Quick Answer

According to tradition, after the Kurukshetra war the Pandavas sought Lord Shiva to atone for the killing of kin. Shiva avoided them, taking the form of a bull in the Himalayas. Recognised by Bhima at Kedarnath, Shiva disappeared into the earth; his hump remained at Kedarnath and other parts appeared at the four other Panch Kedar temples.

This page presents religious tradition — the sacred narrative devotees have cherished for centuries. It is not presented as archaeologically verified history.

After the great war

The Mahabharata tells of the terrible war at Kurukshetra, in which the Pandavas defeated — and killed — their own cousins, teachers and elders. Victory brought the throne, but also unbearable grief. Tradition holds that the five brothers, with Draupadi, renounced their kingdom and journeyed toward the Himalayas seeking purification and the blessings of Lord Shiva.

Shiva avoids the Pandavas

Shiva, moved by the sorrow of the age, was unwilling to meet the warriors immediately. In the high meadows of Garhwal, tradition says, he took the form of a bull (Nandi’s form) and mingled with a herd grazing near what is now Guptkashi — the "hidden Kashi".

Bhima recognises the divine bull

The Pandavas were not deceived. Bhima, the strongest of the brothers, recognised the extraordinary bull and caught hold of it as it began to sink into the earth. The bull’s body divided: the hump remained at Kedarnath, where it is worshipped to this day as the Jyotirlinga.

The birth of the Panch Kedar

Tradition continues the story beautifully: the other parts of Shiva’s bull form appeared at four more Himalayan sites, together forming the Panch Kedar:

  • Kedarnath — the hump (पीठ)
  • Tungnath — the arms (बाहु)
  • Rudranath — the face (मुख)
  • Madhyamaheshwar — the navel/middle (नाभि)
  • Kalpeshwar — the hair/locks (जटा)

Pleased by the Pandavas’ devotion and persistence, Shiva finally appeared in his true form, blessed them, and freed them of their burden. The brothers then continued their final journey — the Mahaprasthana — toward the high Himalaya.

Why this story matters to pilgrims

For devotees, Kedarnath is where even the greatest warriors had to surrender their pride to find grace. The trek itself becomes a re-enactment: effort, humility and endurance rewarded by darshan. That is why pilgrims say one does not simply "visit" Kedarnath — one is called by Mahadev.

Illustrations of this narrative, where used on this site, are artistic representations, not historical records.