Kedarnath

North Indian City Guide - Kedarnath

A pilgrim area since the ancient times has never run short of visitors despite being situated at 3,548 meters.Kedarnath is famous for the Kedarnath Temple itself, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims. Built by the Pandavas of ‘Mahabharata’ and re - constructed by Adi Shankaracharya in 8th century AD, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Kedarnath - City Guide

Kedarnath is also a treat to trekkers especially with the mesmerizing view of the Himalayas that surround the temple. One must not miss the grand Badri - Kedar Utsav that takes place in June for 8 days and brings artists from all over Uttaranchal to showcase their talents. The place also offers amazing trekking spots like the Vasukhi Tal or Vasukhi Lake, which offers amazing views to its visitors.

Situated at 4135 meters, the Lake remains frozen during winter. It offers some of the best views of the surrounding snow - capped ranges like Chaukhamba and more. Chorabhari Lake which is also called Gandhi Sarovar, after some of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed here in 1948, is another trekking point. The lake offers crystal clear water which gives a scenic delight to our eyes.

Kedarnath offers places in and around it that can be explored by both trekkers and pilgrims. With places like Sonprayag and Gaurikund which are on the way to Kedarnath, pilgrims can get more on their journey as each place has its own significance and charm for the devotees. On the other hand, trekkers can get delightful views and treks with the high altitude locations.

Best among them is the Mayali Pass Trek which goes on for days and is believed to be a challenging one. It offers views of various peaks along with the lake, valley and grassland views. That’s how Kedarnath attracts both pilgrims and trekkers who want to challenge themselves.

Climatic Condition

Owing to its altitude, Kedarnath, especially the shrine remains closed to tourists from December to March when the weather gets extremely cold with snow fall. The best time to visit Kedarnath turns out to be summer that’s from April to June, when the pilgrims’ crowd starts coming in. Temperature ranges between 5° C and 16° C. Monsoons start from July to early September making October pleasant after the rains.