Panch Kedar
| Panch Kedar | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Devanagari | पञ्चकेदार |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | Kedarnath 30°43′48″N 79°4′12″E / 30.73000°N 79.07000°E, Tungnath 30°29′22″N 79°12′55″E / 30.48944°N 79.21528°E, Rudranath 30°32′0″N 79°20′0″E / 30.53333°N 79.33333°E, Madhyamaheshwar 30°38′13″N 79°12′58″E / 30.63694°N 79.21611°E and Kalpeshwar 30°34′37.35″N 79°25′22.49″E / 30.5770417°N 79.4229139°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| Culture | |
| Primary deity | Shiva |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | North Indian architecture |
| History and governance | |
| Date built | Unknown |
| Creator | Pandavas |
Panch Kedar (Sanskrit: पञ्चकेदार) refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage for worship are the Kedarnath (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ) at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), the Tungnath (तुंगनाथ)(3,680 m or 12,070 ft), Rudranath (रुद्रनाथ) (2,286 m or 7,500 ft), Madhyamaheshwar (मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m or 11,450 ft) and Kalpeshwar (कल्पेश्वर) (2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The Kedarnath is the main temple, which is part of the four famous Chota Char Dhams (literally 'the small four abodes/seats') or pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas; the other three dhams are the Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
The Garhwal region is also called the Kedar-Khanda after Kedar — the local name for Lord Shiva. The region abounds in emblems and aniconic forms of Shiva sect of Lord Shiva, much more than the Vaishnava sect. The western part of this region in particular, which constitutes half of Chamoli district being known as Kedar-Kshetra or Kedar mandala, encompasses in its ambit all the five temples constituting the Panch Kedar.
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