The temple of Shri Kedarnath ji is situated on the peak named 'Kedar' of Mount Himalayas.

 

The Himalayas have been a place of asceticism for sages and deities for centuries. Great personalities gained spiritual power by doing penance here and increased the pride of India. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are famous in the name of Chardham in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand state. These shrines are precious gems shining in the head-crown of the country. Among them, the darshan of Shri Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines is of special importance. In relation to the Kedarnath Darshan coming in Dwadash (Twelve) Jyotirlinga in Kedarkhand, it is written that if a person travels to Badrinath region without seeing Shri Kedarnath, then his journey becomes fruitless ie futile -

अकृत्वा दर्शनं वैश्वय केदारस्याघनाशिन:।

यो गच्छेद् बदरीं तस्य यात्रा निष्फलतां व्रजेत्।।

The temple of Shri Kedarnath ji is situated on the peak named 'Kedar' of Mount Himalayas. The holy shrine of Lord Badri Vishal is situated on the banks of the Alaknanda River flowing in the east direction of this peak and Lord Shree Kedarnath sits on the banks of the holy Mandakini River in the west.

Alaknanda and Mandakini are the sacred confluence of both those rivers at Rudraprayag and from there they form a stream and then join the 'Bhagirathi-Ganga' at Devprayag. In Devprayag, Ganga comes out from the holy shrine 'Gangotri' of Uttarakhand. After Devprayag, the existence of Alaknanda and Mandakini merges into the Ganges and there, for the first time, Ganga flow on the flat earth of Haridwar.

After seeing Lord Kedareshwar Jyotirlinga, all the sins of human beings are destroyed by seeing Lord Nara-Narayan in Badri region. And he also gets salvation. The same intention is also expressed in the Koti Rudra Samhita of Shiva Purana-

तस्यैव रूपं दृष्ट्वा च सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते।

जीवन्मक्तो भवेत् सोऽपि यो गतो बदरीबने।।

दृष्ट्वा रूपं नरस्यैव तथा नारायणस्य च।

केदारेश्वरनाम्नश्च मुक्तिभागी न संशय:।।

The ancient temple of Kedareshwar Jyotirlinga was built by the Pandavas, which is situated at a height of 11750 feet of the mountain. According to scriptural evidence, 'Kedar' is the back part (part) of Mahish ie buffalo.

Jai Shri Kedarnath Mahadev