Kedarnath
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Cleanup rewrite Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Infobox settlement Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86.5 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarters. Kedarnath is the most remote of the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is located in the Himalayas, about Template:Convert above sea level near the Chorabari Glacier, which is the source of the Mandakini River. The town is flanked by snow-capped peaks, most prominently the Kedarnath Mountain. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund about 16 km away. The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from the flash floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Etymology
The name "Kedarnath" means "the Lord of the Field". It is derived from the Sanskrit words kedara ("field") and natha ("lord"). The text Kashi Kedara Mahatmya states that it is so-called because "the crop of liberation" grows here.<ref name="Diana_2013">Template:Cite book</ref>
History
Kedarnath is a pilgrimage site or tirtha dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. It is one of the four pilgrimage spots that form a part of the Uttarkhand Char Dham yatra or Chota Char Dham yatra.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The temple's construction is credited to the Pandava brothers mentioned in the Mahabharata.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, the Mahabharata does not mention any place called Kedarnath. One of the earliest references to Kedarnath occurs in the Skanda Purana (c. 7th-8th century), which names Kedara (Kedarnath) as the place where Shiva released the holy waters of Ganga from his matted hair, resulting in the formation of the Ganges River.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Acharyas rebuilt the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand under the guidance of Adi Shankaracharya. According to the hagiographies based on Madhava's Sankshepa-Shankara-Vijaya, the 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya died near the Kedarnath mountains; although other hagiographies, based on Anandagiri's Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya, state that he died at Kanchipuram. The ruins of a monument marking the purported resting place of Adi Shankaracharya are located at Kedarnath.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Kedarnath was a prominent pilgrimage centre by the 12th century when it is mentioned in Kritya-kalpataru written by the Gahadavala minister Bhatta Lakshmidhara.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Location
Kedarnath is located at a distance of 223 km from Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and close to the source of the Mandakini River at the height of Template:Convert above sea level.<ref name=abram>Template:Cite book</ref> The township is built on a barren stretch of land on the shores of Mandakini River. Behind the town and the Kedarnath Temple, stands Kedarnath peak at Template:Convert, the Kedar Dome at Template:Convert and other peaks of the range.<ref name=abram/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Demographics
As of the 2011 India census,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kedarnath has a population of 830. Males constitute 99% of the population and females 1%.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Kedarnath has an average literacy rate of 63%: male literacy is 63%, and female literacy is 36%. Out of total population, 604 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 601 were males while 3 were females.<ref name=":0" /> In Kedarnath, none of the population is under six years of age. The floating population from May to October every year is more than 5000 per day with the pilgrim influx rising up to 10 lakhs in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Climate
The Kedarnath Temple is closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. For six months, from November to April, the palanquin with the Utsava Murti (Idol) of Kedarnath and of the Madhyamaheshwar Temple is brought to the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, near Guptakashi. Priests and other summer-time residents also move to nearby villages to cope with the winter. Around 360 families of the Tirtha Purohit of 55 villages and other nearby villages are dependent on the town for livelihood.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, Kedarnath's climate is monsoon-influenced subarctic climate (Dwc), bordering a uniform rainfall subarctic climate (Dfc) with mild, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.
2013 flash floods
On 16 June 2013, at approximately 7:30 P.M., a landslide occurred near the Kedarnath Temple. On 17 June 2013 at approximately 6:40 a.m., water began to rush down from the Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar, bringing along with its flow, a huge amount of silt, rocks, and boulders. A large boulder got stuck behind the Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the flood. The floodwater gushed on both sides of the temple, destroying everything in its path.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since it occurred in the middle of the pilgrimage season, the torrential rains, cloud bursts, and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the town of Kedarnath.<ref name="economist.com">Template:Cite news</ref> Thousands of people were killed, and thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the Kedarnath Temple were destroyed, the temple itself survived.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The rescue operation resulted in more than 100,000 people being airlifted with the help of mainly the Private Helicopter Operators, who began the rescue mission voluntarily without any clear directives from the State Government or the Ministry of Defence. The Indian Army and Indian Air Force helicopters arrived much after the Private Helicopter Operators had already begun the massive air-rescue mission. The NDRF represented by a commandant, and another junior officer arrived at the 'right-ridge' of the town bordering the Mandakini River with more men and supplies being brought in the next day. The Indian Army later launched a massive rescue effort. A Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter, each, of the private helicopter operators - Prabhatam Aviation & Simm Samm Aviation, were lost during the rescue mission without any reported casualties. An Indian Air Force helicopter (Mil Mi-17) also crashed, killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The Air Force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.<ref name="economist.com" /> It was reported that previously uncollected bodies were still being found one year after the tragedy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Flood-proof infrastructure plan
After the floods, the Government of India decided to provide a flood-free infrastructure plan for the town. This involves:
- Development of the retaining wall and ghats on the Mandakini River
- Development of the retaining wall and ghats on the Sarasvati River
- Construction of the main approach to the Kedarnath Temple
- Development of the Adi Shankaracharya Kutir and Museum
- Development of houses for the Kedarnath Teerth Purohits
The foundation stone for the plan was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2017.
Places of interest
Other than the Kedarnath Temple, on the eastern side of the town is Bhairavnath Temple,<ref name=abram/> and the deity of this temple, Bhairavnath, is believed to protect the town during the winter months. About 6 km upstream from the town, lies Chorabari Tal, a glacier-lake also called Gandhi Sarovar.<ref name=abram/> Near Kedarnath, there is a cliff called Bhairav Jhamp.<ref name=abram/> Other places of interest include the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi, and Rudra meditation cave.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Kedarnath in the 1860s, with the temple being the prominent structure.
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Lord Bhairavnath is considered as the Protector God of the area
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The Kedarnath Temple in 2014, one year after the floods.
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The Mandakini River on the bank of the town
See also
References
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (Template:ISBN) by Anna Dhallapiccola
External links
Template:Jyotirlinga temples Template:Hindu holy cities Template:Rudraprayag district