Kedarnath — Lord of the Field

vahana: "Nandi (sacred bull)" sacred_colours:

• saffron
• white
• gold sacred_flowers:
• lotus
• tulasi
• jasmine sacred_flowers:
• lotus
• tulasi
• champaka sacred_trees:
• peepal
• bilva (bael)
• tulasi sacred_animals:
• Nandi (sacred bull)
• peacock
• elephant sacred_colours:
• saffron
• white
• gold vahana: "Nandi (sacred bull)" primary_scriptures:
  • title: "Skanda Purana — temple kshetra mahatmya" type: "purana" festival_dates:
• "Maha Shivaratri (Feb–Mar)"
• "Diwali (Oct–Nov)"

Kedarnath Temple — The Abode in the Snow

Survival Against Nature

One of the Char Dham and Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites, at 11,755 feet near the Mandakini river. The temple is built of massive stone slabs that have survived earthquakes and glacier movements. In the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, the temple miraculously withstood a wall of water and boulders that destroyed everything around it.

The Mobile Deity

The temple is closed for six winter months; the deity is carried in a palanquin to Ukhimath, where worship continues — one of the few examples of a mobile divine residence in Hinduism. This practice reflects the practical challenges of Himalayan worship.

Adi Shankara's Legacy

Tradition attributes the temple to Adi Shankaracharya, who is said to have established the Kedarnath shrine as part of his mission to revive Hinduism. The samadhi (memorial) behind the temple is believed to mark his final resting place.