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**Kedarnath**
	Kedarnath
	Kedarnath Location of Kedarnath; in Uttarakhand and India
Coordinates	30°44′N 79°04′E / 30.73°N 79.07°E
Country	India
State	Uttarakhand
District(s)	Rudraprayag
Population	479 (2001)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area; • Elevation	; • 3,553 m (11,657 ft)

This article is about Kedarnath town. For the temple, see Kedarnath temple.

Kedarnath (Hindi: केदारनाथ) is a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks. Kedarnath hosts one of the holiest Hindu temples, the Kedarnath Temple, and is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims from all over the world, being one of the four major sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage.

Kedarnath is named after King Kedar who ruled in the Satya Yuga. He ruled the seven continents and was a very saintly king. He had a daughter named Vrinda who was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. She performed austerities for 60000 years. Because of her, the land is named Vrindavan.

[edit] Accessibility

There are 2 ways to reach Kedarnath: 1) By foot for a steep 14 km trek through a paved path (horses or palanquins are available for rent) from Gaurikund, which is connected by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and other known hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon regions in Uttarakhand 2) Through air travel. Recently government has started Pawan Hans Helicopter Service from Agastyamuni and Phata to Kedarnath. The fare is reasonable.

[edit] Overview

The Kedarnath Temple

The temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya (April end or first week of May) and closes on Bhai Duj (October end or 1st week of November) due to heavy snowfall and extreme cold weather during winter. Gaurikhund is 75 km from Rudraprayag. In between Rudraprayag and Kedarnath there are several places of pilgrimage such as Agastyamuni, Ukhimath, Phauli- Pasalat Devi Maa, Bamsu (Lamgoundi) Vanasur, Maa Kali at Kalimath, Trijugi Narayan (7 km from Son Prayag) (Where Lord Shankar got married to Goddess Parwati from when the fire of hawan kund is still alive) and Kashi Vishwanath at Guptakashi.

There are several guest houses in Kedarnath like Birla House, Sanjay Shukla Lodge, Maharastra Mandal, Kali Kamali Dharmasala etc. All of them have nominal charges and provide lodging as well as food.

In Kedarnath Udak Kund is located. It is written in Kedar Khand of Shiv Mahapuran that the water of Udak Kund is mixture of all the 5 Oceans and always remain fresh even when kept for many years. The holy water of Udak Kund is used for purification rituals. Hans Kund, Bharo Nath, Navdurga Mandir, Shankaracharya Samadhi, Ishaneswar Mahadev Temple, Ret Kund, Panch Ganga Sangam, Chaurwari Taal now known as Gandhi Sarowar, Bashuki Taal are also places to visit here.

[edit] Geography

Statue of Adi Shankara at his Samadhi Mandir in Kedarnath

Kedarnath is located at 30°44′N 79°04′E / 30.73°N 79.07°E / 30.73; 79.07.^[1] It has an average elevation of 3,553 metres (11,657 feet).

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[2] Kedarnath had a population of 479. Males constitute 98% of the population and females 2%. Kedarnath has an average literacy rate of 63%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 63%, and female literacy is 36%. In Kedarnath, 0% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Overview

During winter due to heavy snowfall, the Temple is closed and no one stays in Kedarnath. For six months (November to April) the Palki of Lord Kedarnath is transferred to a place near Guptakashi called Ukhimath. People shift their settlement too from Kedarnath to nearby villages. Around 360 families of Tirtha Purohit of 55 villages and other nearby villages are depend on Kedarnath.