Sitting majestically over the Himalayas at an altitude of 3583 meters (~11,755 feet), Kedarnath Temple has captured the imagination of Hindus for thousands of years. Along with Kailash Parvat (Tibet) and Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi), Kedarnath is perhaps the most revered Shiva Temple in India. Moreover, its religious significance draws from the fact that it’s one of the pilgrimage sites on the Chhota Char-Dham sacred circuit in Uttarakhand. So, a large number of Hindus seek to undertake this pilgrimage- Kedarnath Trek at least once in their lifetime.
If you are one of them, this article is your guide on how to reach the earthly abode of Lord Shiva. Herein, I’m sharing my experience of undertaking the Kedarnath Trek last year with travel tips for your convenience. {For more such pilgrimage experiences, read: Badrinath Yatra}
Of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas spread across India, this is the only one situated over the Himalayas. Among the other major abodes of Lord Shiva over the Himalayas are: Amarnath (Kashmir) and Tungnath (Uttarakhand).
Prologue: A thought that inspired me for Kedarnath Terk
Being a travel enthusiast, I have visited more than 25 Indian states and have had got the opportunity to visit some of the Jyotirlingas like Kashi Vishwanath, Deoghar, Bhimashankar, etc. This year, I got the chance to undertake the Kedarnath Trek. I felt it was not just a pilgrimage; it was in fact, a complete course of introspection. In this blog, I am going to share a short story of my Kedarnath Trek and my feelings thereof.
Life was getting off track and corporate life started to appear boring to me. One day, while scrolling instagram, I came across some Kedarnath reels. It kept on coming and suddenly something happened to me. I just packed my bag in no time, and I was at Kashmiri gate bus stand (Delhi) in the next 1 hour.
I heard this Hindi quote many times that “जब केदारनाथ का बुलावा आता है, तो इंसान नंगे पैर ही चला जाता है।” (When Kedarnath calls, one sets out barefoot). Something similar happened to me. Without planning, with little money in my pocket, without proper packing, I just started for Kedarnath. This was my first unplanned tour, but it was really exciting.
My Itinerary for Kedarnath Trek
Situated in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Kedarnath Trek starts from Gaurikund, about 5 kms away from Sonprayag. From Gaurikund, one has to trek 16- 17 kms to reach Kedarnath Temple. At a glance, here’s how I completed my Kedarnath Trek.
- Day 1: (ISBT Kashmiri gate) New Delhi to Haridwar
- Day 2: Haridwar to Guptkashi en-route Rishikesh, Devrpayag, Rudraprayag. On the way, spent some time at Dhari Devi Temple (between Devprayag and Rudraprayag).
- Day 3: Guptkashi to Sonprayag by our vehicle. Then took a jeep to Gaurikund and then trek to Kedarnath Temple
- Day 4: Kedarnath to Guptkashi taking the same route as taken on day 3. Stayed overnight in Guptkashi
- Day 5: Guptkashi to Haridwar and take a bus to Delhi (reached next day).
The Journey: From Delhi to Guptkashi
Day 1: Departure from Delhi
On the way to ISBT Kashmiri Gate, I booked my bus (Delhi to Haridwar) online, which was scheduled to depart at 11:45 PM. When I reached the bus stand, the bus was ready to depart. I just took my seat and got comfortable in it. It was only then that I started planning as I was short of time. So, I decided to book a package and came across the Kedarnath Tour Package from Haridwar. I found everything as per my requirement, and thus, booked instantly with them.
Day 2: Haridwar to Guptkashi
In the wee hour of the morning next day, the bus dropped me at the Rishikul parking in Haridwar (~3:45 AM). Our pickup was from Haridwar railway station. So, I took an auto to reach the railway station parking. It was good to see the tempo traveller waiting outside the railway station. Very professionally, the trip started on time. After some other pickups from Haridwar and Rishikesh, we finally started our journey to Guptkashi.
Rishikesh to Devprayag:
Just after crossing Rishikesh, there is an outpost of the Uttarakhand police to check visitors’ registration. After some verifications, we finally set foot in the Himalayan region. Views all around us turned 360 degrees. Curly roads, alpine forests and meandering rivers followed us along the route.
Note: In order to visit Kedarnath, one needs to register online (govt website: Registration). Yatra registration is a mandatory document for everyone.
Our first stop was at Devprayag, which is the holy confluence (of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda) where the river Ganga takes its name. It took us around 3.5 hours to reach there after starting our trip. Bhagirathi River originates from Gangotri glacier near Gangotri, and Alaknanda originates from Satopanth glacier and travels a long way to reach Devprayag. At Devprayag, they join each other to create the holy river- Ganga.
Flowing out of high mountains, glittering with the sunlight peeping through the clouds and greenish water of Alaknanda river meeting with the crystal-clear water of the Bhagirathi makes it appear spectacular. Taking the stairs, we went down to the confluence to touch the holy waters. Some of our group mates took a bath as well. But since I didn’t come with enough clothes, I refrained. After staying there for about 30 minutes, we resumed our journey to Dhari Devi Temple.
Devprayag to Dhari Devi Temple:
I had heard about this temple many times and was very curious to visit it at least once in my life. It was just 48 Kms from Devprayag and took another 1 and a half hours to reach there. It’s a beautiful, small temple located in the middle of the Alaknanda River.
“Dhari Devi is considered to be the protector deity of the Char Dham temples of Uttarakhand”. One of the most amazing stories about this temple is that in 2013, the idol of this temple was displaced to another temple for a hydro project. Within a few hours, Uttarakhand witnessed the worst flood in its history. People believe that she controls the floods in this region, and the water of the Alaknanda River never dares to touch the platform of the temple.
Since the temple is in the middle of the river, one can reach it by a connecting bridge. It is about 400 to 500 meters walk from the main road.
Dhari Devi Temple to Rudraprayag:
After spending some time there, we started again for Rudraprayag, which is another confluence en-route. Here, Mandakini River meets (which comes from Kedarnath) Alaknanda River. At Rudraprayag, We took just a short break, had a cup of tea and then resumed our journey to Guptkashi.
Rudraprayag to Guptkashi:
On the way, one can also stop over at Agastyamuni Temple. But since we were all dead tired, we decided to skip it. In another 2 hours, we reached Musafir Resort in Guptkashi. Such a lovely resort it was! Mesmerizing views, calm environment, cozy rooms and warm hospitality. After room allotment and a welcome drink, we just crashed on our beds.
In the evening, we gathered for a briefing session, where we got a chance to introduce ourselves. After the briefing, the organizers had arranged for a little fun- music and dance around a bonfire. I don’t remember when was the last time I danced without a reason. I danced and had fun with strangers at some random place in the Himalayas! This was really magical, as I felt real happiness after decades.
Kedarnath Trek Diary
Day 3: Guptkashi to Kedarnath
As briefed above, the journey from Guptkashi was three- fold: reaching Sonprayag by own vehicle, Sonprayag to Gaurikund by local government taxi and then trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath Temple. Hence, it was quite a long hard day! Let me share the diary of the day with you.
Guptkashi to Gaurikund:
At last, the day arrived for which we had travelled so long. Waking up early, we started our trip from Guptkashi at 4:00 AM. It took around 2 hours (instead of 1 hour) to reach Sonprayag, as there was huge congestion and a landslide at some points. From Sonprayag, we took a government taxi to reach Gaurikund, which is the starting point of the Kedarnath Trek.
Outside vehicle are allowed only till Sonprayag, after this you need to take a local taxi. If you are coming by your own vehicle, make sure to park it at a proper parking place. There are two parking places available- one in Sonprayag and the other in Sitapur. Sitapur is 1km before Sonprayag. During heavy rush time, there are chances that you may not get a proper parking space. In that case, ensure to park your vehicle at some hotel parking, else it may be towed away.
Before initiating Kedarnath Trek, we visited Gauri Mata Temple. People believe that this is the same place where Maa Parvati did penance to marry Lord Shiva. In the hot spring there, we washed our limbs; it felt quite relaxing.
Note: If you are planning to hire mules, it’s best to hire it from Gaurikund. Most people think that if they cover half distance by foot, price might be reduced. But contrarily, it would get doubled as mule operators understand that then you would pay more as you would be tired already.
Tip: Always hire a person with proper I-card. Because unregistered operators might engage in fraudulent activities.
Kedarnath Trek Route: In a nutshell
Before I start to narrate my experience, let me give a brief of the Kedarnath Trek to firm up your imagination. To summarize the Kedarnath Trek route of 16- 17 kms:
- From Gaurikund to Jungle Chatti (~4 kms), the ascent is gradual (easy to moderate level) to start with and follows the Mandakini River.
- Next 3 kms from Jungle Chatti to Bheembali, the route has a moderate ascent with rest stops
- From Bheembali to Lincholi (~4 kms), the ascent is steep and the trek is difficult but comes with amazing valley views. About 1 kms up from Bheembali, one comes to Rambara. From Rambara, there’s a diversion: new route goes via Linchauli, and the old route goes via Garud Chatti. Most tourists now take the new route, i.e. via Linchauli.
- After Linchauli the slope eases out gradually (but still moderately difficult) for about 4 kms till Kedarnath Base Camp.
- For the last stretch of the trek, (1 km) from the base camp to Kedarnath Temple, it’s a straight, simple, enjoyable walk.
The trek begins- Gaurikund To Rambara:
From Gaurikund, we started our trek at ~8:00 AM. In the beginning, it felt all easy like a walk in the park. So, I decided that I should reach Kedarnath before anyone else in my group. I informed this to my guide and started walking fast. In fact, I covered the first two kilometers in just 30 minutes. But then I realized that I made a blunder. Now my body started reacting; I started feeling short of breath. I saw a helipad en-route, where I took a short break and had some juice and a cucumber. Then I motivated myself that I am a champion, and I would complete the trek as decided. I did many deadlifts in the gym. So, I can do it, and I started again, but things didn’t turn out as I thought.
Thoughts of giving up!
Gradually, I started feeling more breathless, my legs were not cooperating with my mind, and I started feeling dizzy. Somehow, I managed to reach Rambara. But then something shattered inside me. Trek till Rambara was nothing, I could clearly see the steep slope in front of me leading to the top of the mountain. There and then, I thought of just giving up and sat at a tea stall with deep thoughts, and perhaps a bit of disappointment too. Truly and practically, my Kedarnath Trek was in jeopardy already!
Engrossed in my thoughts, and puzzled, I stayed there for more than an hour. I regained my conscience when I saw my trek guide coming with the rest of the trek party. Till then, I had not at all felt a connect with the guide or any of the members in the trek party. By now, however, I had started feeling as if they were my own.
Regaining composure and resuming my Kedarnath Trek:
I don’t know why I was rushing, what I would have achieved by reaching the temple first. Maybe, just a bit of ego satisfaction, a chance to boast of and nothing else perhaps. But in this race, I was missing the beautiful views, connecting with people trekking with me, and interacting with the vendors selling fruits and much more.
In a way, the same concept applies to our lives- what are we running for/ after? Just for a small gratification or pride! But have you ever thought about what you are leaving behind in life while chasing your targets? Hardly any of us ever realize that in our lives!
My guide came over and spoke to me like a good friend and motivated me without judging my capacity. Not only the guide, no one else in the group was judging me; everyone was motivating me, and this felt amazing. The guide managed some hot water for me, applied some ointment and wrapped a crepe bandage on my leg, and I was ready to rock again.
Trek from Rambara to Kedarnath Temple:
Here onwards, I was not in a hurry. I was walking slowly, enjoying the views, helping other team members, and sharing stories from our lives. Now I started enjoying the beautiful views, natural fountains, and giggling rivers.
After a tough trek of another 8 Kms, we reached the base camp of Kedarnath Temple. An easy trek of a kilometer from there took us to the front of the Kedarnath Temple around 5.30 PM. What a beauty it was! An ancient temple beautifully decorated in marigold, tucked in the midst of snow-capped peaks with the Mandakini River flowing by the temple. I have never seen heaven, but I am not sure if it would be more beautiful than this place.
The first glimpse of the temple made me cry, it was magical. It was like I wanted to open up my heart to Lord Kedar. We stood there for more than 15 minutes, folding our hands and looking at the temple. Although it was crowded, we had a great darshan (paying obeisance). We spent some good time inside the sanctum and offered prayers. After darshan, I stayed in a small hotel near the temple for the night.
The return trek from Kedarnath:
Next morning, I visited some other attractions in Kedarnath like Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi, Reta Kund and Bhairavnath Temple. About 10 AM, I started the journey back. As always, the return trek from Kedarnath was mostly uneventful. Quite expectedly, the descent was far easier than the ascent and I reached Gaurikund ~4 PM and Guptkashi before evening.
Approximately 7 AM next morning, we started our return journey to Rishikesh, reached about 2 PM. Since river rafting was part of the package, we enjoyed that in the Ganges. The same evening, I left for Delhi (~7 PM) to reach by 12.30 AM.
What I learned from this journey:
- Everything is not in our control. So, instead of wasting energy in controlling everything, we should let go of things sometimes.
- We spend most of our lives creating our own worth, which means not much in the real world. While chasing our targets, we tend to miss out the subtle moments in our lives. We skip real happiness for something really unrealistic and worthless.
- At the beginning of our lives, we ignore the suggestions of our elders, as I ignored the suggestions of our guide. But we regret them later in our lives.
- No problem is too big to be not fixed. Even the toughest journey can be a cake walk with well-wishers around.
- Most of our lives, we keep complaining about the troubles instead of focusing on the real purpose in life. There will be thousands of problems all around, but it’s totally up to us whether to focus on the problems or enjoy the experience.
Travel Tips / Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Best time to undertake the Kedarnath Trek:
- Since it’s a high-altitude destination, Kedarnath experiences very low temperatures and heavy snowfall from November to April.
- Every year, Kedarnath Temple generally opens in early May and closes in the month of October. So, one needs to plan for Kedarnath Trek in this period only.
- Out of these six months, July and August experience heavy rainfall causing landslides and road blockage etc. Hence, the best time to undertake Kedarnath Trek is in the months of May- June or September- October.
- If you are travelling with Kids or elderly people, avoid planning in October as there are chances of snowfall in this region making the trek difficult.
How to reach Kedarnath Temple from Gaurikund:
Essentially, there are five ways by which one can reach Kedarnath Temple. One can choose their own method depending on their health standards or budget. Moreover, a trek to Kedarnath Temple is a preferred method only for fit people. For others, here are the different ways with approximate costs:
- Ride a pony for Rs. 2500- 3000 uphill and Rs. 1500- 2000 downhill (takes 4- 6 hours)
- Be carried by a Palki (palanquin) for Rs. 8,000- 10,000 uphill, or by a Kandi/ Pitthu (chair on the back) for Rs. 2,500- 4,500.
- Else, take a helicopter ride for Rs. 5,000- 10,000. The starting points for these rides are: Sersi, Phata and Guptkashi. However, getting a ticket is notoriously difficult, especially because of the high demand for the few seats available each day. Hence, one needs to plan well in advance and be book within minutes of opening of the website for booking.
Best Places to stay in Kedarnath:
- There are multiple options to stay near Kedarnath Temple. You can take a room, stay in dormitory or in pocket-friendly camps.
- Rooms in private hotels around Kedarnath Temple will cost you something between Rs. 2000 to 6000 per room. But accommodations run by the government can cost lower between Rs.800- 1200. Dormitories will cost you around Rs. 400 to 1200 per person and camps will cost you around Rs. 500 to 1000.
- If you are travelling during the peak season, always get your accommodation booked well in advance.
What is the cost of VIP Pass in Kedarnath:
- There is nothing like a VIP Pass at Kedarnath Temple. However, there are certain pujas (rituals) which you can purchase. Out of many, Rudra-Abhishek is the one which is generally termed as VIP darshan or VIP pass. It costs INR 7500 for a group of 5 people, in which you will be allowed to have darshan of Lord Shiva and perform Rudra-Abhishek in the sanctum of the temple. Your group will be allowed for 15 minutes in the sanctum with a pandit. Generally, this puja takes place any time between 1AM and 4 AM.
- All the pujas are listed on Badrinath- Kedarnath official website. You can book your puja well in advance or you can get it from the offline counter located beside the temple. Offline counters open everyday at 5:00 PM till tickets get sold-out. Every day, only 120 tickets are given away. So, it’s better to book one in advance online.
Conclusion
My Kedarnath Temple Trek was very special. It was not a journey to just another temple, it was a journey of self-transformation, it was a journey that made me feel the essence of my existence and shattered all my arrogances. Through the journey, all along the high mountains, I felt like being the tiniest thing in the universe. I didn’t wish for anything, I just enjoyed my own company.
As mentioned earlier, there are many options available. One can take a mule, palki, pitthu, or a helicopter to reach the temple. But honestly speaking, the experience would never be the same. I have seen many people complaining about challenges, horses walking on the same trekking route, mismanagement by the authorities, VIP darshan, etc. All of these exist, but are they really important? No, it’s not a holiday destination, Kedarnath Trek is a divine journey to one of the most inaccessible regions of our country. So, rather than complaining, it’s wise to relish the experience.
About the Author:
Rahul Singh is a passionate traveller, blogger and Himalayan travel enthusiast who has been exploring India for over 8 years. During his journeys, he has travelled across more than 20 Indian states and has completed both the Chhota Char Dham of Uttarakhand and the main Char Dham pilgrimage circuits. While he enjoys exploring different parts of India, the Himalayas remain closest to his heart, and he spends much of his time trekking, travelling through mountain regions, and experiencing local culture.
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