“Take the journey to Kedarnath and celebrate the greatness of the Mahadeva, Lord Shiva”
Kedarnath, hidden in the lap of Himalayas is one of the paramount holy sites in India. The Shiva temple is a prominent destination in Kedarnath for Lord Shiva devotees. The breath taking view of Kedarnath adds charm to the religious shrine of Lord Shiva. Spiritual importance and natural beauty that this place holds is unmatchable. Pilgrims from all across the globe embark the journey to Kedarnath Dham to find solace and peace.
Lord Shiva is worshipped as “Lord of Kedarkhand” at the sacred temple of Kedarnath. Every year devotees from all around the world flock the temple for Lord Shiva’s blessings.
Elevated at a height of 3,584 metres, near Mandakini Rive, Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. This holy shrine is one of the four cornerstones of Char Daham Yatra in Uttarakhand. The temple is also one of the 275 temples of Paadal Petra Sthalams (the most powerful Shiva temples in the world), expounded in Tevaram. Being most important temple among the PanchKedar (group of 5 Shiva temples in Garhwal Himalayas), makes Kedarnath Dham more glorious. Swyambhu Shivling located in the temple is immemorial.
In Kedarnath Dham, Shiva Linga is worshipped very religiously. Various poojas and sevas are performed at the Kedarnath temple. Let us see some of the sevas and poojas that take place in the Kedarnath Temple.
Kedarnath morning pooja is performed in between 4 AM to 7 AM.
Kedarnath evening pooja takes place in between 6 PM to 7:30 PM.
Visitors can have the darshan of Kedarnath Ji at Kedranath temple at free of cost. Devotees can also do some special Kedarnath Pooja or Aarti or offer Bhog to the Lord. For such special aarti or puja they’ll have to deposit a specific amount in treasury of temple. Once you deposit the Kedarnath puja rates, a receipt will be issued to you.
Now devotees can also pay the puja rates for Kedarnath Dham in advance. To help you we have listed the details of Kedarnath Pooja Cost.
| Kedarnath Morning Pooja (4 AM to 7 PM) | |
|---|---|
| Maha Abhishek (1 person) | 1700 |
| Rudra Abhishek Puja (1 person) | 1300 |
| Laghu Rudra Abhishek Puja (1 person) | 1100 |
| Sodasopachar (1 person) | 1000 |
| Entire Pujas of a day | 5200 |
| Morning Puja | 170 |
| Balbhog | 900 |
| Evening Archana & Path (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM) | |
| Shiv Sahasranamam Path (1 person) | 360 |
| Shiv Mahimastrotra Paath (1 person) | 360 |
| Shiv Thandavastrotra Paath(1 person) | 340 |
| Sapurna Aarti (1 person) | 1500 |
| Daily Bhog and Other Services at Kedarnath | |
| Dainik Yagya Havan (1 person) | 1800 |
| Akhand Jyothi Daily | 3500 |
| Long term (for 10 years) Puja & Bhog of Shri Kedaranth Ji | |
| Shiv Bhagwan Mahabhog | 12,600 |
| Shiv Bhagwan Maha Abhishek Puja | 21,000 |
| Shiv Bhagwan Abhishek Puja | 11,000 |
| Shiv Sahasranam Stotra | 1700 |
| Puja on Special Occasions in Kedarnath | |
| Shrawani Purnima Annakut | 7,550 |
| Akhand Jyoti Yearly | 26,000 |
| Other Offerings | |
| Donation for renovation work | 1001.00 or above |
Note : During May & June Mahabhishek, Rudrabhishek & Laghu Rudrabhishek pujas are not performed at the Kedarnath temple.
Many festivals are celebrated at Kedarnath Temple. One must witness and get lost in the colorful and devotional environment of these feast celebration.
This iconic shrine is built of massive stone slabs and has beautiful architecture. A large statue of Nandi Bull outside the Kedarnath temple stands as a guard. Inscriptions in Pali on the large grey steps leading to the holy sanctums can also be found. Inside the temple several old stone art work dedicated to Pandavas can also be seen. The main sections of the Kedarnath temple include Garba Griha and a Mandap also known as Mandapam. Garbha Griha is the innermost chamber of the temple and protects the conical idol of Kedarnath Ji. The Mandapam consists of statues of the Pandavas, Lord Krishna, Darupadi, Nandi and Virbhadra.
According to Hindu Mythology, Pandavas to absolve themselves from the sin of killing their relatives, embarked on a pilgrimage. Lord Shiva disguised himself as a humped buffalo and hid himself at Kashi. Lord Shiva dived into the ground when Pandavas discovered him. Bhim could only get hold of the hump and this impressed Lord Shiva. The other body parts of the Shiva (in bull form) were found at four different places. These places were Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhya-Maheswar and Kalpeshwar. Together these places are called Panch Kedar. It is also believed that Goddess Parvati worshipped Kedareshwar to unite with Shiva as Ardhanareshwar.
According to another legend, Nar and Narayana-two incarnations of Vishnu performed severe atonement in front of Shivalingam which rose out of the earth. Pleased by the devotion, Lord Shiva asked Nar and Narayan to seek for a present. As a present Nar and Narayan requested Lord Shiva to take a permanent abode in Kedarnath as Jyotirlingam so that devotees can worship and free themselves from the miseries of life.
