Kedarnath Temple: Legends associated with the divine!

Mumbai: In India temples are not only places of worship but are also considered to be the place where one’s spirit is intertwined with the universe. Every temple has its own significance and legends associated with it. They say that one cannot count the number of temples India has, as according to a Tamil proverb ‘Don’t live in a town where there is no temple’. Hence, India has innumerable temples. 

Many famous temples are situated in the south of India ranging from Meenakshi to Virupaksha, Venkateswara to Ramanathaswamy and Vitthala temple to name a few. As for the north of India, one of the most visited and popular temples is the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand which was revived by Adi Sankaracharya in 2000 BC.

It is believed that several yogis and sages have visited here over a period of 1000 years and that these yogis who dismantle their routine life, have by absorbing the spiritual light given out positive energy in abundance. That is why when a person visits this temple, his/her energy is synchronised with the temple's energy and one is then able to feel the oneness with God. 

Lord Shiva or the life-giving energy is the reason why Kedarnath temple is a mixture of universal energies. According to the legend, after the Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas wanted to get rid of their sins as they had killed their own kin. They set on a pilgrimage and reached Kedarnath to seek forgiveness from Shiva.

However, Lord Shiva didn’t want them to suffer for some time. Hence he disguised himself as a bull. While trying to escape, the Pandavas tried to stop him and in the process, the Bull’s body parts got separated- Forehead is Pashupatinath in Nepal, the hump is Kedarnath, the two forelegs are Tunganath, which is on the way to Kedarnath, The navel is Manipura linga in Madhyameshwar and the locks of it are Kalpeshwar in Garhwal Himalayas. 

Being one of the best Shivasthalams in India, people from all over the world visit Kedarnath to wash away all their sins and start afresh. People also pray in this mystical place to fulfill all their desires.