Shri KedarNath Temple : Holiest & Highest Jyotirling + Kedar Nath Temple Openings + Timing + Kedarnath Tour

One among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, the holiest of shrines in the Hindu religion and a very significant destination of the Chardham quartet, the majestic Kedarnath temple sits at a high altitude of 3583 mts above sea level surrounded by the mighty peaks of the Himalayas near the Mandakini river in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in India.

There are Four Other Kedars

• Madhyamaheshwar
• Tunganath
• Kalpeshwar
• Rudranath

Legend Behind Kedarnath Temple:-

The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic - Mahabharata. According to legends, the Pandavas sought the blessings of lord Shiva to atone their sin after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed, he dived into ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshipped there as his manifestations.The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four above mentioned shrines are treated as Panch Kedar.

Structure of Kedarnath Temple:-

Kedarnath Shrine is scenically placed amidst the lofty, snow - covered mountains and grassy meadows covering the valleys. Immediately behind the temple is the high Keadardome peak, which can be sighted from great distances. It is believed that the temple of Kedarnath was constructed by the Pandavas. At the entrance of the temple is the statue of Nandi, the divine bull of Shiva. Walls inside the temple are exquisitely carved with images. The revered Shiva Lingam housed in the temple is in the unusual pyramidal form.

Best Time to visit:-

The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons. This is because; all the four sacred sites are perched in Garhwal Himalayas, which is prone to heavy snowfall. As a result, all the passage leading to the shrines are blocked. Moreover, during the monsoon season, there is undue threat of having landslides, which can further disrupt the journey. For safety reasons, the gates of the temples are also closed for this period of time and the idols are shifted to nearby pilgrim points.

Note:-Kedarnath Temple is open for devotees from 6 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm.Shingar Darshan is from 5 pm onwards and Aarti is performed at 6:45 pm. Sharavani Annakoot Mela is celebrated on the day before Raksha Bandhan during August. Special Samadhi puja is help on the closing day of Kedarnath

How To Reach KedarNath:

By air: Nearest Airport Jolly Grant, Dehradun (251 kms.)

By Rail: Rishikesh (234 kms.)

Kotdwar (260 kms.)

By Road:

Approachable on foot from Gaurikund, which is connected by road to Rishikesh, Kotwar, Dehradun, Haridwar and other important hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon region.

Pilgrimage Attractions near Kedarnath

Shankaracharya Samadhi

Behind the Kedarnath Temple lies the samadhi or the final resting place of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. It is believed, after establishing the four dhams in India, he went for his samadhi at an early age of 32 years.

Excursions Chorabari (Gandhi Sarovar) (2 kms.)

A small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed to heaven. The floating ice on the sparkling waters of the lake is a fascinating sight.

Vasuki Tal (6 kms.)

A picturesque lake, 4,135 mts. above sea level is encircled by lofty mountains and offers a commanding view of the Chaukhamba peaks.

Gaurikund (14 kms.)

The trekking base to Kedarnath. A temple dedicated to Gauri and thermal springs of medicinal value are noteworthy.

Sonprayag (20 kms.)

The confluence of Son Ganga and Mandakini rivers. The road to Triyuginarayan diverts from here.

Triyuginarayan (25 kms.)

A 5 kms. trek from Sonprayag, it is the mythological venue of the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.An eternal flame, which is said to have been a witness to the marriage, burns in front of the temple even today.

Guptkashi (49 kms.)

The temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanath are noteworthy.

Ukshimath (60 kms)

Winter home of the deity of the Kedarnath Temple and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath.

Agastyamuni (73 kms.)

Famous for the temple dedicated to sage Agastya.

Chandrashila (93 kms.)

The Chandrashila peak provides a rare view of snow-clad peaks. The rhododendron Forests and alpine meadows dominate the trek fromTungnath to Chandrashila.

Deoria Tal (68 kms.)

Sari village is the last bus terminus on Chopta-Ukhimath road from where a 2 kms. trek leads to Deoria Tal. This beautiful lake at an altitude of 2,438 mts. gives the spectacular reflection of snow capped peaks in the lake water. Ideal spot for angling and bird watching.

Fort Vasota (Vyaghragad) +Tracking Places in Maharastra/India

Vasota is also known as Vyaghragad (fortress of the Tiger).

About the Fort:

A trek to Vasota is one of the most thrilling and enchanting treks in Maharashtra. Located about 350 Kms from Mumbai, it is a protected natural reserve and a national treasure nest. The blue-green expanse of Koyna backwaters, the evergreen forests of Koyna wildlife sanctuary, hike to Vasota fort hidden in thick jungle, the spectacular view from top of the fort along with the beauty and serenity of the place leaves one spell bound.

Experience nature at its best!! Serene wilderness and mesmerizing surroundings. Add to it the adventure of climbing Vasota and learning about our history, life and times of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the association and contribution of Marathas to the fort.

Historical snapshot - Vasota fort is attributed to the Kolhapur Shilahara Raja Bhoja II (1178-1193) of Panhala. Vasota always remained with Marathas, Shirkes & Mores in 16th century & then incorporated in Swarajya by Shivaji Maharaj in 1655 during the conquest of Javli. Shivaji Maharaj named the fort "Vyaghragad" (Vyaghra - means tiger), owing to its difficult natural defense. After Shivaji Maharaj, the brave Maratha Bajirao Peshwa carried on the Swarajya mission of ousting the Mughal invaders from our country. In 1818 however, British bombarded the fort with heavy artillery thereby destroying many buildings on Vasota (Chandika mandir, Daru-kothar, etc) & looted property worth 5 lakhs. Today the fort stands in a dilapidated condition in a thick jungle with remnants of Shree Mahadev mandir, the plinth of a huge "sadar" (discussion place), the fallen ramparts & spectacular view of Nageshwar peak & Shivsagar lake (Koyna backwaters)

There are two entrances to the fort Vasota. The first one lies in a dilapidated state. On entering the fort we see a Hanuman temple, now devoid of a roof. Three ways go ahead this temple. The path straight ahead takes to the remnants of the fort. The one on the left takes to 'Kalkaiche Thane'. On the way is a Mahadeo temple which can accommodate 2-3 people. Moving along the path you will reach 'Machi'. The view of the surrounding region is simply spectacular.

The path on the left of the Maruti temple takes to the joint water cisterns. Water in these cisterns was not potable in December 1st week. The way proceeds to a fascinating cliff named Babukada, shaped like the letter 'U' that reminds us of Konkan Kada of Harishchandragad. From Babukad one can see Old Vasota towards south. No way exists now that takes us to this fort. In addition there is an acute shortage of water. Also presence of wild animals(especially Bears) in the area keeps the trekkers away from this fort.

How To Reach

Proper forest permission needs to be seeked before entering forest of Vasota region. Permission can be seeked from Forest office at Bamnoli.

There are 2 main ways to reach the fort, one via Nageshwar and the one directly to Vasota.

Via Nageshwar :

It can be said that a visit to Vasota is incomplete without visiting Nageshwar. On our way to Vasota a distinct pinnacle catches our attention. This pinnacle is named Nageshwar. A cave is carved in this pinnacle with a Mahadeo temple inside it. Thousands of devotees crowd this place on Shivratri. Water droplets fall on the Shivling from the rooftop of the cave throughout the year. Most of the trekkers generally visit Nageshwar on their way to Vasota; the only constraint being a walk for a few miles.

Directly to Vasota :

a)From Satara: One can reach Vasota from Satara by three different routes.

i)Via Kusapur: Board a bus at 9 a.m. from Satara and reach Bamnoli. From here one should come to Kusapur by launch. From Kusapur 2 ways go through dense forest, the left towards Vasota and the one on the right towards Nageshwar.

ii)Via Met Indavli: Catch a bus from Satara and reach village "Bamnoli". You can arrange Boats from Shivsagar Boat Club (Max 12 ppl allowed in each boat. Per boat charges - Rs 600 \ boat). Then crossing the Shiv sagar lake (1pprox 1hr 20 min) by launch take you to village Met Indavili. From Met indavili tracks can be identified to reach Vasota Fort. There comes a junction in between, Left side take you to Fort Vasota and right side take you to Nageshwar Caves. The journey from Satara to Bamnoli is around 1 hr 15 min. Bamnoli to Met Indavili - 1hr 20 min. You can reach the fort of Vasota from this village after a climb of 4 hours approx.

iii)From Mahabaleshwar: From Mahabaleshwar get to Tapole village and then further arrive at Kusapur by launch. From Kusapur one can reach Vasota as described above.

b)From Chiplun \ Chorvan:

i)Board a bus from Chiplun at 8.30 a.m. and alight at village Choravane. It takes 5-6 hours to reach Vasota from this village. It is to be noted that there is no water on the way and one has to carry his own supply. After climbing for some time one comes across a plateau from where the path on the left goes to Nageshwar and the one on the right to Vasota. As we move ahead along the way to Nageshwar we see another path below that goes to a well through dense forest. We can cut short the total time to Vasota to just 2 hours if we take this path.

ii) Arrive at Tivre village from Chiplun. From here we can reach Vasota via the Rede Ghat.

The Cave City of Vardzia in Georgia:World Tourism

One of the most famous ancient monuments of Georgia is located in Vardzia near the Armenian border. Built in the twelfth century, during the Golden Age of Georgia, by Giorgi III, this city of caves was originally intended as a military fortress.

At Mount Erusheli in southern Georgia State in the territory's history Samcche, near Aspindza. Precisely located on the left edge of the Mtkvari River, there is a historic building which was founded by Queen Tamar in 1185, in the form of a cave city Vardzia.

Cave city Vardzia also called Rock Vardzia Monastery is the largest architectural and historic complex in Georgia. Built carved and cut by steep rock cliffs. These buildings have a size of about 900 meters wide and 70 meters high.

Vardzia is remarkable cave city, which in its heyday housed 50,000 people, was actually carved into the side of the rocky cliffs. The entire cave complex is situated high up in the mountains to keep it safe from invading hordes. Vardzia is a very special place, considered a cultural symbol and a source of pride to Georgians, and a must-see for tourists who travel to Georgia.

Vardzia now

In the modern days Vardzia is a major tourist attraction in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. The place is maintained by a small group of monks and can be visited for a small fee. Marshrutkas go to Vardzia daily from the city of Akhaltsikhe.

About three hundred apartments and halls remain visitable and in some tunnels the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.