters of the lake fascinates the visitors.
Day 4: Kedarnath - Rudraprayag
Early morning, pilgrims after Darshan of Kedarnath Temple. Return back to Gaurikund & Drive straight to Rudrprayag. Check in Hotel. Overnight stay.
Day 5: Rudraprayag - Haridwar (160kms/5hr)
Drive to Hardwar, enroute visit Rishikesh Local Sight Seeing (Ram Jhulla, Laxman Jhulla, Triveni Ghat, Parmarth Niketan, Shivananda Ashram & Gita Kutir). Arr. Haridwar, transfer to Hotel. Night halt.
Day 6: Haridwar - Delhi (230kms/6hr)
Morning visit Hardwar Local Sight Seeing. Later dep. to Delhi. On Arr. Delhi, Drop at Railway Station/Airport.
Char Dham, Kedarnath Yatra Packages Tours Reservation Form
