Nested amidst the peaks of Himalayas lies this highest temple of the world..
Legend of the Five Kedars or PANCHAKEDAR: The Pandavas after emerging victorious in the Battle of "Good Vs Evil" from the "Mahabharata" were on their way to Heaven when they were denied entry. It was pointed out that they had sinned in killing their kith and kin during the battle of Kurukshetra. Thus in order to redeem themselves they went in search of Lord Shiva.
Shiva, in order to escape them ran to Kedar and disguised himself in the form of a bull and mingled in a herd.
Bhima, the 2nd of the five Pandava brothers thus tricked Lord Shiva by standing with his legs apart and making each of the bulls pass between them and under him.This was beneath the dignity of Lord Shiva.Bhima eventually recognized the Lord and grabbed him by the behind when Shiva tried to flee him.He tore off the hind quarters of the bull which forms the idol for the Kedarnath.
The body of Lord Shiba disintegrated and fell into four other places namely Madmaheshwar, Tunganath, Rudranath And Kalpeshwar.
They eventually came to be knowen as the five Kedars or "PANCHAKEDAR".
HOW TO REACH:
One has to reach Chopta from where the trek to Tunganath starts. Chopta can be reached through road from Kedar or Badri.From Hardwar or Hrishikesh buses and other modes of transport are available to Kund (in the Kedar route) or Gopeswar (in the Badri route).
Due to the less availability of buses in this route, reserved modes of travel are preferred for this venture.
Tunganath Temple
The third of the five Kedars,Tunganath stands proud at a height of 3865 mts as the highest temple of the world Legend says that Lord Shiva's arms had fallen here and was built into a temple by Arjun,the third brother of the Pandavas. A brief trek of about 4 Kms from Chopta brings you to this temple dedicated to Kedar....a reincarnation of Shiva. Its open from April to October but the best seasons are april-june and sept-october
Tunganath Temple
At Tunganath. The Temple has a Temple committe Guest House located beside it but the arrangements are pretty sordid.Thus if one is really religious or spiritual minded or wants to spend a night at the Highest temple of the world this might be the option.There ae some eateries and tea stalls about a hundred mts down from the temple of which "Sujan Bhai's" is worth a mention.These stalls also have some lodging arrangements too which are slightly better.Mattresses and quilts, warm water and tea and meals are also available here.
Mesmerising Sunset from Tunganath
Chandrasila: > Situated at a height of 4000mts above sea level is a must go for the trekers visiting Tunganath.It is a further trek of about a km and a half from Tunganath and it provides a panoramic view of about a dozen snow-clad peaks from there. A bare mountain top where locals say that Rama , a Hindu mythological figure used to meditate . The ideal time to visit Chandrasila is before Sunrise or at Sunset.Tourists should not miss Chandrasila for the heavenly sunrise that one can enjoy from here.One should start while it is still dark.Torches and walking sticks are a must.The road is narrow at times and dangerous too and broken.The last couple of hundred mts trek is of sharp elevation and one might feel a little dizzy after reaching the top.
The Road to Chandrasila
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