Frequently Asked Questions

Kedarnath is in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, at about 3,583 metres in the Garhwal Himalayas, beside the Mandakini river. The nearest trek base is Gaurikund.

Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, the highest of the Panch Kedar temples, and part of the Char Dham of Uttarakhand — making it one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites.

Yes. Kedarnath is counted among the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred shrines of Shiva, and is the northernmost and highest of them.

The original builders are unknown — no foundation inscription survives. Tradition credits the Pandavas with establishing the shrine and Adi Shankaracharya (c. 8th–9th century) with reviving the present temple.

That is the religious tradition, not a historically verified fact. The Pandava association is sacred narrative; the stone temple’s actual builders are unknown.

Tradition holds that after the Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas sought Shiva here for atonement. Shiva, as a bull, dived into the earth; his hump remained at Kedarnath and other parts appeared at the four other Panch Kedar temples.

Five Himalayan Shiva temples — Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar — where, by tradition, parts of Shiva’s bull form appeared to the Pandavas.

Gaurikund is the last motorable point and the base of the Kedarnath trek, named after Goddess Parvati (Gauri), who is traditionally said to have performed penance here.

Sonprayag is a river confluence town and the roadhead where private vehicles stop; official shuttle jeeps run from here to Gaurikund.

Triyuginarayan is a temple village near Sonprayag where tradition places the marriage of Shiva and Parvati; its eternal flame (akhand dhuni) is said to burn since that wedding.

A temple on a hill near Kedarnath dedicated to Bhairav, the fierce guardian form of Shiva, traditionally considered the protector of the Kedarnath valley, especially in winter.

Adi Shankaracharya (traditionally c. 788–820 CE) was the great philosopher of Advaita Vedanta, credited with reviving Himalayan pilgrimage centres including Kedarnath; his samadhi stands behind the temple.

Approximately 3,583 metres (about 11,755 feet) above sea level.

The Mandakini, a major tributary of the Alaknanda, which joins it at Rudraprayag.

The glacier above Kedarnath that feeds the Mandakini; its moraine lake (Gandhi Sarovar/Chorabari Tal) breached in the 2013 disaster.

Yes — of the Uttarakhand (Chhota) Char Dham with Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Badrinath is also part of the all-India Char Dham.

Roughly 460 km by road to Gaurikund (via Haridwar–Rudraprayag–Guptkashi), plus the ~16–18 km trek. Approximate only — verify route conditions.

About 230–240 km by road to Sonprayag/Gaurikund, then the trek. Usually 8–10 hours of driving.

About 215–225 km by road to the trek base, then ~16–18 km on foot.

Approximately 16–18 km on the paved trek route (post-2013 alignment).