Unlocking the Secrets: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Kedarnath Trip Plan
Last Updated: November 27, 2023
Embark on an exploration of the comprehensive Kedarnath trip plan, covering essential details such as the opening and closing dates of Kedarnath’s gate, transportation options, and recommended hotels. If you’re eager to plan your visit, let’s dive into the details.
Shri Kedarnath Temple
According to the Puranas (the vast genre of Indian literature), Shiv Ji appeared as a Jyotirlingam in twelve places to protect the earth. Kedarnath Temple (Shri Kedarnath Dham) is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams. It is also one of the four dhams of Uttarakhand and one of the Panch Kedar. Panch Kedar includes Kedarnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar, Madhyamaheshwar, and Tungnath. Kedarnath temple is located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.
Opening and Closing Time of Kedarnath
The gate of Kedarnath temple remains open for devotees six months a year and remains closed for six months due to heavy snowfall in winter. The Kedarnath temple is surrounded by the Chaurabari glacier. The temple is situated in the middle of the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers. The origin of the Mandakini river is the Chaurabari Kund.
The height of the Kedarnath temple is 3,553 meters above sea level. Darshan (visit) of Shiv Ji can be done from 5:00 to 2:00 in the morning and from 3:00 to 9:00 in the evening. The temple is built in the katyuhari style. The temple is constructed of brownstones. The scaffold of the temple is made of wood. A gold Kalash (urn) is placed at its peak. There is a hall inside the temple that has portraits of Ma Parvati, Pandavas, and Draupadi. Shivalinga is worshipped in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. There is a Nandi made of stone near the door. Before the 2013 disaster, there was a statue of Shankaracharya, which was swept away in the water.
The doors of the Kedarnath temple will open on May 17, 2021, at 5:00 AM. Panchamukhi idol of Shiv Ji will be worshipped at Omkareshwar temple located in Ukhimath on May 13-morning. On May 14, Panchmukhi doli (palanquin) will be brought to Guptkashi from Omkareshwar and Fata from Guptkashi. On the night of May 14, the devotees will take a rest in Fata. On May 15, Doli will come to Gaurikund from Fhata.
On May 16, Doli will be carried from Gaurikund to Kedarnath.Kedarnath is about 16 kilometers from Gaurikund. On May 17, the doors of the temple will open to devotees. From Ukhimath to Kedarnath, devotees take the doli on foot. Kedarnath is 60 Km from Ukhimath. Due to heavy snowfall in winter, the doors of Kedarnath will be closed on November 6, 2021, on the occasion of Bhai Dooj.
How to Reach Kedarnath?
There are many ways to reach Kedarnath:
By Air
Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport to reach Kedarnath. The distance of Kedarnath is 283 Km from Jolly Grant Airport. It is connected to cities such as Delhi and Bangalore. After arriving at the airport, the next destination is Sonprayag. One can enjoy a ride by car or bus to reach this destination via Rishikesh, Srinagar, and Rudraprayag. No car or bus goes ahead from Sonprayag. You will have to park your car right here. After this, one has to go to Gaurikund in a local taxi. Gaurikund is 5 Km from Sonprayag. The 16 Km trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath starts from here.
By Railway Route
The nearest railway stations to reach Kedarnath are Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Dehradun. Sonprayag is closer to the Rishikesh railway station than Haridwar and Dehradun. Roadways buses, private buses, and cars are available from Rishikesh to Sonprayag.
Distance from Rishikesh railway station to Sonprayag (210 Km)
Distance from Haridwar railway station to Sonprayag (230 Km)
Distance from Dehradun Railway Station to Sonprayag (250 Km)
By Road
Rishikesh, Haridwar, Pauri, or Dehradun bus stations can be reached by bus from Kashmiri Gate Bus Station in Delhi. Sonprayag can be reached from any of these bus stations by taking another bus. From Sonprayag, a local taxi is taken to Gaurikund.
By Helicopter
Dehradun to Kedarnath — The helicopter departs from the Shastradhara helipad in Dehradun and reaches Fata in an hour. Passengers have to change the helicopter in Fata to reach Kedarnath.
Guptkashi to Kedarnath (₹6000 for round trip)
Fhata to Kedarnath (₹6000 for round trip)
Sirsi to Kedarnath (₹6000 for round trip)
Upon reaching Gaurikund, devotees take a bath in the hot kund (furrow). It is believed that bathing in a hot pool in Gaurikund eliminates all diseases. There is a temple of Gauri Ma in Gaurikund where devotees visit. Devotees prefer to travel on foot from Gaurikund, but there are many facilities for those who cannot go on foot. The mule rides fare is around ₹2500, and the pithu rides expense is from ₹5000 to ₹6000.
Hotels in Kedarnath
One can see government tents in Kedarnath having ten beds in a tent. The charge of a single person stay is ₹300 in the tent. A room in the hotel having two beds rate from ₹1500 to ₹2000.
Devotees visit Kedarnath in excessive amounts in May and June. During this time, there is a large crowd. Therefore the hotel and food are also expensive. September to October is supposed to be the best season to visit Kedarnath due to less crowd and low-cost hotel and food. It is also the best time to see Shiv Ji.
Works Cited
1. Attribution to the featured image for this post: Deep. Kedarnath Temple trek. Pixahive 20 Nov. 2020, https://pixahive.com/photo/photo/kedarnath-temple-trek/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.
