Difference between revisions of "Kedāranātha"
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<small>By Swami Harshananda</small> | <small>By Swami Harshananda</small> | ||
| − | + | Kedāranātha<ref>Kedāranātha is also spelt as ‘Kedārnāth’.</ref> and Badarīnātha are among the Himālayan centers where nature's beauty automatically induces peace and joy in the hearts of the devout pilgrims. | |
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Kedāranātha is actually a very small town almost like a hamlet. It famous due to the ancient Śiva temple. It is one of the twelve Jyotirliṅgas.<ref>Jyotirliṅgas are liṅgas full of divine effulgence.</ref> It was built by the Pāṇḍavas to atone for the sin of killing their cousins and others in the Kurukṣetra war. | Kedāranātha is actually a very small town almost like a hamlet. It famous due to the ancient Śiva temple. It is one of the twelve Jyotirliṅgas.<ref>Jyotirliṅgas are liṅgas full of divine effulgence.</ref> It was built by the Pāṇḍavas to atone for the sin of killing their cousins and others in the Kurukṣetra war. | ||
| − | == | + | ==Śiva Temple== |
It is located in the Garhwal district of Uttaranchal at a height of 3600 meters (11,760 ft.) above the sea-level. The liṅga in the garbhagṛha or sanctum is of an irregular shape. It is of 3.6 meters (12 ft.) in circumference at the bottom and 0.6 meter (2 ft.) in height. | It is located in the Garhwal district of Uttaranchal at a height of 3600 meters (11,760 ft.) above the sea-level. The liṅga in the garbhagṛha or sanctum is of an irregular shape. It is of 3.6 meters (12 ft.) in circumference at the bottom and 0.6 meter (2 ft.) in height. | ||
| − | + | There is a maṇḍapa (hall) in front of the sanctum. In the maṇḍapa, there is a large idol of Nandi<ref>Nandi is the bull mount of Lord Śiva.</ref> and many idols of gods and goddesses, including those of the Pāṇḍavas. A light is always kept burning in the sanctum. The worship is simple and there is no abhiṣeka or bathing of the liṅga with water. | |
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| − | The devotees generally offer ghee balls and are also permitted to embrace the | + | The devotees generally offer ghee balls and are also permitted to embrace the idol. The priests of the temple belong to the Liṅgāyata sect. The temple is opened on the Akṣayyatṛtīyā day in April or May. It is closed on the day after Dipāvali in November. During the winter months, the utsavamurti<ref>Utsavamurti is the processional idol.</ref> is taken to the place called Ukhimath. The worship is continued there. The temple structure is very beautiful. The roof is very high. The river Mandākinī<ref>Mandākinī is a tributary of river Gaṅgā.</ref> flows at the back of the temple. |
| − | At the backside of the main temple there is a shrine of Śaṅkara ( | + | At the backside of the main temple there is a shrine of Śaṅkara (CE 788-820). He is said to have disappeared into a cave from here. According to some legends, the first teacher of the Liṅgāyata or the Viraśaiva sect, Ekorāmārādhya, had his Maṭha (monastery) here. |
==Other Temples== | ==Other Temples== | ||
Revision as of 14:28, 22 October 2016
By Swami Harshananda
Sometimes transliterated as: Kedaranatha, KedAranAtha, Kedaaranaatha
Kedāranātha[1] and Badarīnātha are among the Himālayan centers where nature's beauty automatically induces peace and joy in the hearts of the devout pilgrims.
Kedāranātha is actually a very small town almost like a hamlet. It famous due to the ancient Śiva temple. It is one of the twelve Jyotirliṅgas.[2] It was built by the Pāṇḍavas to atone for the sin of killing their cousins and others in the Kurukṣetra war.
Śiva Temple
It is located in the Garhwal district of Uttaranchal at a height of 3600 meters (11,760 ft.) above the sea-level. The liṅga in the garbhagṛha or sanctum is of an irregular shape. It is of 3.6 meters (12 ft.) in circumference at the bottom and 0.6 meter (2 ft.) in height.
There is a maṇḍapa (hall) in front of the sanctum. In the maṇḍapa, there is a large idol of Nandi[3] and many idols of gods and goddesses, including those of the Pāṇḍavas. A light is always kept burning in the sanctum. The worship is simple and there is no abhiṣeka or bathing of the liṅga with water.
The devotees generally offer ghee balls and are also permitted to embrace the idol. The priests of the temple belong to the Liṅgāyata sect. The temple is opened on the Akṣayyatṛtīyā day in April or May. It is closed on the day after Dipāvali in November. During the winter months, the utsavamurti[4] is taken to the place called Ukhimath. The worship is continued there. The temple structure is very beautiful. The roof is very high. The river Mandākinī[5] flows at the back of the temple.
At the backside of the main temple there is a shrine of Śaṅkara (CE 788-820). He is said to have disappeared into a cave from here. According to some legends, the first teacher of the Liṅgāyata or the Viraśaiva sect, Ekorāmārādhya, had his Maṭha (monastery) here.
Other Temples
There are five other temples in the nearby area. They are:
- Badarī-kedāra
- Madhya maheśvara
- Tuṅganātha
- Rudranātha
- Kalleśvara
All these together are called ‘Pañcakedāra’.
References
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore
