Panch Kedar (पंच केदार), Uttarakhand | Hinduism

Panch Kedar (पंच केदार) is a pilgrimage circuit and a set of five Hindu temples dedicated to God Shiva, one of the supremest gods in Hinduism, in the Indian state of Uttrakhand. Panch Kedar has immense prominence and is the holiest to Shivaites. However, they are also popular among followers adhering to other sects of Hinduism.
Panch Kedar, Uttarakhand

The five temples of Panch Kedar are traditionally visited in strict order for worship:
  • Kedarnath Temple (केदारनाथ मंदिर)
  • Tungnath Temple (तुङ्गनाथ मंदिर)
  • Rudranath Temple (रुद्रनाथ मंदिर)
  • Madhyamaheshwar Temple (मध्यमहेश्वर मंदिर) or Madmaheshwar Temple (मदमहेश्वर मंदिर)
  • Kalpeshwar Temple (कल्पेश्वर मंदिर)
Kedarnath Temple is the most famous and prime of all. Kedarnath Temple, one of the sacred 12 Shiva Jyotirlingams, is also part of Char Dham, a well-known pilgrimage circuit among Hindus.
Each of the temples of Panch Kedar sits in the environmentally serene and peaceful lap of the Himalayan mountains. Because of the terrain, every temple requires some amount of trekking and hill walk.

Etymology

The Hindi word 'Panch' literally translates to five in English. 'Kedar' is the local name for Lord Shiva.

Legends

There are many unmatching and divided legends about the formation of these temples. However, the most prominent one among all dates back to the time of Mahabharata. According to the same legend, after the war of Mahabharata, the Pandavas were into immense remorse and sought atonement from the God Shiva through penance. But, enraged with their deceptive actions and dishonesty in the war, God Shiva avoided their requests. Shiva hid dense Himalayan mountains disguised as a bull. Pandavas came looking for Shiva and roamed the Himalayas in search of him. Finally, they recognized God Shiva in the form of a humped bull, which upon seeing Pandavas jumped and dived in the ground, like a sea, and just vanished. The place where Shiva hid from the Pandavas later came to be known as Guptkashi, according to legends. Later, God Shiva reappeared in five different sites of the region, and those sites colloquially became modern-day Punch Kedar. The five temples were later erected at these sites by the Pandavas as per legends.

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