Why Do Devotees Visit Kedarnath Temple Despite Harsh Conditions?

Kedarnath Temple is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Situated in the Himalayas at an altitude of 3583 meters, this temple has withstood many storms and floods. Kedarnath Temple is associated with Lord Shiva. Thousands of devotees every year visit this holy shrine during their journey of the Char Dham Yatra.

Kedarnath Temple has many mythological, historical, and faith-related stories attached to it. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The height at which this temple is situated exposes it to extreme floods and extreme weather conditions. Despite this, it has survived through some miraculous floods. The temple stands as a symbol of devotion and divine protection.

Why Do Devotees Visit Kedarnath Despite Harsh Conditions?

Despite the challenges of high altitude, unpredictable weather and trekking, thousands of devotees pay their respects to the Kedarnath Temple every year. Devotees believe visiting the Kedarnath Temple will help them remove their past life karmas, through which they will be able to find inner peace. The journey to Kedarnath Temple is spiritual. It includes a lot of trekking, crossing rivers and enduring challenging weather conditions. By overcoming all these challenges, devotees believe that they have come closer to Lord Shiva, freeing them from all the burdens of life.

Many devotees believe only those called by Lord Shiva are able to visit Kedarnath and get his blessings.

Visiting Kedarnath temple includes a lot of trekking, crossing rivers and enduring challenging weather conditions (Image: Pexels)

Kedarnath Temple Stories According to Legends

According to Hindu mythology, there are many stories related to the origin of the Kedarnath Temple. Some of them are :

Story from Mahabharata times: During the Mahabharata, the Pandavas, after winning the war against the Kauravas, were in absolute guilt. They wanted to seek forgiveness for their sins. So they started their journey to the Himalayas to seek Lord Shiva's blessings. However, Lord Shiva did not want to meet them so soon. So, he disguised himself as a bull and hid himself. But Bhima was able to recognise him, and he started running behind the bull to catch him. Trying to escape from him, the bull began to dive into the ground. Bhima was only able to manage to hold it’s hump. The spot where the hump of the bull was left behind became the Kedarnath Temple, where devotees worship the natural form of Shiva.

Story of Nara and Narayana: According to Hindu Mythology, Nara and Narayana were the twin incarnations of Lord Vishnu. For several years, they both meditated in the Himalayas. Seeing their extreme devotion, Lord Shiva appeared and asked them to make a wish. Nara and Naryana asked him to take permanent abode as a Jyotirling in Kedarnath. This is how the temple came into existence.

Story of Lingam: According to some legends, the lingam, a symbol of Lord Shiva at Kedarnath, is said to have naturally formed with the help of the 4 elements of the universe: air, water, fire and earth.

2013 Floods and Miracle of Bhim Shila

A major event took place in the year 2013. Due to extreme weather conditions, devastating floods struck the region. This disaster caused a lot of destruction, destroying many villages. Many people lost their lives as well. But what shocked everyone was that the Kedarnath Temple miraculously stood tall and strong. Not only this, but a boulder of rock rolled down the mountain and stopped just behind the temple. Because of this rock, the flood water was diverted, thus saving the temple from destruction. From then onwards, this rock has been called Bhim Shila, acting as a protective shield.

In 2013, Bhim Shila protected the temple from getting destroyed because of flood water (Image:Instagram/chaudharialok) 

The story of Kedarnath and its miracle still astonishes many people. Despite extreme weather conditions, thousands of devotees still trek to this pilgrimage to get the blessings of Lord Shiva in his divine form. Devotees believe that if any individual wants inner peace and wants to absolve their sins, then visiting the Kedarnath Temple is one of the best things anyone can do.