1    

Ohm! Nama Siva aye!

Lord Siva

As

Jyothir l ingams

(By Radhakrishnamurthy Bhandaru)

Part: 12

“Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam| Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram || Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Patennarah|Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||”

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                   

Kedarnath Jyothirl ingam

Kedarnath or Kedareswar Jyothirlingam is in Kedarnath City in the Uttar Kasi District, State of Uttaranchal, India. It is located high in Himalayas, 11,700 feet above the sea level. The city is a majestic sight, situated in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. This region of the Himalayas is known as Gandhamadana Parvatham or Sumera Parvatham. To go to Kedarnath City one should travel by foot or mule from Gauri Kund City which is 14 miles from Kedarnath City. Helicopter service is available from Rudraprayaga - Agustmuni. Most of the inhabitants of the city are traders, business men, priests, and beggars. It is very cold in the winter with maximum temperature below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Kedarnath area experiences 60 inches rain fall during monsoon season. May to October is the best season to visit Kedarnath. Situated at the head of the Mandakini River, Kedarnath is

 

2    

considered as one of the holiest places of pilgrimage in all of India. Many people visit Kedarnath as a part of Char Dham Yatra which includes Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gongotri and Yamunotri. These are very highly revered sites for Hindus. All of them are in the State of Uttaranchal in high Himalayas. Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to goddesses Yamuna and Ganga respectively. Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Siva and Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.  

Map of Char Dham and some other important places in Himalayas Legends

One Puranic legend says that Nara and Narayana, two incarnations of Vishnu, performed penance for the welfare of all human beings. (In the concept of Nara-Narayana, the human soul Nara is the eternal companion of the Divine Narayana. The Hindu epic Mahabharata identifies God Krishna with Narayana and Arjuna - the chief hero of the epic - with Nara). They did the penance in Badrinath for a long time in front of a Sivalingam which they made out of earth every day. Lord Siva pleased with their penance appeared in front of them. Nara and Narayan thanked Lord Siva and requested him to have a permanent abode as a Jyothirlingam

 

3    

at Kedarnath so that all people who worship him shall be freed from their miseries. Lord Siva granted their wish and stayed at Kedarnath as Jyothirlingam.   Another story from mythology says that the Pandava brothers of Mahabharata epic sought Lord Siva's blessings to get rid of the sins of killing of the Kauravas, their own kith and kin, in the war. They went to Kasi to have Lord Siva’s darsan. But they were told that Lord Siva went to Himalayas. So, the Pandavas went to Himalayas in search of the Lord. Knowing that the Pandavas were following him Lord Siva eluded them by taking the form of a bull in Guptakasi which a holy place in Himalayas and wandering in cow herds in mountain valleys. The Pandavas went to Guptakasi in search of Lord Siva and from there they went to Gauri Kund. While searching for Lord Siva the Pandavas spotted a bull in a herd which was unique to look at. When the bull was closely followed by the Pandavas, he tried to escape. He went down into the earth, shedding the hump at Kedarnath and other parts of the body at four other places - arms at Tungnath, face at Rudranath, belly at Madmaheswar, and the locks of hair with head at Kalpeshwar. All these five places have now famous Siva shrines, and are known as Pancha Kedar. From the hump of the bull at Kedarnath a glorious Sivalingam appeared before the Pandavas. By having Lord Siva’s darsan the Pandavas got rid of their sins. By the request of Pandavas Lord Siva took abode at Kedarnath as Jyothirlingam.

A variant of this story in some Puranas is that after spotting the unique bull, Bheema, the mighty brother of the Pandavas, went after the bull with his mace. The bull was clever and Bheema could not catch him. But Bheema managed to hit the bull with his mace when the bull had its face hidden in a crevice in the earth. Bheema started to pull him by his tail. The bull went down in to the earth leaving his hind part at Kedarnath, and shedding other parts at different places. From the hind part of the bull, Lord Siva appeared as a glorious Jyothirlingam before the Pandavas. By having Darsan of Lord Siva, the Pandavas got rid of their sins. The Lord told the Pandavas that he would remain at Kedanath as a triangular shaped Jyotirlingam and by having his Darsan devotees would get rid of their sins. When Bheema realized that the bull he hit with his mace was Lord Siva, he was struck with remorse. He then begged pardon of Lord Siva and massaged his body with ghee. In memory of this event, even today this Triangular Jyothirlingam is massaged with ghee as a part of worshipping service along with water and Bilva leaves.

The Pandavas visited this place several times. King Pandu, the father of the Pandavas died in Kedarnath area, when he tried to make love to his wife Madri, because of a curse he had. This place is famous as Pandukeswar. The tribal people here perform a dance called “Pandav Nritya”on special occasions. The mountain top at Kedarnath from where the Pandavas went to heaven or Swarga, is known as “Swargarohini”, i.e., path to climb up to heaven. When Dharmaraja, the eldest brother of the Pandavas, was leaving for Swarga, one of his fingers fell on the earth. At that place Dharmaraja installed a Sivalingam, which is the size of the thumb and offered his prayers.

The Temple The original temple is believed to have been built by the Pandavas about 5000 years ago. It was renovated several times over the centuries. The present temple was built in the 8th century A.D. by Jagad Guru Sankaracharya. It lies next to the ancient temple site. It is a formidable

 

4    

structure on a plateau with snow covered peaks surrounding it. The temple architecture is exquisite, the outside being relatively unadorned, while the inside is richly embellished with figures of deities and scenes from mythology. The temple has a Garbha Gruha or sanctum sanctorum and a Mandapam for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. In the Garbha Gruha is the triangular shaped Jyothirlingam, believed to be the actual hind part the bull whose form Lord Siva assumed. To reach the Jyothirlingam devotees pass through a small archway and few steps up the stairs. There are inscriptions on the steps in Pali language. At the entrance of Garbha Gruha is a statue of Nandi facing Lord Siva. Just before the Garbha Gruha an idol of Kedar Gauri, the consort of Lord Siva is seen facing west while the Jyothirlingam of Lord Siva is facing east In the Mandapam there are images of the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi, Lord Krishna and Kunthi, the mother of Pandavas. Outside the temple in the open sky there is a majestic Nandi facing Siva. Just at the entrance we see Lord Vinayak with a human face in a praying posture. There is small temple for Bhairav to the south of the main temple. Bhairv is said to guard the main temple when it is closed during winter months. Outside, at the northeast corner there is a small temple of Isaneswara Mahadev.

Kedarnath Temple

 

5    

Nandi in front of the Temple

The Samadhi of Jagad Guru Adi Sankaracharya is seen behind the main temple, on the banks of the River Mandakini. There is a small temple with Sankaracharya’s Murthi and a Sivalingam near the Samadhi.

Jagad Guru Sri Sankaracharya Samdhi, Kedarnath

There are several natural springs or Kunds in the area. One, within the temple quadrangle, is known as Brahma Kund. At the front of the temple, along the main road, is the Udak Kund. To the right of the main temple is Hamsa Kund.

 

6    

                                                                                         

Hamsa kund

The head priest of the Kedanath Temple belongs to Veera Saiva community from Karnataka State. He is called Rawal. He does not perform Pujas but his assistants do on his instructions. In winter months when the temple is closed he also goes with the deity to Ukhimath Temple where the deity is worshipped.

Six months of the year the temple is covered in snow and it is closed to pilgrims between Oct/Nov, opening again in April/May. During the period when no pilgrims visit, it is believed that the gods are on site worshipping the Deity.

The opening date of Kedarnath Temple is decided on the day of Sivarathri by the priests in Ukhimath in consultation with the Badrinath- Kedarnath Temple Board. Normally the temple opens in the middle of May. The closing day of the temple is fixed on the second day after Diwali, in late October or early November. This year the Temple will be opened on May 17, 2013 and will be closed on November 5, 2013.

Ukhimath City is 25 miles from Rudraprayag and is at height of 4,200 feet. During the winter, the idols from Kedarnath are brought here to a temple and worshipped for six months. This place got the name Ukhimath because of the wedding of Usha (Daughter of Banasur) and Anirudh (Grandson of Lord Krishna) was solemnized here. The place was named as Ushamath which is now known as Ukhimath.

At kedarnath Temple festivals like Ganesh Chathurdhi , Vijayadasami and Deepavali are celebrated. Sivarathri is celebrated at Ukhimath. At Kedarnath Badri-kedar Utsva and Doli Yatra festivals are celebrated every year on a grand scale with special guests. Sravani Annakoot Mela is celebrated on the day before Raksha Bandhan during August. Special Samadhi Pooja is held on the closing day of Kedarnath temple.

Temple Timings

The temple is open for devotees in the morning from 7:00am to 2:00pm and in the evening from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Srungar Darsan is from 5:00pm onwards. Evening Arathi is at 6:45pm. Pavalimpu Sava is 8:00pm. The morning services include Suprabhatam, Balbhog,

 

7    

Rudrabhishekam and Astothar Puja. In the evening Astothra and Sahasranama Archanas, Arathi and Pavalimpu save are performed. Pilgrims can book the Savas online in advance of their arrival.

It is believed by visiting Kedarnath, sorrows do not come even in dreams. By worshipping Siva as Kedarnath, Pandavas were rid of all their sorrows. Badri-Kaedarnath’s darsan rids devotees of the material ties. Whoever gives Dan (alms) at Kedareshwar just gets assimilated into Shivaroopa.

Jagad Guru Shankaracharya praised Lord Shiva of Kedarnath in the following way:

mahAdripArshve cha taTe ramantaM sampUjyamAnaM satataM munIndraiH | surAsurairyaxa mahoragADhyaiH kedAramIshaM shivamekamIDe || Meaning

Oh Lord, who resides in the great heights of Himalayas, oh Lord, thou, who art worshipped forever by saints, Hermits, Demons, Gods, Yakshas and Maha Nag (giant snakes), I bow and offer millions of pranams to you.

Mandakini River valley near Guptakasi where Lord Siva took the form a bull

 

8    

Winter in Kedarnath

Kedarnath’s favorite flower Brahma Kamal

 

9    

Lord Kedarnath’s Doli

the mood of

Hara Hara Mahdev !!!

Sambho Sankara !!