Kedarnath - Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga

• Meditation:
- Shiva: I meditate on Lord Shiva abiding in Kedarnath as Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga.
- Adi Shankara: I meditate on Sri Adi Shankara leaving his earthly abode from Kedarnath and merging with the Lord.
- Sages and Saints: I meditate on the Sages and Saints meditating in the Kedarnatha Kshetra.
- River Mandakini: I meditate on the holy river Mandakini flowing through Kedarnath.

वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यंबकं गौतमीतटे ।
हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ॥
- Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotra - verse 3 (Kedarnath has the Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga)

• Kedarnath has a Jyotirlinga (Linga of Jyoti) [Somanatha, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwara, Omkareshwara, Kedarnatha, Bhimashankara, Vishwanatha, Tryambakeshwara, Vaidyanatha, Nageshwara, Rameshwara, Grishneshwara] [Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga]

• Kedarnath is a Uttarakhand Char Dham (4 sacred pilgrimages in Uttarakhand) [Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri]

• Kedarnath is one of the Pancha Kedar (Five Kedars) [Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, Kalpeshwar]

• Kedarnath is a Paadal Petra Sthalam (Glorified by Nayanmars)

• Kedarnath is primarily a Shiva Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Shiva):
- Lord Shiva abides in Kedarnath as a Jyotirlinga (Linga of Jyoti) [Somanatha, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwara, Omkareshwara, Kedarnatha, Bhimashankara, Vishwanatha, Tryambakeshwara, Vaidyanatha, Nageshwara, Rameshwara, Grishneshwara] [Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga].
- Lord Shiva blessed sages Nara-Narayana who performed penance in Kedarnath and abided there as a Jyotirlinga for their worship (Kedarnatha Jyotirlinga).

• Kedarnath is also a Sant Sthalam (Place of Saints):
- Sri Adi Shankaracharya (788 - 820 CE?) left the earthly abode from Kedarnath. There is a samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath. (Shankaracharya Samadhi)

► Kedarnath - Kedarnath Temple
(Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand)

Kedarnath Temple is identified with the Kedarnath Jyotirlinga mentioned in the Shiva Purana.

► Pancha Kedars
Kedarnath is one of the Pancha Kedars associated with the legend of the Pandavas. 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. The Pancha Kedars are:
(1) Kedarnath (Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand): The Hump of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.
(2) Tunganath (Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand): The Arms of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.
(3) Rudranath (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand): The Face of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.
(4) Madhyamaheshwar (Garhwal district, Uttarakhand): The Navel of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.
(5) Kalpeshwar (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand): The Hairs of the Bull form of Lord Shiva appeared here.

► Gauri Kund
Devi Parvati performed penance at Gauri Kund (the base camp for the 14 km trek to Kedarnath Temple) to marry Lord Shiva.

► Triyuginarayan
Lord Shiva was pleased with her penance and appeared before her. The divine marriage of Shiva-Parvati took place at Triyuginarayan (5 km from Gauri Kund) in the presence of Lord Vishnu. There is a temple of Lord Vishnu at Triyuginarayan where an Akhand Dhuni keeps burning. It is said that the Dhuni is burning from the time of the marriage of Shiva-Parvati in Satya yuga.

► Sonprayag
Sonprayag is the confluence of rivers Vasuki Ganga and Mandakini. Sonprayag is around 5 km from Gauri Kund.

► Mundkatiya Ganesha
Devi Parvati kept Ganesha as guard during her bath. When Lord Shiva came there to meet Devi Parvati, Ganesha did not allow him to enter the place. In anger Lord Shiva cut off the head of Ganesha. On the request of Devi Parvati, Lord Shiva revived Ganesha with an elephant's head. There is a Mundkatiya Ganesha Temple, 3 km from Sonprayag which is said to be the place where this incident took place. A headless image of Sri Ganesha is worshipped in this temple. Sonprayag is around 5 km from Gauri Kund.