The Significance of Kedarnath Dham in Hindu Mythology & Spirituality

Lord Shiva, who is known as both the guardian and the destroyer, is also known by the epithet Kedar, which means mighty. The serene setting all surrounding the temple, which gives the impression of being located in heaven, makes it an ideal location for practising meditation.The most notable landmark in this area is the Shiva Temple, which serves as a holy site and pilgrimage destination for many Hindus and welcomes visitors from all over the world. The natural beauty of the area and the religious allure of the region both contribute to the region’s robust travel and tourism industry. It is said that Shiva is the personification of all passions, including love, hatred, fear, death, and mysticism, and that these passions are portrayed via Shiva’s many forms.

Jyotirlinga – A Holy Representation of Lord Shiva

A holy image of Lord Shiva Mahadev, also known as a Jyotirlinga. Shiva. The One Who Will Put an End to Evil. Although they go by a few different titles, ultimately they refer to the Supreme Being. Growing up as a Hindu, you would probably hear the term "Jyotirlinga" quite a few times due to the prevalence of the religion. The Hindus place a great deal of importance on the Jyotirlinga that is dedicated to Shiva. A shrine that is dedicated to worshipping Lord Shiva in the form of a Jyotirlinga is known as a Jyotirlinga. The word "linga" refers to a sign, while the word "Jyoti" denotes light. The Jyotirlinga is considered to be Lord Shiva’s own light.

The "Jyotirlinga" legend is told in the "Vishnu Purana," which is an ancient Indian text. During the time that Lord Vishu and Lord Shiva were arguing about who is more powerful, Lord Shiva conjured out a massive column of light and challenged both of them to discover where the column of light ended in each of the cardinal directions. In response, Lord Brahma told them that he had solved the problem, but Lord Vishnu was willing to concede defeat. Then, Lord Shiva placed a curse on Lord Brahma, saying that despite the fact that Brahma was the one who created the universe, he would not be revered. And it is claimed that the Jyotirlingas that may be found in this area emerged from the limitless column of light that Lord Shiva created.

Mentions of Kedarnath in the Skanda Purana

One of the earliest mentions of Kedarnath may be found in the Skanda Purana, which was written sometime between the seventh and eighth centuries and tells a story about how the Ganges river got its start. The literature refers to Kedara, also known as Kedarnath, as the location where Shiva untangled his matted hair and unleashed the holy water.

The hagiographies that are based on Madhava’s Sankshepa-shankara-vijaya claim that the 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara passed away in the highlands close to Kedarnath. On the other hand, the hagiographies that are based on Anandagiri’s Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya claim that he died in Kanchipuram. Kedarnath is the site of the supposed remnants of a structure that marked the spot where Shankara passed away. By the 12th century, when it was referenced in Kritya-kalpataru, a document authored by the Gahadavala minister Bhatta Lakshmidhara, Kedarnath had already established itself as a significant site for religious tourism.

The Kedarnath Teerth Purohits are the ancient Brahmins of this region. Their forefathers, known as the Rishi-Muni, have been worshipping the lingam ever since the time of Nara-Narayana and Daksh Prajapati. They have been practising their religion as pilgrims ever since King Janmejay, the grandson of the Pandavas, granted them the permission to worship at this temple and donated the entirety of the Kedar territory to them.

Identification from Hindu Mythology

In Hindu mythology, the Pandavas are said to have committed the sin of homicide by killing members of their own family during the Mahabharatha war. In order to purge themselves of this transgression, the Pandavas went on a pilgrimage. However, Lord Vishweshwara was not present because he was in Kailasa, which is located in the Himalayas. As soon as they were aware of this, the Pandavas fled Kashi. They travelled through Haridwar to get to the Himalayas. They had a glimpse of Lord Shankara from afar. However, Lord Shankara managed to avoid them by hiding. Then Dharmaraj uttered the following words: "Oh, Lord, You have concealed yourself from our sight because of the sins that we have committed." On the other hand, we will find a way to locate you. Our sins won’t be forgiven until after we’ve received your Darshan, so please hurry.

This location, where You have concealed Yourself, will be known as Guptkashi and will develop into a well-known shrine. After leaving Guptkashi, also known as Rudraprayag, the Pandavas travelled across the Himalayan regions till they arrived at Gaurikund. They travelled about in that area looking for Lord Shankara. During this process, Nakul and Sahadev came across a male buffalo that had a really distinctive appearance. After that, Bheema pursued the buffalo while wielding his mace. Bheema was unsuccessful in his pursuit of the buffalo because of its cunning. However, Bheema was successful in striking the buffalo with his mace. The buffalo buried its head in the ground so that its face would not be seen. Bheema made a grab for it by its tail and began to tug. This game of tug-of-war resulted in the head of the buffalo going to Nepal, while the hind part of the animal remained in Kedar. Doleshwar Mahadev may be seen in Sipatol, Bhaktapur, Nepal. He is depicted as the face of the buffalo. A JyotirLinga materialised on the lower back of Mahesha, and Lord Shankara materialised from the light emanating from it.

The Pandavas were forgiven for their transgressions after getting a Darshan, or vision, of Lord Shankar. The Lord disclosed to the Pandavas that he would continue to reside in this space in the form of a JyotirLinga in the future. Piety would be attained by devotees who visited Kedarnath and had the Darshan of the holy mountain. The Garbhagriha of the temple contains a rock in the shape of a triangle, which is venerated there. Many representations of the Pandavas can be found in the area surrounding Kedarnath. Raja Pandu died at Pandukeshwar. "Pandav Nritya" is the name of the dance that is performed by the local tribal people. The peak of the mountain known as "Swargarohini" is situated near Badrinath, and it is from there that the Pandavas began their journey to Swarga. As Darmaraja was getting ready to go to Swarga, one of his fingers accidentally fell to the ground.

At that location, Dharmaraj built a Shiva Linga that is approximately the size of the human thumb. Shankara and Bheema fought each other with maces so that they might obtain Mashisharupa. Bheema was overcome with feelings of regret. He began to apply ghee all over Lord Shankara’s body in the form of a massage. Ghee is applied and rubbed into this Shiva JyotirLinga in the shape of a triangle to honour the occasion of this event. During the worship service, water and bel leaves are used. When Nar-Narayan went to the Badrika village to begin worshipping Parthiva, Shiva materialised in front of them. Nar-Narayan had the hope that Shiva would maintain his primordial form so that he might continue to look out for the interests of humanity. In order to grant their dream, Mahesha himself became a Jyoti and dwelt in a region named Kedar, which is located in the snow-covered Himalayas. In this region, people call him Kedareshwara.

The Narayana legend explains: It is believed that the sages Nara and Narayana pondered at Kedarnath for many years, and that Lord Shiva was so delighted with their dedication that he provided them a permanent dwelling spot at the temple. This took place because Lord Shiva wanted to reward the sages for their devotion.

According to legend, the lingam, which is a symbol of Lord Shiva and can be found in the Kedarnath Temple, is claimed to have been formed naturally by the elements of earth, air, water, and fire. The lingam is said to have been around 5,000 years old.

In addition to these traditions, others have contributed to Kedarnath’s status as a prominent pilgrimage destination for Hindus and a place of veneration for Lord Shiva devotees.

Kedarnath Temple

The Temple of Kedarnath is an impressive sight since it is situated in the centre of a broad plateau that is flanked on all sides by towering mountains covered in snow. The current structure of the temple dates back to the 8th century A.D. and was constructed by Jagad Guru Adi Shankaracharya. It is located close to the location of an even older temple that was constructed by the Pandavas. Figurines of a variety of deities and situations from mythology are hung on the inside walls of the assembly hall. A monumental depiction of the Nandi Buffalo sits just outside the entrance to the temple.

The temple at Kedarnath is covered in snow from November to April because of the extremely high snowfall that occurs there during the winter (which can reach several metres in height). At the beginning of winter each year, which typically occurs in the first week of November, and on an auspicious date that is declared in advance by the holy symbolic statue of Lord Shiva is taken down from the Kedarnath temple to a spot called Ukhimath, where it is worshipped as Lord Shiva. This takes place on an auspicious date that is notified in advance by the holy symbolic statue of Lord Shiva. Beginning in November and continuing through May of the following year, the pujas and archanas are performed at Ukhimath.

The symbolic statue of Lord Shiva is relocated from Ukhimath to Kedarnath during the first week of May, on an auspicious date that is specified in advance by the BKTC. After the relocation, the statue was reinstalled in its original location. It is at this time that the doors of the temple are opened to pilgrims, who come from all areas of India, for the purpose of undertaking a religious journey. Every year, the shrine is said to close on the first day of Kartik (which falls between the months of October and November) and reopen in Vaishakh (which falls between the months of April and May).

According to the calculations done by the priests of Omkareshwar, the opening date of the Kedarnath Temple is determined by the auspicious day of "Akshay Tritya" and "Maha Shiva Ratri."