Rudranath

Legend and Mythology of the Panch Kedar Temples

Legends have a tendency to become twisted or split into numerous streams as they advance through the years. One of the most well-known legends involving the founding of Panch Kedar has to do with the Mahabharata era. The overwhelming guilt the Pandavas felt after killing their gurus and blood relations led them to seek Lord Shiva’s atonement.

Lord Shiva ignored their prayers because he was incensed by their behaviour and dishonesty on the battlefield. He concealed at Guptkashi in the Garhwal Himalayas by dressing as a bull. When the Pandavas arrived in the Garhwal region in search of Shiva, they immediately identified God Shiva as a bull. The bull dove into the dirt and disappeared as Bhim sought to grab it.

It is thought that this is how the place where Guptkashi (hidden kashi) received its name. At many locations in Garhwal, Shiva made a brief comeback. At Kedarnath, the hump rose; at Madhya-Maheshwar, the navel showed; at Rudranath, the face; at Tungnath, the arms; and at Kalpeshwar, the hair. At each of the five locations where the Lord manifested himself, the Pandavas erected temples. Panch Kedar is the collective name for these five locations.

Worship at The Rudranath Temple

A representation of Shiva is brought to Gopeshwar during the winter for worship. From Gopeshwar, the Doli Yatra travels via Sagar. The Doli Yatris travel via Panar and Lyuti Bugyal before arriving at Pitradhar. Here, ancestral worship is practised. The Doli, or representational figure of Shiva, next crosses Dhalabni Maidan and arrives at Rudranath. The Vandevi is worshipped here first. The locals think that Vandevi guards the region. The Vandevi or Vandevatas guard the Kshetra.

On the full moon day of the Hindu month of Sravan (July–August), which is primarily on the day of Rakshabandhan, the temple has an annual fair. Locals are the main attendees of the fair. Bhatts and Tiwaris of Gopeshwar, who perform rituals, decorate the lingam in the morning and take it down in the evening. It’s ideal to participate in the religious ceremony in the morning and leave feeling content. Most often, pilgrims take a bath in one of the nearby water tanks. Mana Kund, Surya Kund, Chandra Kund, and Tara Kund are these.

Rudranath Trekking Routes

Compared to the other Panch Kedar temples, Rudranath Temple is the most difficult to access, but the view of the magnificent Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Nanda Ghunti peaks makes the effort worthwhile. The trail offers breathtaking views of the Himalayas as it winds through untamed grassy meadows and dense woods.

To get to Rudranath, there are three alternative trek routes, and each one offers a different environment and level of beauty. Locals have a catchphrase for the Rudranath Trek that refers to its altitude course: "Rudranath ki Chadai, German ki Ladai."

To get to Rudranath Temple, there are three different Rudranath Trek routes that are available.

Trek Route 1 : From Helang – Urgam – Kalpeshwar – Dumak – Bansi Narayan – Panar – Rudranath

Trek Route 2 : From Sagar Village –  Liti Bugyal – Panar Bugyal – Pitradhar – Rudranath

Trek Route 3 : From Mandal Village – Anasuya Temple – Hansa Bugyal – Naola Pass – Rudranath

Suggested Rudranath Trekking Itinerary

Day 1 : Sagar Village-Rishikesh (Drive-215 km) Start your adventure at Rishikesh, and from there, take a taxi 210 kilometres to Gopeshwar. On the route to Rudranath, Gopeshwar is located, although it is recommended that you spend the night in Sagar Village, which is 5 km away.

Day 2 : Panar Bugyal, Sagar, and Pun Bugyal (Trek-12 km) The following morning, prepare your bag with the appropriate hiking gear. There will be a gate there; this is where the trek begins. You will arrive at Pun Bugyal after two hours. Eat breakfast there. Move forward in the direction of Panar Bugyal, where you will spend the second day. After travelling 4 to 6 kilometres from Pun Bugyal, you will reach Litti Bugyal, where you can have lunch. From here, it takes 3 hours to get to Panar Bugyal. Roll on Panar Bugyal’s softly carpeted grasses when you arrive. Set up your tents, then unwind.

Day 3 : Rudranath and Panar Bugyal (Trek- 8 km) Immediately after breakfast, depart towards Rudranath Temple. At a height of 7,138 metres above sea level, you may view the Chaukhamba peak. 8 kilometres separate Panar and the Rudranath shrine. After 2 hours of walking, you will reach Pitradhar, which is decorated with bells and flags. You can have breakfast at Naola Pass, which is about a mile downhill from here.

You will reach the Rudranath temple after travelling for around 4 kilometres and seeing it surrounded by foggy clouds. Take advantage of the favours from God and head back to Naola Pass before the weather changes – photography is not permitted here. There, you can pitch your tents and spend the night.

Day 4 : Rudranath-Mandal on Day 4 (Trek- 20 km) Get up early to begin the descent to Mandal village. When you arrive in Mandal, check into a hotel and spend the night there.

Day 5 : Rishikesh to Mandal Check out of the hotel and depart for Rishikesh after breakfast.

How to Reach Chamoli, Rudranath Location

In the Chamoli district of the state of Uttarakhand, at a height of 2,286 metres above sea level, stands the Rudranath Temple. The trekking trail travels through alpine meadows, deep canyons, and dense forest with a variety of flora and fauna. Where to Find Rudranath and How to Get There The distance from Saggar to Rudranath is 21 kilometres on foot. Sagar village is 5 kilometres separate from Gopeshwar. Due to the high terrain and lack of communities along the way, the Rudranath trek is rated as moderate. The ascent and descent to Rudranath are followed by a difficult ascent to Panar Bugyal.

By Air : Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is 258 kilometres away from Rudranath, is the closest airport to Rudranath. From the airport, cabs are available to take you to Gopeshwar or Saggar village. Daily flights connect Jolly Grant Airport to Delhi.

By Rail : At a distance of 241 kilometres, Rudranath is the closest railway station to Rishikesh. From the station, you can take a taxi or a bus up to Gopeshwar. Through the Indian Railways, Rishikesh is connected to the major cities in North India, and trains to Rishikesh run frequently.

By Road : From ISBT Kashmiri gate in New Delhi, you can take a bus to Rishikesh to get to Rudranath. There are buses and taxis that will take you to Gopeshwar from Rishikesh. A solid road connects it to the majority of Uttarakhand.

Best Time to Visit Rudranath

In Rudranath, summer is thought to be the ideal season or time to arrange a vacation. The area has pleasant weather during this time. Rudranath’s winters are frigid. Due to snow, the roads become impassable in the winter, making trekking impossible. Although the rain makes it difficult to get here during the monsoon season, devoted pilgrims can nevertheless complete their journey during this time.

Summer – In Rudranath, the summer months of April through June are regarded as the season. The temperature fluctuates from 13°C to 17°C throughout these months, and the weather continues to be extremely nice and temperate. The best time of year to visit Rudranath and other local sites is during the summer.

Monsoon – In Rudranath, the monsoon season lasts from July to September. The lovely land of Rudranath receives typical rainfall throughout these months, which refreshes it. Many people still believe that now is the greatest time to visit, despite the fact that the rains make getting about fairly difficult.

Winter – Rudranath experiences frigid winters, and the area is blanketed with thick snowfall. The season runs from October until February. Heavy snowfall during these months blocks the roads, which limits visitation.

Pooja in Rudranath Temple

The priests at the Rudranath temple are Bhatts and Tiwaris of Gopeshwar village. Every morning priest perform the Shingar to the idol of Lord Shiva and decorates as a face and removed in the evening.

Rudranath Opening and Closing Timings

Opening of Rudranath: The Doli Yatra starts from Gopeshwar and pilgrims cross Liti Bugyal and Panar and finally reach Pitradhar. Then, after crossing Dhalabni Maidan, the Doli or the symbolic image of Shiva, reaches Rudranath. Here first the Vandevi is worshipped as local belief is that Vandevi protects the area.

During winters, a symbolic image of Shiva is brought to Gopeshwar for worship

Festivals of importance in Chamoli District

Raksha-Bandhan, which occurs on the final day of Sravana, is customarily connected to the Brahmanas. On this day, Karnaprayag and Nandprayag both host fairs.

The celebration of Janmastami, which commemorates Krishna’s birth, takes place on the eighth day of Bhadra’s dark half. Like in other regions of Uttarakhand, believers in Chamoli observe a daylong fast, breaking it only at midday when crowds of people gather outside of temples to get a glimpse of the shrines and cradles that have been installed, embellished, and lit up in homes and other locations to celebrate the deity’s birth. At Nagnath, Badrinath, the event is enthusiastically observed.

Nearby Attractions

Devotees worship antique historical swords sticking out of the rocks at Nandikund (2,439 m or 8,002 ft), on the trekking path to Rudranath (if travelling through Madmaheshwar). These swords are thought to be of the Pandavas.

Near the temple, there are many "Kunds," or holy water tanks. These include Mana-Kund, Tara-Kund, Chandra-Kund, and Surya-Kund. The well-known mountain peaks that frame the shrine are Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Nanda Ghunti. Near the temple, which houses an idol of Rudranath made of grey stone, flows the holy river Vaitarani, Baitarani, or Rudraganga. The river is referred to as the "river of salvation," through which the souls of the deceased pass to enter the afterlife. As a result, worshippers travel to Rudranath to carry out funeral rites like making a pind offering.

Some people think that making an offering to your ancestors here is equivalent to making an offering to Gaya’s sacred city of 100,000,000. From Rudranath, one can see Trisul, Nanda Devi, Devasthan, Hathi Parbat, and Nanda Ghunti.

Temple of Madhyamaheshwar

There are several Panch Kedar temples nearby. It is the location of Lord Shiva’s navel worship. It is located 3289 metres above sea level. Tourists can find other sites close to the temple, Kali Temple being one of them. Additionally, Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, and Neelkanth peaks may be seen from here.

Kalpeshwar

One of the Panch Kedar is Lord Shiva’s hair, which is adored in the Kalpeshwar Temple. The location of the temple is close to Rudranath.

Nandikund

According to legend, Lord Shiva’s Nandi bull used to sip water from Nandikund. This lake is hence dedicated to Lord Shiva. This lake’s water is extremely chilly. Additionally, the lake mirrors the Chaukhamba peak and feeds the Madhyamaheshwar Ganga.

Panar Bhugyal

You can experience the beauty of a flower-filled meadow at this location. Also accessible are neighbouring waterfalls and temples.

Pitradhar

The location is at a height of 4000 metres above sea level. Here, you will see a stunning picture of a valley and cliffs with irregularly shaped rocks.

What is Rudranath Temple famous for?

• The Rudranath Temple is the third location in the chronology of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, which includes five notable temples in the Garhwal region. In this way this temple is easily accessible to those visiting the Char Dham and Panch Kedar both as Kedarnath is past of both of the circuits.
• This Rudranath temple holds a very significant spot in Hindu mythology and states that the Pandavas built this temple. These Mahabharata brothers travelled to the Himalayas in quest of Shiva following the battle of Kurukshetra.
• The Rudranath trek is among the difficult adventures that worshippers and explorers might do to get to the shrine. Depending on your tastes and how you want to explore the area, you can choose the trek path. The pastoral and clean environs of the area are evident along the path to the temple.
• According to the Hindu calendar, the yearly celebration is held on the full moon day of the Sravan month, which falls in the months of July or August. During the event, a sizable fair is held that exudes a lovely local spirit. The ceremonies are carried out by the Gopeshwar village’s Bhatts and Tiwaris, who serve as the temple’s priests. At Nandikund, which is on the hike to the temple, a special puja is held. On this day, devotees worship the historical swords that stick out of the rocks and are thought to be Pandava swords.

Visit During Char Dham Yatra

Chamoli, the district of “Garhwal’’ the land of forts. Today’s Garhwal was known as kedar-khand in the past. In puranas kedar-khand was said to be the abode of God. At 3,584 metres above sea level, the Kedarnath temple is surrounded by breathtaking snow-capped mountains and dense woods. It is located in the Rudraprayag area of Uttarakhand and is one of the most well-known Panch Kedar temples. A Shiva lingam with a conical shape, known as the hump of Shiva, is kept in the temple.

Adi Shankaracharya is credited with founding the current temple, which was constructed of grey stone slabs, in the eighth or ninth century. Gaurikund is the closest motorable road to Kedarnath. Then, a 14 km-long hike is required to get to the shrine. Even though the route is primarily steep, it passes through beautiful scenery, which lifts travellers’ spirits at all times.

Although every location in Uttarakhand is picturesque, Chamoli is one of those locations where you can find both spirituality and calm in addition to eye-catching natural beauty. Because the Chamoli people are deeply rooted in their heritage, you may see traces of it in their day-to-day activities. The city exhibits its extensive history and has a wide variety of flora and animals. One of the rare locations where you may unwind over the weekend in the Himalayas is here. When travelling, Chamoli, which is connected to NH-58, is a great place to stop because it has plenty of inexpensive lodging options.

The Chamoli city precinct earns five stars since it is close to several well-known tourist attractions in the Garhwal region, including the Badrinath temple, Auli, Hemkund, Valley of Flowers, Gopinath temple, Tungnath, Chopta, and Ukhimath. Additionally, the view of Gopeshwar city at night from Chamoli is breathtaking.