Pancha Kedar

5 Temples of Lord Shiva (in Uttarakhand) connected with the legend of the Pandavas.

Puranic Event: After the Mahabharata battle, the Pandavas wanted to atone the sin of killing their relatives. So they went to Kashi to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was disturbed by the acts of killings and dishonesty in the Mahabharata battle. So he avoided the Pandavas by leaving Kashi and going to Guptakashi (in the current Rudraprayag district) and abiding there secretly. When the Pandavas went to Guptakashi, they recognized Lord Shiva in the form of a bull. Bhima caught the bull by its tail and hind legs, but the bull disappeared inside the ground. Later, five different parts of the bull appeared in five different places which form the Pancha Kedars. The Pandavas built temples in these five places.

1. Kedarnath:

The Hump of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.

◍

• Shiva:
- Kedarnath Temple
- Bhairavnath Temple

• Sages: Sages associated with Kedarnath:

• Nara-Narayana:
- Kedarnath Temple

• Saints: Saints associated with Kedarnath:

○ Adi Shankaracharya (788 - 820 CE?):
- Shankaracharya Samadhi

(Kedarnath has the Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga)

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2. Tungnath:

The Arms of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.

◍ Tungnath Temple

Tungnath (3680 m)
(Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand)
☗ Ridge dividing rivers Mandakini and Alakananda
☗ Below Chandrashila peak

3. Rudranath:

The Face of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.

◍ Rudranath Temple

Rudranath (3600 m)
(Chamoli district, Uttarakhand)
☗ Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti provides backdrop
▬ River Vaitarini or Rudra-Ganga flows
◼ Surya Kund, Chandra Kund, Tara Kund

4. Madhyamaheshwar:

The Navel of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.

◍ Madhyamaheshwar Temple

Madhyamaheshwar (3497 m)
(Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand)
☗ Chaukhamba, Neel Kanth and Kedarnath provides backdrop

5. Kalpeshwar:

The Hairs of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.

◍ Kalpeshwar Temple

Kalpeshwar (2200 m)
(Chamoli district, Uttarakhand)
☗ Urgam Valley
◉ Alakananda - Kalpa-Ganga Sangam (Confluence)

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