Panch Kedar: The Five Sacred Kedar Temples of Uttarakhand

Tradition connects the origin of Panch Kedar to the Pandavas, who after the Mahabharata war sought Lord Shiva's forgiveness for the sin of killing their kinsmen. Shiva, to avoid them, is said to have taken the form of a bull and dived into the ground.

Different parts of his form are believed to have appeared at these five locations - the hump at Kedarnath, the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the navel and stomach at Madhyamaheshwar, and the hair, or jata, at Kalpeshwar.

Devotees who complete the Panch Kedar yatra believe they receive Lord Shiva's complete blessing, as each temple is said to represent worship of one part of his divine form.

The pilgrimage is also valued for taking devotees through some of the most serene and less-visited corners of the Himalayas, encouraging quiet devotion away from crowds.

Like Kedarnath, all five Panch Kedar temples are seasonal, opening in the summer months around April-May and closing before winter snow, typically around Diwali.

Tungnath, notably, is regarded as the highest Shiva temple in the world among these five, while Kalpeshwar remains open through the year as it is more accessible.

The Panch Kedar temples are spread across the Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand and are typically visited over several days from a base in Rishikesh or Rudraprayag, with treks of varying difficulty required to reach each shrine.

The nearest railway station for the region is Rishikesh, and the nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.

Devotees chant Om Namah Shivaya at each of the five shrines during this yatra. Simple meaning: salutations to Lord Shiva.

The Panch Kedar yatra reminds devotees that devotion often reveals itself gradually, part by part, much like the Lord's own form here - worship is an act of faith and love, not a transaction.