Kedarnath Yatra is one of the most spiritual pilgrimages in India. Kedarnath, the abode of Lord Shiva attracts thousands of devotees within a span of 6 months when the shrine remains open. Kedarnath is a part of the sacred Char Dhams (4 pilgrimages) as well as a part of the Panch Kedars. This blog is about our experience of the Kedarnath Trek done in the month of October. Read on to know more about Kedarnath Yatra, how to reach and where to stay and other related information. elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Kedarnath is not just a place of pilgrimage for me. The place has much more significance. It was the first place that I had ever travelled with my family. I do hear every now and then that I had been a very difficult 2-year-old during that time who gave a tough time to my parents. Well, what else to expect from a toddler! Now after almost three decades, I was again ready for Kedarnath Yatra again with Agni in tow. Only this time, we decided to go on foot from Gaurikund and I was quite excited about the Kedarnath trek.
This trip was going to be a special one, not for a singular reason. To be honest, I was way too excited to visit a place that has such nostalgic memories for me. The moment we told our families about this trip, my father started telling me stories about “that” Kedarnath Yatra that happened almost 30 years ago. By stories, he meant all the embarrassing episodes of a two and a half-year-old on a trip with the family. It seemed he divulged all my idiotic secrets to my husband, who of course, did not forget to tease me later.
My uncle was quite excited to know we were visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath. He recalled all the special places and even told me to take pictures in the same pose as we had done previously. So much for changes! Overall, going to Kedarnath was exciting not only for us, but also for my family.
My uncle was quite excited to know we were visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath. He recalled all the special places and even told me to take pictures in the same pose as we had done previously. So much for changes! Overall, going to Kedarnath was exciting not only for us, but also for my family.
For Agni and me, Kedarnath trek was important because we were again trekking the Himalayan trails after almost 2 years. All these years, we had done a few short treks in the Western Ghats and the David Scott Trail in Meghalaya. We thought Kedarnath trek might be the catalyst that would overcome the drought in our trekking trips. After all, it was after Amarnath Yatra that we had fallen for trekking! So enough of my ramblings, let us start with all the information you wanted to know about Kedarnath Yatra, Kedarnath Temple and of course our amazing experience there.
Where is Kedarnath located?
Kedarnath Dham is a part of the Char Dhams Yatra (4 religious places) that also includes Gangotri, Yamunotri and Badrinath. Located in the Rudraprayag district of Garhwal region in Uttarakhand, the Kedarnath temple is located in the Kedar valley below the Chorabari glacier, which is the source of the river Mandakini.
Kedarnath – History, Legend and Stories
It is usually an obsession with me to find out about the past of any place that we visit, especially if the place happens to be a historical and religious place. For temples in India have numerous stories hidden in them. I did the same for Kedarnath.
It is believed that the Kedarnath shrine was buried under the snow for almost 400 years!
Like others, Kedarnath also has its fair share of mythologies and legends. There are various versions on the origin of the Kedarnath Temple. While there are claims that the temple was resurrected and built by the great Hindu seer Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century while others claim that it was built by the Hindu King Raja Bhoj of Malwa in the 2nd century AD. Well, as I said before, there are numerous versions.
Kedarnath finds mention in the great Hindu epic Mahabharata and this is where the legend of Panch kedar comes in. Did I mention before that Kedarnath is also one of the five (Panch) Kedars, the five holy places of Lord Shiva.
Kedarnath Trek – Our Experience
As I have mentioned before that we decided to go on foot all the way to Kedarnath from the base point at Gaurikund. The journey started from Haridwar. Local buses from Haridwar to Guptkashi were very few because of the post-pandemic situation. So we rented a car for 5 days for a trip to Kedarnath and Badrinath.
We started early in the morning from Kedarnath and passed through the winding mountain roads. We had been to these parts a few times, but the scenery never failed to enchant me. The meeting of Mandakini and Alaknanda Rivers at Rudraprayag still makes us wistful of the unadulterated beauty of the mountain rivers.
The Mandakini River was our constant companion throughout the road to Kedarnath. We reached Guptkashi at around 3 PM and then decided to travel to Sonprayag. There are a number of hotels at Guptkashi and is one of the places to stay for the night if you reach late.
We reached Sonprayag soon and found a hotel to stay for the night. We found a number of hotels at Sonprayag well but the majority of them were closed. It seemed this season the number of pilgrims were lesser than previous years, the reason being obvious.
Earlier, Sonprayag was the starting point of Kedarnath Yatra. But now, a motorable road upto Gaurikund has been built and the 5 km distance from Sonprayag to Gaurikund can be travelled by a shared jeep.
We started quite early in the morning. Once we were at Sonprayag, we headed towards the Yatra Registration Counter. To conduct the Chardham Yatra in a controlled manner after the flash floods of 2013, the number of Yatris (pilgrims) visiting the Kedarnath shrine is regulated. Yatra registration can be done online and you get an e-pass. You can do it yourself or ask your agent to do it for you. There is also a counter for getting the Yatra e-pass at Sonprayag. A man was sitting with a laptop and was making the Yatra e-pass for a fee of Rs.50/-.
We had our Yatra e-pass with us and went to the Registration Counter directly. They recorded the e-pass number, did thermal screening and we were given the permission to start our Yatra. Every year, the pilgrims get a physical pass as well. We did not get it this year, perhaps because of the lesser number of pilgrims.