India · Uttarakhand
Kedarnath
The highest of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines at 3,583 m — one of the four Char Dhams, the Kedarnath Temple (8th century), the Mandakini glacier valley, and the epic Himalayan trek.
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- Route
Best seasonMay to June (opening season, clear skies, manageable crowds) and September to October-November (pre-closing, post-monsoon clarity, smaller queues); closed November to April (heavy snow)
- Vibe
- Himalayan Jyotirlinga at 3,583 m — Char Dham Yatra, Mandakini river, glacier wilderness
- Best season
- May to June (opening season, clear skies, manageable crowds) and September to October-November (pre-closing, post-monsoon clarity, smaller queues); closed November to April (heavy snow)
- Transit hubs
- Gaurikund (roadhead) is 30 km from Rudraprayag; nearest airport Jolly Grant (DED) Dehradun 250 km; Helicopter services from Phata, Guptkashi (book months ahead on government portal); 16-km trek from Gaurikund
- Vegetarian highlight
- Hot khichdi and chai at the GMVN rest house at the top; sattvic puri-aloo and dal at the Gaurikund dharamsala kitchens; temple prasad (rice, ghee, and tulsi — the basic Kedarnath offering)
- Pulse
- Helicopter booking for Kedarnath sells out within hours of the portal opening (60 days ahead) — book instantly at the official IRCTC helicopter portal; trek carries unlimited pilgrims but pack in May-June
Known for
- kedarnath jyotirlinga
- char dham
- himalayan temple
- high altitude
- shiva shrine
- glacier wilderness
- kedarnath trek
Kedarnath
About Kedarnath
Kedarnath, at 3,583 m in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, is the holiest Shiva shrine in the Himalaya and one of the four Char Dhams of the Uttarakhand pilgrimage circuit (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath).
- The Kedarnath Temple — one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva — is an ancient stone structure believed to have been built by the Pandavas (and according to a more historical reading, revived in the 8th century CE by Adi Shankaracharya, who established the shrine's current administrative structure; by tradition he attained mahasamadhi at Kedarnath, and a samadhi memorial stands immediately behind the temple).
- The temple's setting is almost impossibly dramatic: it stands directly below the Kedarnath mountain (6,940 m), its back wall touching the glacier, on a flat meadow above the Mandakini river gorge that it shares with only a few dharamsalas and ashrams — at 3,583 m, it is among the highest temples in India open to public pilgrimage.
- The temple is open from May to October-November (the precise dates shift annually based on the Uttarakhand government and the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temples Committee — check official portals before planning).
- The standard approach is the 16-km trek from Gaurikund (the roadhead at 1,982 m, where Gauri Devi Temple and natural hot springs mark the starting point), taking 5-8 hours on foot; a pony, palki (palanquin), or helicopter (from Phata or Guptkashi) are the alternatives.
- The 2013 Kedarnath disaster (cloud-burst flood, estimated 6,000+ deaths) resulted in a complete rebuild of the pilgrimage infrastructure; the new Kedarnath Dham development project has dramatically expanded the ghats, paved paths, and facilities around the temple.
- For vegetarian travellers, the pilgrimage route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is served by a complete chain of tea-and-snack stalls and basic bhojnalayas at every stopping point (every 2 km); the food is simple, sattvic, and warm — puri-aloo, khichdi, dal-chawal, and hot chai are the staples.
- The GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) tourist rest houses at Kedarnath itself serve basic vegetarian meals. Open May to October-November only.
Plan your visit
Turn this into a trip — pick a multi-day route, hop to a nearby city, or ask our guide for a custom all-vegetarian plan.