Panch Kedar Trek

Duration : 20 Night's - 21 Day's 
Delhi - Haridwar - Rishikesh - Guptkashi - Kedarnath - Madhmaheshwar - Gaundhar - Jagasu - Tungnath - Ukhimath - Ansuya Devi - Rudranath - Rudraprayag - Helang - Kalpeshwar - Helang - Rudraprayag - Rishikesh.

• Difficulty : Medium
• Season : May to October
• Daily walking time : 4h to 7h

The trek of "Panch Kedar" (the five sacred pilgrimages to Shiva), are all located in the same region between Kedarnath and Badrinath, or more exactly south of the line joining these two sources of Ganges. The term Kedar refers to rock formations or glacial moraines. The legend of the five Kedar took place at the time of the Pandavas heroes in the epic of the Mahabharata. During the battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas were defeated and killed their cousins the Kauravas. In order to atone for this act which could be considered as a fratricide, they trusted their kingdom to a regent and went in search of Shiva for his blessing. But assuming the form of the bull Nandi, Shiva hid in the mountains of Garhwal to avoid them, because he found that their crime was too awful. The Pandavas saw this bull and one of the brother, Bhima recognized him as Lord Shiva, he grabbed it by the tail and hind legs. Immediately the bull disappeared into the ground to reappear in five temples at five different locations. The bump reappeared in Kedarnath, the arms in Tunganath, the navel and belly in Madhyamaheshshar and the face and skull in Rudranath and Kalpeshwar.

The Pandavas built five temples in these five places and were absolved from their fault. The legend also says that a part of Shiva was manifested at Pashupatinath in Nepal in Kathmandu. After building the temples, the Pandavas made sacrifices to fire and reached liberation. The trek of Panch Kedar passes through these five temples. In Kedarnath is the source of the river Mandakini. The lingam is in the shape of the hump of a bull. In Madhmaheshwar, at a height of 3500m and at the foot of the Chaukhamba Peaks, it takes the form of the navel. In Tungnath where appeared the arm is the highest temple in Garhwal, 3810m above sea level and one of the most beautiful belvedere of the region. Rudranath is the location of Shiva’s face and is worshipped in a cave temple. To reach Rudranath, we must go through meadows and forests to a pass at a height of 4 000m. Kalpeshwar is located in the beautiful valley of Urgam and Shiva’s skull is worshiped there in a cave temple.