The belly of Shiva "Madhyamaheshwar" -- in a picturesque green valley surrounded by snow peaks of Chaukhamba.

The belly of Shiva "Madhyamaheshwar" -- in a picturesque green valley surrounded by snow peaks of Chaukhamba.

Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Mansuna village of Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Situated at an elevation of 3,497 m, it is the fourth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples, one of the picturesque spots, provides spectacular views of the Himalayan range of hills in the entire Garhwal region, comparable to the Alps. The other temples in the circuit include: Kedarnath, Tungnath and Rudranath to be visited before Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar to be visited after Madmaheshwar. The middle (madhya) or belly part or navel (nabhi) of the bull, considered a divine form of Shiva, is worshipped at this temple, believed to be built by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

The temple in the north Indian style of architecture. In the current temple, a navel-shaped Shiva-lingam, made of black stone, is enshrined in the sanctum. The water from the temple precincts is considered so highly sacred that even a few drops are stated to be adequate for ablution. The worship at this temple starts with a specified time period from the beginning of the summer months after the winter and lasts till October/November from start of the winter season when the temple precincts are not accessible due to snow conditions. During the winter period, the symbolic idol of the god is shifted with religious formalities to Ukhimath for continued worship. Priests at this temple, as in many other temples in the state, are from South India and at this particular temple they are called Jangamas of the Lingayat cast who hail from Mysore in Karnataka state. This induction of priests from outside the state enhances the cultural communications from one part of the country to the other. It is one of an important sacred pilgrimage centres of Shastrik (textual) importance categorized as Panchasthali (five places) doctrine. This doctrine has been determined on the basis of sectarian association, fairs and festivals, offerings to the deity, sacred declarations made by devotees and specific blessings sought from the god through prayers at different temples.

The temple is situated in a lush meadow, just below a high ridge. The older, so-called 'Vriddh-Madmaheshwar', 2 km away from Madmaheshwar, temple is a tiny blackened shrine on the ridge, which looks straight up at the commanding Chaukhamba peaks. One has to trek 2 kilometers up the steep ways through large moors and valleys and then would reach in a small lake, where a full Panoramic range of Himalayas consisiting of the peaks, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Neelkanth, Trishul, Kamet, Panchulli.

The temple is in a picturesque green valley surrounded by snow peaks of Chaukhamba (literal meaning is four pillars or peaks), Neel Kanth and Kedarnath in high Himalayan hill ranges. The Kedar hills, called the Kedar Massif, gives a spectacular view of the mountain formation with numerous glaciers which include the source of the Mandakini River. The region has rich flora and fauna, particularly the endangered species of Himalayan Monal pheasant and Himalayan Musk Deer (locally called Kasturi deer) in the Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary.