Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Trek Yatra

About this yatra

Kedarnath in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand stands at 3583 metres in the Garhwal Himalaya as the northernmost of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and the most challenging of the four Char Dham of Uttarakhand. The temple, built of massive grey stone slabs that have withstood Himalayan blizzards and the catastrophic 2013 flash floods, enshrines a uniquely shaped conical Jyotirlinga believed to be the petrified hump of the buffalo form Lord Shiva took to elude the Pandavas, with the other four body parts forming the Panch Kedar shrines of Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar. According to the Mahabharata, after the Kurukshetra war the Pandavas sought Lord Shiva for absolution from the sin of killing their kin, but Shiva avoided them by assuming the form of a buffalo and diving into the earth, with his hump appearing at Kedarnath. The temple is reached only on foot, by helicopter, or by pony or palki, after a sixteen kilometre uphill trek from Gaurikund through alpine meadows, glacial streams, and snow covered peaks. This five day yatra is designed for devotees in moderate physical condition who wish to do the trek at a measured pace with proper acclimatisation, returning with the full spiritual experience without rushing through the dangerous high altitude environment. Day one is arrival at Haridwar or Dehradun and overnight at Guptkashi at 1319 metres for initial acclimatisation, with darshan at the Vishwanath temple and Ardhanareeshwar temple where Shiva is worshipped as the half male half female form. Day two travels to Sonprayag and then Gaurikund at 1982 metres, the trek starting point named after Maa Gauri who is said to have performed penance here to win Shiva as her husband, with an afternoon dip in the hot sulphur springs at Gaurikund. Day three is the sixteen kilometre trek to Kedarnath at 3583 metres starting before sunrise to avoid afternoon clouds, passing Jungle Chatti, Bhimbali, Rambara, and Lincholi, with the magnificent Kedarnath peak coming into view at the final ridge; the evening features the special sandhya arati at the temple. Day four begins with the 4 AM Maha Abhishekam at the Jyotirlinga, exploring the adjacent Bhairavnath temple, the Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi rebuilt after the 2013 floods, the Gandhi Sarovar, and the Vasuki Tal high altitude lake; the afternoon descends back to Gaurikund. Day five completes the descent and returns to Haridwar with a closing dip at Har Ki Pauri. The package includes pickup from Dehradun airport, five nights of accommodation graded for altitude, vegetarian satvic meals, professional Himalayan guide and porter, abhishekam at the Garbha Griha, pony or palki coordination for those who need it, basic first aid kit, oxygen support availability, and a pilgrim handbook with the Rudri stotra in Sanskrit. Helicopter tickets from Phata or Sersi can be added as an upgrade for elderly or time constrained yatris.

Best time to visit

May to June and September to October when the temple is open; closed November to April due to heavy snow; avoid July and August monsoon when landslides are frequent; the temple closes for winter on Bhai Dooj after Diwali.

How to reach

Fly to Dehradun Jolly Grant (DED) 238 km from Gaurikund; nearest railhead Haridwar (HW) or Rishikesh (RKSH), then road to Sonprayag 207 km; from Sonprayag, shared jeep to Gaurikund 5 km; from Gaurikund, 16 km trek or helicopter from Phata, Sersi or Guptkashi.

What to expect

Sixteen kilometre uphill Himalayan trek through alpine meadows, six century old stone temple at 3583 metres, conical Jyotirlinga representing Shiva buffalo hump, Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi, Bhairavnath temple, glacial streams and snow peaks, hot sulphur springs at Gaurikund, sandhya arati in mountain air, optional helicopter shortcut, vegetarian high altitude satvic meals.