Kedarnath Temple

The Kedarnath Temple sits at 3,583 metres in the Garhwal Himalayas, near the head of the Mandakini river. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva, one of the Panch Kedar (five Shiva shrines of the Garhwal Himalayas), and one of the four Char Dham. The temple, built primarily of grey stone slabs, is attributed to the Pandavas, with re-consecration by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century — Shankaracharya's samadhi is said to be just behind the temple. Kedarnath is accessible only by foot, helicopter, or pony from Gaurikund — a 16-km uphill trek with elevation gain of 1,600 m. The 2013 North India floods devastated the town below the temple but left the temple itself remarkably intact (a single boulder, the 'Bhim Shila', diverted the floodwaters around the structure — devotees consider it a miracle). The temple complex was reconstructed and reopened in 2014. Like Badrinath, the temple is closed November–April; the deity is moved to Ukhimath for the winter. The Vasuki Tal trek and the Bhairavnath Temple are short side trips for those staying overnight.