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Kedarnath is a holy Hindu town located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand in India. It is one of the Char Dhams located in the Himalayas. Kedarnath is situated at an astonishing height of 3584 meters above sea level near the head of Mandakini River.
The Kedarnath temple lies amidst the majestic snow-capped Garhwal Himalayan ranges and is thronged by thousands of tourists each year.
Get Kedarnath Travel Guide, Kedarnath Dham 2024 Tips
Kedarnath temple is a part of Char Dhams and Panch Kedar in Uttarakhand and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India. The historical name of this region is "Kedar Khand".
Visit to Kedarnath Dham is considered to be very auspicious and most important in the Char Dham Yatra circuit.
Kedarnath is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks, making it the most remote site among all four Char Dham Shrines. The scenic beauty of Kedarnath town attracts lots of tourists from all over the world. You will find it quite crowded during the summer season (May and June).
The extreme weather condition of Kedarnath prompts the temple to remain open from the end of April to the beginning of November. 4G network is now available at Kedarnath by Jio, Airtel, and BSNL.
Kedarnath Dham Temple reopened for Char Dham Yatra on 10 May 2024 at 7 am. Since its opening, thousands of pilgrims have thronged to the temple for darshan.
The opening date of Kedarnath temple is announced on the occasion of Mahashivratri. The 'Badrinath - Kedarnath Samiti' announce the opening dates of Kedarnath Dham along with Badrinath, Gangotri Yamunotri dham.
Pilgrims coming to Char Dham need to register on the online portal of Uttarakhand Tourism Department.
Kedarnath Doli Yatra Program (Tentative)
Kedarnath Temple Closing date for 2024: The closing date of Kedarnath Temple will be 03 Nov 2024 on the occassion of Bhai Dooj. Last year Kedarnath was closed for winters on 15 Nov 2023 amidst the vedic rituals.
The trek route to Kedarnath which was heavily damaged by landslides triggered by heavy rain on the night of 31 July has been repaired and reopened for pilgrims after a 15-day closure.
Following the arrival of the Thar vehicle, two golf carts have now also been brought to Kedarnath. These golf carts will provide significant assistance to elderly devotees visiting the shrine. The golf carts were transported to Kedarnath Dham this morning with the help of the Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter.
A new trekking route is discovered, which will start from Chaumasi, 25 km away from Kalimath; it has more grasslands and less climbing. This trekking route will be 2 kms shorter.
The Kedarnath Yatra resumed on August 8, eight days after the devastating disaster, with 18 devotees arriving on the first day. Currently, the pilgrimage is being conducted exclusively via helicopter service as reconstruction of the walking route continues at full speed.
The Yatra had been suspended on July 31 due to heavy rains and landslides, which caused severe damage to the Kedarnath walking route at over 13 locations. Efforts are now underway on a war footing to restore the footpath and allow pilgrims to continue their journey on foot soon. Check how to book Kedarnath Heli Tickets.
Pilgrimage – Perched at an altitude of 3,500 meters, Kedarnath is one of the most revered Hindu shrines and thousands of pilgrims partake in arduous pilgrimage every year. The shrine sleeps under a thick blanket of snow during winters.
Trekking – Kedarnath temple is located 19 km from Gaurikund, the nearest town with road connectivity. Thus, one has to trek 16 kms to the Kedarnath shrine making it a wonderful trekking experience. You can also extend your treks to Chorabari Tal, Vasuki Tal and Bhairon mandir in Kedarnath
Camping in Kedarnath – Since there is only little accommodation at Kedarnath, tourists and pilgrims can also set up tents near the town and enjoy the natural beauty that envelops the town as well as the towering Kedarnath peak in the background.
You will find a big Govt tented colony consisted of Tents, Cottage, and rooms just before Kedarnath is operated by GMVN, which are sufficient to accommodate more than a thousand pilgrims and tourists. There are many hotels and lodges around the temple since Kedarnath is a small place. You can find a room upon reaching there.
All the stays and food is extremely basic, the geyser is a big luxury, so don't expect running hot water or room service, you're getting to sleep on a bed at that height is enough in itself.
Nowadays, many tourists take Helicopters to Kedarnath for a day's visit and come back from Kedarnath the same day. They generally stay in these locations: Phata, Rampur, Gaurikund, Sitapur, Sonprayag, Guptkasthi, etc. For more details check hotels in Kedarnath.
Reach Rishikesh from wherever you are, From Rishikesh, you can take the direct shared cab/bus till Guptkashi, or do multiple shared cabs from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag then Rudraprayag to Guptkashi.
From Guptkashi, another shared cab or one of the less frequent buses till Sonprayag, spend the night at Sonprayag, then early morning leave for Gaurikund (roundhead) and start your 16 km trek from there.
Alternatively, you can also stay at Gaurikund overnight but stay options seem better in Sonprayag.
Also, if you are coming by your own vehicle, you can only take it till Sonprayag, there's a huge parking area available. Also, if you are coming from your own vehicle, Rishikesh to Rudraprayag main road is currently blocked, so take Rishikesh to Tehri to Srinagar to Rudraprayag route.
Apart from few roadside dhabas and tea stalls there are not many good eating options at Kedarnath. The local restaurants serve north Indian vegetarian food. Due to being a revered religious place, alcohol and non-vegetarian food is strictly prohibited at Kedarnath.
According to Mahabharata, the Pandavas had built the Kedarnath Temple where they pleased Lord Shiva with their penance. The temple was revived by the great Hindu philosopher, Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE, when he visited the place with his four disciples. Sadly, the temple was hit by the catastrophic floods of 2013, which engulfed hundreds innocent lives.
There is a famous Hindu mythology related to the origin of Kedarnath temple, which states that after the Mahabharata war, the Pandavas went on an anonymous journey to beg mercy from Lord Shiva. After failing multiple times, Bhima was able to find Lord Shiva, who had incarnated as a bull to hide from the Pandavas.
Bhima tried to catch it and hit its hind part with his mace. The injured bull then immersed in the earth and its body parts appeared indifferent places. It is believed that the hind part of the bull appeared at Kedarnath, from which a 'Jyotirlinga' or light flickered and Lord Shiva appeared in his divine avatar.
It is said that after taking the blessings of the cosmic light, the Pandavas were exempted of their sins and Lord Shiva told them, “from now onwards, I will be present here as a triangular shaped Jyotir Linga and by paying obeisance at Kedarnath, the devotees would attain piety". From then onwards, a triangular shaped rock is worshiped in the 'Garbhagriha' or the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The other four parts of Lord Shiva fell at Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhmaheshwar and Kapleshwar. Kedarnath along with these four are also described as Panch Kedar.
If you are a traveler/pilgrim who wants to visit Kedarnath and don't know much about how to do Kedarnath Dham then this travel guide is going to help you a lot to plan your Kedarnath Trip.
Day 0: Reach Rishikesh
Rishikesh is one of the famous cities of north India and Uttarakhand. The city is well connected with rail routes, inter-state & national bus routes. In case if you are coming via flight then Jollygrant airport is just 20km or 35 minutes route. Try to complete this Journey in the night only so you can reach to Rishikesh in the sharp morning to start your road route to Kedarnath.
Day 1: Rishikesh To Sonprayag or Gaurikund (211 km / 8 hours by road).
From Rishikesh Bus terminal, you can catch public transport like buses or Tata Sumos to Sonprayag. Direct buses to Sonprayag are hard to get but try for Guptkashi which is well settled in the last town before Kedarnath and daily bus service is also available from major cities of Uttarakhand to Guptkashi. However, you can also get a bus to Rudraprayag and then Rudraprayag to Guptkashi. From Guptkashi you can complete your further journey to Sonprayag via sharable Jeeps or Tata Sumo.
Below is the road route from Rishikesh to Sonprayag:
Rishikesh - Devprayag - Srinagar - Rudraprayag - Augustmuni - Guptkashi - Sonprayag
Bio-metric registration at Sonprayag
As instructed by the Uttarakhand government, it is necessary for every traveler to do bio-metric registration. This registration facility is also available online on the Uttarakhand tourism site or visit How to do Char dham bio-metric registration online. However, if you missed that you can complete this process by reaching Sonprayag. You have to carry your ADHAR CARD with yourself for this registration.
Below are the facilities you can found at Sonprayag :
Sonprayag to Gaurikund shuttle service & night stay at Gaurikund :
Please keep this in mind that Sonprayag is the last point for all kinds of vehicle. You can't travel by using your personal vehicle or by public transport. A huge parking facility is available at Sonprayag for all kinds of Vehicle on the bank of Mandakini river. You have to complete the further 5km journey by using shuttle service or through jeeps between Sonprayag and Gaurikund. The charge of shuttle service is 20 rupees per person.
After reaching Gaurikund you can ask any hotel owner for a room. The charge of the room varies on the hotel to hotel or on season respectively. Least amount you can pay for a hotel room in the month of May and June is 500.
Day 2 : Gaurikund to Kedarnath (16 km trek / 5 - 6 hours).
You can reach Kedarnath only after a trek of 16 km through a paved road from Gaurikund. You can take a horse or ponies to climb up the steep path.
Below are few trekking tips for your journey to Kedarnath temple :
You will probably reach to Kedarnath valley post noon or around 3 pm if you have started your journey at 8 am int he morning. Search for a hotel room for your night stay. Maybe you have to share your room with others if you are traveling alone or if you have enough money then you can book the whole room for yourself or for your family. In the evening you can do photography in the valley and can enjoy the temple atmosphere.
You can talk with other travelers from where they have come and about their journey to give some relief to your mind from the tiredness of trek. Walking around the temple and savoring the view of snow-capped Himalayas will surely gonna help to make this day the best day of your life. Eat your dinner & go to bed on time to give rest your body or to get prepare for next day journey.
After the flash flood of 2013 which greatly affected the Kedarnath region, it has been restored and work is being done by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) to revive Kedarnath to its former glory. the new trekking path to Kedarnath is now from the right side of the valley which can be reached by crossing a bridge at Rambada, though Rambada is now completely destroyed. The NIM has set up sheds after every kilometer so that pilgrims can rest during the trek.
Day 3 : Kedarnath Temple to Sonprayag via Gaurikund (16 km trek / 5 - 6 hours).
Try to wake up early in the morning. Take a bath and pay your obeisance at Kedarnath temple. From standing in the temple row to darshan, it will hardly take your 3 hours to complete this process. Prashad shops are available around the Kedarnath temple. After this, you can also visit the Baba Bhairav temple, which is situated on a hilltop near Kedarnath. It is around 600 meters far from the temple.
eUttaranchal Tip 1: If you want to visit Bhairavnath temple in Kedarnath then do this after checking out from your hotel room cause there is a small shortcut route from Bhairav temple to another side which will surely be going to save your time while coming back to Sonprayag/Gaurikund.
You can hire ponies/horse or Palki or can complete the further distance by simply trekking. It takes 5 to 6 hours to reach Gaurikund from where you have to take shuttle service to Sonprayag.
eUttaranchal Tip 2 : If you have reached at Sonprayag around 2 to 3 pm then do travel to Guptkashi (30 km by road / 1.5 hours). It will save your 2 hours for the next day trip and is going to save you from morning traffic too.
Day 4 : Guptkashi to Rishikesh ( 184 kms / 7 hours).
Say goodbye to this beautiful town of Uttarakhand. The journey will take 7 to 8 hours of your time. It is recommended to start your journey in the sharp morning so you can reach Rishikesh on time to catch night buses or trains.
If you are unable to do a hard trekking of more than 16 kms to reach Kedarnath temple then you have to take the help of a pony to reach there. They charge around 2500 to 3000 rs for one side but there is an easy way to reach kedarnath temple here it is.
Char Dham Destinations
Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee : https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/
Pilgrims Help Line :0135-2741600
Uttarakhand Tourism Kedarnath Guide : Details
IRCTC Kedarnath Helicopter Ticket Booking: https://heliyatra.irctc.co.in/
Kedarnath or Char Dham Registration website: https://registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/
Rudraprayag District Kedarnath Helpline Numbers for 2024 Yatra
Yatra control room number: 01364-297878 and 01364-297879
Kedarnath Heli Help Line : +91 98709 63731
Check out the Kedarnath weather report for September
The minimun and maximum temperature in September in Kedarnath is 3°C and 12°C respectively. The weather is generally pleasant and clear in September and you would feel pleasant throughout the day. Heavy Woolen clothes are recommended for Kedarnath in September.
Kedarnath is famous among tourist as Kedarnath Temple, Char Dham Yatra, Trekking, Himalayas, Pilgrimage, Panch Kedar, Religious.
Kedarnath is recommended destination for Family and Kids, Foreigners, Groups, Solo.
Kedarnath is popular destination for following activities/ interests - Char Dham Route, Char Dham Yatra, Helipads, Panch Kedar, Pilgrimage, Religious, Shiva Temples, Temples, Trekking.
Visiting Kedarnath was a spiritual journey unlike any other. The trek to the temple is challenging but incredibly rewarding, with breathtaking views of the Himalayas along the way. Reaching the temple after the trek fills you with a sense of accomplishment and devotion. Despite the crowds, the temple's serene atmosphere is maintained, and the darshan was a deeply moving experience. I recommend starting the trek early to avoid the midday rush
My trip to Shri Kedarnath Ji was an incredible experience with breathtaking views. The place is peaceful and majestic, truly a sight to behold. We trekked for about 9-10 hours to reach the temple, and every step was worth it. The beauty of nature along the way is simply stunning. The temple itself is more beautiful than you can imagine. For those planning a visit, don't forget to pack the essentials: A large raincoat that can cover your bag (the weather is unpredictable), Warm clothing like sweaters, gloves, and socks (as snowfall can happen at any time).It was a memorable journey, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking both adventure and spirituality.
The trip to Kedarnath Temple in the snow was truly enchanting. The snow-covered landscape created a serene and tranquil atmosphere, deepening the spiritual essence of the journey to this sacred site. The crisp, cold air added an element of adventure, making the pilgrimage even more exhilarating. Walking along snow-laden paths, surrounded by towering mountains, felt like a surreal experience that will remain etched in memory. The sight of the ancient temple emerging through the blanket of white was awe-inspiring, leaving a profound impression. Overall, the Kedarnath Temple visit in the snow was a unique and unforgettable experience, blending spirituality with the pristine beauty of nature.
The journey to Kedarnath is challenging, but the experience is truly divine. The trek is long, and the weather can be unpredictable, but the scenery is breathtaking. Upon reaching the temple, the sight of the majestic Kedarnath shrine against the backdrop of the mighty mountains is overwhelming.
Kedarnath is not just a pilgrimage, but an adventure. The trek can be strenuous, especially in the cold, but the stunning natural beauty makes it all worthwhile. The temple, surrounded by snow-capped peaks, is awe-inspiring. The facilities along the route are decent, with plenty of places to rest and eat. However, it's essential to be well-prepared with warm clothing and good trekking shoes. Overall, it was an unforgettable spiritual and physical journey.
Kedarnath is one of the most beautiful and powerful temples you'll ever visit, it requires a significant amount of time and energy to reach, but the journey is well worth it. The nights are quite cold, so be sure to bring gloves and sweaters to stay warm.
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Last Updated: 12 Sep 2024
