Kedarnath is a Hindu holy town and is located in the Uttarakhand state of India. In a scenic spot, at an altitude of 3,584 m and at the origin of the river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is most venerated amongst the Hindu pilgrims.
Kedarnath is accessible after a steep 13 km trek through a paved path (horses or daulis are available) from Gaurikund. Gaurikund is connected by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and other important hill stations of the Garhwal and Kumaon regions in Uttarakhand.
Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, and the name for a stone (presented as a lingam) rounded by years long travel in Ganga.
There are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chamoli district itself, the most important being Kedarnath. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
There are places en route like Janglechatti, Rambara and Garurchatti where the weary can rest a while or spend the night. Just one kilometer before Rambara is a high and beautiful cascading waterfall which crashes down the heights.
As one approaches from Garurchatti, the magnificent Sri Kedarnath temple is visible on reach barely half a kilometer.
With the stunning background of towering white Kedarnath dome mantled with snow, the temple presents an enchanting sight. All around it is an aura of peace and purity. Here, the unholy are said to become holy and the holy, holier still.
The temple is magnificent in its style and architecture. It is built on a morainic ridge jutting out at right angles from the snowy range. The present temple, most likely built in 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. No specific family of pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath, which focus around veneration of the stone lingam that rests in the inner sanctum of the temple.
Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut Grey slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs had been handled in the earlier days. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figure of various deities and scenes from mythology.
The temple has a 
Garbha Griha for worship and a Mandap, apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
Besides its affiliation with Shiva, Kedarnath is also believed to be the site of Shankaracharya's samadhi.
According to Hindu mythology, the Pandavas wanted to wash off their sins of killing their own brothers in the battle of Kurukshetra by seeking the blessings of the Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva continuously eluded them and took refuge in the form of a bull at Kedarnath. When Pandavas followed him to that place, he dived into the ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. The remaining parts of bull like the arms showed at Tungnath, mouth at Rudranath, navel at Madmaheshwar and hair at Kalpeshwar. All these places together with Kedarnath are known as the Panch Kedar.
Gandhi Sarovar
Only a km trek away from Kedarnath. Floating ice on the crystal clear waters of the lake fascinates the visitors.
At the end of the season water levels are considerably lower.
Season
Kedarnath remains closed from November to April due to heavy snowfall and other extremities.
Accomodation
There is lots of dharamsalas, lodges and guesthouses in Kedarnath. There is a lively bazaar street where many dhabas can be found.
There is a post office and a Bank of India.
External Links
Adresses etc 
