Kedarnath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about Kedarnath town. For the temple, see Kedarnath temple. For the mountain, see Kedarnath (Mountain).
| Kedarnath | |
|---|---|
| town | |
 | |
 
Kedarnath
| |
| Coordinates: 30°44′N 79°04′ECoordinates: 30°44′N 79°04′E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Rudraprayag |
| Elevation | 3,553 m (11,657 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 479 |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Kedarnath is a town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in theHimalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund, at a distance of 14 k.m.
The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from flash floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
Contents
[hide]Etymology[edit]
Kedarnath is named after honour of King Kedar, who ruled in the Satya Yuga. He had a daughter named Vrinda who was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. She performed austerities for several years and the land is named after her as Vrindavan. However, Kedarnath and its temple exist from the Mahabharata era when thePandavas are supposed to have pleased Lord Shiva by doing penance there.[citation needed]. It is one of the most important dhams amongst the Chota Char Dham.
Location[edit]
Kedarnath is located at a distance of 223 km from Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and close to the source of Mandakini river at a height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level.[1]The township itself cannot be called attractive, as it is built on a barren stretch of land on the shores of Mandakini river but the surrounding scenery of Himalayan mountains makes it very attractive place for pilgrimage and trekking. Behind the town and Kedarnath temple, stands the majestic heights of Kedarnath peak 6,940 m (22,769 ft), Kedar Dome 6,831 m (22,411 ft) and other peaks of the range.[1]
Accessibility[edit]
There are 2 ways to reach the town: One is the traditional 14 km (8.7 mi) trek on a paved briddle path or on horses or palanquin service which are available for rent from Gaurikund. Gaurikund is connected by road fromRishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and other known hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon regions in Uttarakhand. From Gaurikund, the briddle path passes through Rambada, a hamlet located at adistance of 7 k.m.[1] The alternative way is by helicopter service from Dehradun, on such days when the weather is clear.
Overview[edit]
The temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya (April end or first week of May) and closes on Bhai Duj(October end or 1st week of November) due to heavy snowfall and extreme cold weather during winter. Gaurikhund is 75 km (47 miles) from Rudraprayag. In between Rudraprayag and Kedarnath there are several places of pilgrimage such as Agastyamuni, Ukhimath, Phauli- Pasalat Devi Maa, Bamsu (Lamgoundi) Vanasur, Maa Jwalamukhi Devi village Andarwari, Maa Chandika Devi village lwara, Maa Kali at Kalimath, Trijugi Narayan (7 km (4 mi) from Son Prayag) (Where Lord Shankar got married to Goddess Parwati from when the fire of hawan kund is still alive) and Kashi Vishwanath at Guptakashi.
Udar Kund is located here. It is written in Kedar Khand of Shiva purana that the water of Udak Kund is mixture of all the 5 Oceans and always remain fresh even when kept for many years. The holy water of Udak Kund is used for purification rituals. Hans Kund, Bharo Nath, Navdurga Mandir, Shankaracharya Samadhi, Ishaneswar Mahadev Temple, Ret Kund, Panch Ganga Sangam, Chaurwari Taal now known as Gandhi Sarowar, Bashuki Taal are also places to visit here. There are several guest houses in Kedarnath with reasonable rates.
Demographics[edit]
As of 2001 India census,[2] Kedarnath had a population of 479. Males constitute 98% of the population and females 2%.[citation needed] Kedarnath has an average literacy rate of 63%: male literacy is 63%, and female literacy is 36%. In Kedarnath, none of the population is under 6 years of age. The floating population from May to October every year is more than 5000 per day.[citation needed]
Climate[edit]
During winter due to heavy snowfall, the Temple is closed and no one stays in Kedarnath. For six months (November to April) the Palki with the utsava murti of Lord Kedarnath is transferred to a place near Guptakashi called Ukhimath. People shift their settlement too from Kedarnath to nearby villages. Around 360 families of Tirtha Purohit of 55 villages and other nearby villages are dependent on Kedarnath for livelihood.[citation needed]
2013 flash floods[edit]
Main article: 2013 North India floods
On June 16, 2013, at about 7:30 p.m. a landslide occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud thunder followed by gushing of huge amount of waters from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini river at about 8:30 p.m. which washed everything away in its path. Then again the next day on the 17th of June, 2013 at about 6:40 a.m. in the morning waters rushed down river Saraswati and from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks and boulders. A huge boulder got stuck behind Baba Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the ravages of the flood's fury. The flood waters gushed on both the sides of the temple destroying everything in its path.[3][4] Thus in the middle of pilgrimage season, torrential rains, cloud burst and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the Kedarnath town. The town was the worst affected area by the floods.[5] Thousands of people were feared killed and many thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the Kedarnath temple were destroyed, the temple itself is still standing amid surrounding debris.[6][7]The Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that pilgrimage to Kedarnath would not be possible for next two to five years. The rescue operation resulted in about more than 100000 people being airlifted with the help of Indian Army, Air force, NDRF and Indo-Tibet border police force. A helicopter (Mi 17) crashed during this exercise killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The air force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.[5]
Places of interest[edit]
Other than Kedarnath temple, on the eastern side of the town is Bhairava temple[1] and the deity of this temple, the Bhairava, is believed to protect the town during winter months. About 6 k.m. upstreams from the town, lies Chorabari Tal, a lake cum glacier also called Gandhi Sarovar.[1] Near Kedarnath, there is a cliff called Bhairav Jhamp, from where pilgrims used to jump to death, believed to get instant moksha or salvation and this practice was banned by British Government in 19th Century.[1]
No comments:
Post a Comment