Snippets of Information
Temples in Uttarakhand
Locations in Uttarakhand
* 22 Jan 2024
Located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand are five revered shrines
where Lord Shiva is worshipped. Collectively known as Panch Kedar (panch
in Hindi means five), these temples are Kedarnath, Madhmaheshwar,
Tungnath, Rudranath, Kalpnath. According to mythology, there are several
renditions behind the formations of these five sites. As per popular
belief, during one of the ages described in the ancient Hindu
scriptures, the Pandava princes (characters from the Hindu epic
Mahabharata) were advised to worship Lord Shiva in Uttarakhand as
penance for the bloodshed caused in the war as mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata. The legend goes that Lord Shiva was hiding from the
Pandavas by taking the form of a buffalo but was identified by Bhima,
one of the five Pandava brothers. On being recognised, the deity
disappeared and manifested himself in five different locations in the
Himalayas. It is said the each of these sites is dedicated to a part of
the Lord - Kedarnath (the hump of Lord Shiva), Madhmaheshwar (His belly
button), Tungnath (His arms), Rudranath (His face), Kalpeshwar (His jata
or hair)
Source: uttarakhandtourism.gov.in
After the Kurukshetra War, the Pandavas wanted to do prayaschitta for
killing so many people in battle. They went to the Himalayas in search
of Shiva, who Arjuna had met there before. Shiva appeared before the
Pandavas in His Vrishabha (bull) Avatar.
But Shiva did not intend to make Himself easily accessible to the
Pandavas this time. He led them on a long and arduous chase through the
mountains of Garhwal, in which they went through much hardship and toil,
and He hid from them in a secret cave.
The Pandavas split up to search. Finally, after a difficult quest, it
was Bhima who found the Bull-Shiva in the hidden Tirtha known as
Guptakashi. Bhima caught hold of the Divine Bull with his superhuman
strength to stop him from running away again, but instead the bull sank
into the earth, melting out of Bhima’s grasp like wet sand dissolving.
Parts of the bull’s great body rose from the earth as stone Swayambhu
Shiva Lingas in different places throughout the region that is now
Uttarakhand. First the hump of the bull’s back rose at Kedarnath. Then
the navel and stomach of the bull arose at Madhyamaheshwar. Next the
forelegs of the bull arose at Tungnath. Then the face of the bull arose
in Rudranath. Last, the hair of the bull arose in Kalpeshwar.
The Pandavas understood that Shiva would not give them His complete
Darshan again, too tainted by the sin of mass slaughter were they. But
He had given them His grace in the form of these five Lingas. They built
temples around each of the five Lingas, and performed a Yagnya at
Kedarnath, the first and greatest of the five, for expiation of their
sins.
Temples are still present today at all five of these sites. Together
they are called the Panch Kedar, and form the main Shiva Yatra of
Uttarakhand, in the order given above: Kedarnath, Madhyamaheshwar,
Tungnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar. It is then customary at the end of the
Yatra to visit Badrinath Temple to get the blessings of Vishnu. One may
also visit any of these holy temples individually, even if not
performing the whole Panch Kedar Yatra.
Source: Mo-Anything - answered by Devala Rees (quora.com/profile/Devala-Rees)
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