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Panch Kedar
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Panch Kedar (Sanskrit: पञ्चकेदार, romanized: Pañcakedāra), rendered Pancha Kedara in Sanskrit, refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Indianepic Mahabharata.
The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage worship are the Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ) at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), the Tungnath Temple (तुङ्गनाथ) (3,680 m or 12,070 ft), the Rudranath Temple (रुद्रनाथ) (3,559 m or 11,677 ft), the Madhyamaheshwar Temple (मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m or 11,450 ft) and the Kalpeshwar Temple (कल्पेश्वर) (2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The Kedarnath is the main temple and is a part of Chota Char Dham (literally 'the small four abodes/seats') pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas. The other three dham are the Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
The Garhwal region is also called the Kedar-Khanda after Kedar—the local name for Shiva. The region abounds in emblems and aniconic forms of the Shaiva sect of Shiva, much more than those of the Vaishnava sect. The western part of this region in particular, which constitutes half of Chamoli district and is known as Kedar-Kshetra or Kedar Mandala, encompasses all five temples comprising the Panch Kedar.
The number of visitors to the Kedarnath shrine, the first of the Panch Kedar temples for which records are available, was an impressive 1,652,000 in 2024 compared to 87,629 in 1987, a significant increase in 37 years.
It is said that the Panch Kedar Yatra (pilgrimage) could be directly related to the Gorakhnath Sampradaya (recognized for their pilgrim traditions) of Nepal. As a proof, it is stated that the culmination of the pilgrimage was at Pashupatinath temple in Nepal, rightly where Shiva's head is worshipped and not at Kedarnath where the hump is venerated. A further supporting fact mentioned in this regard is that the emblem used in the Kedarnath temple dome is the same as displayed in the Pashupathinath temple dome in Kathmandu. The Tungnath and Madhyamaeshwar shrines are replicas of the Kedarnath shrine.
Many folk legends related to the Garhwal region, Shiva and the creation of the Panch Kedar temples are narrated.
A folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra War. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. On the advice of Krishna, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva's favourite city and known for its Shiva temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra War and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.
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Panch Kedar
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Panch Kedar (Sanskrit: पञ्चकेदार, romanized: Pañcakedāra), rendered Pancha Kedara in Sanskrit, refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Indianepic Mahabharata.
The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage worship are the Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ) at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), the Tungnath Temple (तुङ्गनाथ) (3,680 m or 12,070 ft), the Rudranath Temple (रुद्रनाथ) (3,559 m or 11,677 ft), the Madhyamaheshwar Temple (मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m or 11,450 ft) and the Kalpeshwar Temple (कल्पेश्वर) (2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The Kedarnath is the main temple and is a part of Chota Char Dham (literally 'the small four abodes/seats') pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas. The other three dham are the Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
The Garhwal region is also called the Kedar-Khanda after Kedar—the local name for Shiva. The region abounds in emblems and aniconic forms of the Shaiva sect of Shiva, much more than those of the Vaishnava sect. The western part of this region in particular, which constitutes half of Chamoli district and is known as Kedar-Kshetra or Kedar Mandala, encompasses all five temples comprising the Panch Kedar.
The number of visitors to the Kedarnath shrine, the first of the Panch Kedar temples for which records are available, was an impressive 1,652,000 in 2024 compared to 87,629 in 1987, a significant increase in 37 years.
It is said that the Panch Kedar Yatra (pilgrimage) could be directly related to the Gorakhnath Sampradaya (recognized for their pilgrim traditions) of Nepal. As a proof, it is stated that the culmination of the pilgrimage was at Pashupatinath temple in Nepal, rightly where Shiva's head is worshipped and not at Kedarnath where the hump is venerated. A further supporting fact mentioned in this regard is that the emblem used in the Kedarnath temple dome is the same as displayed in the Pashupathinath temple dome in Kathmandu. The Tungnath and Madhyamaeshwar shrines are replicas of the Kedarnath shrine.
Many folk legends related to the Garhwal region, Shiva and the creation of the Panch Kedar temples are narrated.
A folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra War. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. On the advice of Krishna, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva's favourite city and known for its Shiva temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra War and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.
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