10 Least Known Facts About Kedarnath Temple

There are so many interesting facts about Kedarnath Temple that you may have never imagined at all. Though this is the most famous of all the Shiva temples in India, most people are ignorant about many aspects of this temple.

Kedarnath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India, and it is also the highest of all the 12 Jyotirlingas. There are so many mythological legends associated with this temple. Skanda Purana is one such religious text which states that this was the place from where the holy river Ganga was released by Shiva.

# Legends about the creation of Kedarnath Temple

There are so many stories in Hindu religious scriptures that tell about the origins of the Kedarnath Temple.

- Nar and Narayan were two avatars of Lord Vishnu. They started to worship a shiv linga which appeared out of the earth on its own. Lord Shiva was very pleased with their devotion and appeared before them. When he asked them to ask for a boon, they requested Lord Shiva to reside permanently in Kedarnath in the form of a shiv linga.

- Local legends in Uttarakhand mention that the Pandavas built the Kedarnath Temple to pray to Lord Shiva and ask him for salvation. They left their kingdom and went in search of Lord Shiva, so that he may forgive them of the sin of killing their brothers in the Kurukshetra war. Lord Shiva took on the form of a bull and hid in Guptkashi, as he was not pleased with the Pandavas for killing their Kauravas, who were their brothers. Bhima recognized Lord Shiva and caught him. But Shiva hid in the ground and his hump was seen at Kedarnath. The Pandavas built a temple at Kedarnath and performed a yagna to please Lord Shiva.

- King Janmejaya, who was the grandson of one of the Pandava brothers called Arjuna, donated lands and wealth towards the construction of the Kedarnath Temple during his reign in 3013 BC.
# Bhairo Nath is the protector deity of Kedarnath

Bhairo Nath is the main deity of a temple called Bhairo Nath Temple. The temple is a close distance from Kedarnath Temple. The temple deity Bhairo Nath is the guardian of the entire region of Kedarnath Temple. He is also known as Kshetrapal. Bhairo Nath is a very fierce form of Lord Shiva. He has divine powers with which he can destroy the entire universe. When winter comes and Kedarnath Temple is covered with snow, Bhairo Nath protects the temple from evil spirits. This is the reason why Bhairo Nath is also worshipped on the opening and closing dates of the Kedarnath Temple.

# The highest of all the Shiv temples in India

Kedarnath Temple is situated very high in the Himalayan ranges in Uttarakhand. Its altitude is 3,583 meters (11,755 ft). This makes it the highest situated of all the shiva temples in India.

# Major place of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand

Kedarnath Temple ranks among the major pilgrimage places in Uttarakhand. The temple forms part of the Panch Kedar tourist circuit. It also is one of the temples that you can visit as part of the 12 Jyotirlinga Tour Package. But most tourists visit Kedarnath Temple when they plan their Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage tour in Uttarakhand.

# The main pujari is not North Indian, but belongs to Karnataka

The head priest of this temple is not of Uttarakhand but belongs to the Veerashaiva community that hails from Karnataka. The tradition continued after Adi Shankaracharya, established Kedarnath Temple as a major Hindu temple in India. The assistants of the head priest perform the daily rituals and pujas at Kedarnath Temple. The head priest comes when the main idol of Kedarnath Temple is moved to Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath during winter. Even the mantras that are chanted in Kedarnath Temple are in the Kannada language.

# Buried under snow for 4 centuries

One of the most startling facts about Kedarnath Temple is that it was buried under a thick blanket of snow for around 400 years. The temple was then discovered and revered as one of the major Shiva temples in India.

# Origin of Kedarnath

This fact that is related to Kedarnath Temple is linked to its name. The word Kedarnath comes from ‘Kodaram’. According to a legend, the devas worshipped Lord Shiva to protect them from the demons who were harassing them. Lord Shiva took the form of an ox, who is called Kodarum. He then destroyed the demons using his horns and hooves and threw them into the Mandakini River. Kedarnath is a name that is taken from Kodarum.

# The construction of Kedarnath Temple

You will be amazed to know this fact about Kedarnath Temple. The architecture of Kedarnath Temple is very similar to other Panch Kedar temples in Uttarakhand. But the amazing thing about the construction of this temple is that enormous slabs of stone were used in its construction. The technique that was used in moving the huge stones and interlocking them to make the walls of this temple is still a great mystery. You will be surprised to know about this fact that the stone slabs are 12 ft thick. These stone slabs were so thick that not even the great 2013 floods that devastated Kedarnath town and its surrounding region, could destroy the temple.

# The unique lingam in Kedarnath Temple

The most amazing aspect to know about Kedarnath Temple is the linga in this temple. It is not like other shiv linga and is more triangular. Ghee is used for the Abhishek in the temple. This tradition also has a mythological legend behind it. Once upon a time, Bhima and Lord Shiva fought with each other. But later on, Bhima was sad that he fought with Lord Shiva. He massaged the body of Lord Shiva with ghee. The priests of Kedarnath Temple, even today, follow this tradition and apply ghee to the shiva linga.

# Idols in Kedarnath Temple

Once you go inside the temple you will see the main shiv linga. But there are many other idols inside the temple. There are idols of Parvati, the five Pandava brothers, Draupadi, Veerbhadra, and Nandi the vehicle of Lord Shiva, Shri Krishna are the famous deities whom you can recognize instantly. There are other gods and goddesses whose idols are present inside the Kedarnath Temple.