There are few temples in the world where people worship the face of Lord Shankar. Rudranath Temple is one of them.
According to the scriptures, there are several Lord Shankar temples built all over the nation and the world where Bholenath is seated in a distinctive manner. One of these is the Rudranath temple, which is a part of Panch Kedar and is situated in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.
It is situated 3600 meters above sea level. The visage of Lord Shiva is revered here, which makes this temple extremely unique. Not only that, but it is even more unique than the other parts of Lord Shiva’s body, which is revered in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The accounts say that the Pandavas want to atone for their crimes following the Mahabharata conflict. He went to Shri Krishna in order to get the answer to this. The Pandavas were then instructed by Lord Krishna to seek refuge with Lord Shankar. According to several legends, Lord Shiva was enraged with the Pandavas for destroying their own tribe. As a result, when the Pandavas arrived in Varanasi, Lord Shiva appeared and sought refuge in Guptkashi. Meanwhile, Bholenath arrived in Kedarnath and assumed the appearance of a bull. It’s reported that Lord Shiva bestowed blessings upon the Pandavas.
There are myths that when Lord Shankar vanished as a bull, his upper body showed up at “Kathmandu,” or Pashupatinath. Then there is the devotion to Lord Shiva’s arms at Tungnath, the navel at Madhyamaheshwar, and the form of the back body of a bull at Shri Kedarnath. In addition, it’s claimed that Mukh Rudranath and Kalpeshwar are where Lord Shiva’s jata first emerged. These five locations are referred to as “Panchkedar”. “Rudranath Temple” is among them.
HOW TO REACH?
By Air: Jolly Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport.
By Train: The railway station located at Rishikesh offers the nearest train service.
By Road: Most hiking routes to Rudranath start in Gopeshwar or other surrounding locations. Most hiking routes to Rudranath start in Gopeshwar or other surrounding locations. A 20 km (12 mi) walk is needed to reach Rudranath from Hotel Sagar, which is 5 km (3 mi) from Gopeshwar on a motorable road. The trail meanders through forests of oak, rhododendron, and long grass. The journey route is said to be slick. It’s crucial to remember that the weather might have an influence on the trek’s difficulties.
