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Gangotri
According to mythology, Goddess Ganga - the daughter of heaven,
manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins
of King Bhagirath's predecessors, following his severe penance
of several centuries, and Lord Shiva received her into his matted
locks to minimize the immense impact of her fall. She came to
be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source. Along the right
back of Bhagirathi stands the shrine of Gangotri dedicated to
the Goddess. Perched at a height of 3042 metres (10,000 ft),
it was constructed in the early 18th century by a Gorkha Commander,
Amar Singh Thapa, but renovated in the 20th century. There is
a 20-feet high structure of white granite which is taken to
Mukhimath village for the six winter months where it is worshipped.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims throng the
sacred temple between May and October. By November, Gangotri
is covered by snow. It is believed that the Goddess retreats
to Mukhba, her winter abode (12 kms downstream). The physical
source of the holy river is at Gaumukh, 18 kms. further uphill,
along the Gangotri Glacier. Pilgrims trek up to the source
to offer prayers either on foot or on ponies.
Submerged in the river, is a natural rock Shivling where,
according to mythology, Lord Shiva sat when he received the
Ganga in his matted lock. It is only visible in the winter
months when water level decreases.
Best time to visit this area is in the summer when
one should wear light woolen clothing.
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Yamunotri
The Garhwal Himalayas have been blessed with some of the holiest
Hindu pilgrimage sites and Yamunotri is one such. One of the
Char Dhams according to Hindu mythology, Yamunotri is the origin
of the sacred river Yamuna. Famous for its thermal springs and
glaciers, it is one of the most important stopovers on the itinerary
of the Hindu pilgrim. According to a legend, Asit Muni, a revered
sage, used to reside here.
Maharani Gularia of Jaipur built the temple in the 19th century.
Destroyed by a major earthquake in 1923, it was subsequently
rebuilt, then again damaged in 1982. It is located at a height
of 3252 meters (10,700 feet), about 6 km below the glacier.
The temple is dedicated to the river Yamuna, who is represented
in the form of a silver idol, bedecked with garlands. Goddess
Yamuna is the daughter of Surya, the sun God, and Sangya,
the Goddess of consciousness. Yamuna is also the sister of
Yama, the God of death, and so anyone bathing in the waters
of the river is spared of a painful death.
Surya Kund is known for its thermal springs. The hot water
pool here is used to prepare the prasad or holy offerings
to the deity, which is normally rice and potatoes, cooked
by tying the food in cloth bags and dipping it into the hot
water which is as high as 190°F. Divya Shilla is a rock
pillar that is worshipped by the pilgrims before they enter
the Yamunotri temple.
Best time to visit this area is in the summer when
one should wear light woolen clothing.
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Badrinath
Guarded by the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan, and
the splendid Neelkanth mountains as the backdrop, Badrinath
is the holiest of the four main shrines and an important destination
on the sacred itinerary of every devout Hindu. Once the spot
was carpeted with 'badris' or wild berries and hence was known
as 'Badri Van' or wild berries forest.
The temple of Shri Badrinathji on the banks of the Alaknanda
river, dates back to vedic times. Situated at an altitude
of 3133 metres (10,300 feet), the present temple is believed
to have been built by Adi Guru Shankracharya - an 8th century's
philosopher-saint, who also established a 'math' here. Also
known as 'Vishal Badri', Badrinath is one of the Panch Badris.
Yog Dhyan Badri
The temple of Yog Dhyan Badri, one of the five Badris is located
at Pandukeshwar (1920 metres, 6300 feet) just 24kms. away
from Badrinath. The image, depicting a meditative posture
of the Lord, is worshipped here. The Pandavas are said to
have retired here after handing Hastinapur to king Parikshit.
Bhavishya Badri
The temple of Bhavishya Badri is at an elevation 3641metres
(11,950 feet), and surrounded by a dense forest. It is located
at Subain near Tapovan, about 17kms. east of Joshimath. It
is believed that a day will come when the present route to
Badrinath will become inaccessible and Lord Badrinath will
then be worshipped here. Hence the name “Bhavishya Badri”
means the "Future Badri".
Adi Badri
Approachable from Karnprayag on the way to Ranikhet, are remains
of 16 small temples. Seven among them are ancient ones, belonging
to the late Gupta period. The credit for building these temples
is generally given to Shankaracharya. The main temple of Narayan
is distinguished by a raised platform in the pyramidal from
where the idol is enshrined. Sculpted out of black stone,
the idol of Lord Vishnu is one metre high.
Best time to visit this area is in the summer when
one should wear light woolen clothing.
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Kedarnath
Amidst the dramatic mountains capes of the majestic Kedarnath
range stands one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' of Kedar or Lord
Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. Lying at an altitude
of 3584 metres (11,760 feet) on the head of river Mandakini,
the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for
the Hindus.
The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great
epic - Mahabharata. According to legend, the Pandavas after
having won over the Kaurava in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty
of having killed their own brothers and sought the blessings
of Lord Shiva for redemption. He repeatedly eluded them and
while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull.
On being followed he dived into the ground, leaving his hump
on the surface. This conical protrusion is worshipped as the
idol in the shrine.
The remaining portions of Lord Shiva are worshipped at four
other places - the arms (bahu) at Tungnath, mouth (mukh) at
Rudranath, navel (nabhi) at Madmaheshwar and hair (jata) at
Kalpeshwar. Together with Kedarnath, these places are known
as the Panch Kedar.
Kedarnath Temple
An imposing sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau
surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple,
built in 8th century A.D. by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent
to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The
inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures
of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the
temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.
Shankaracharya Samadhi
The Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya is located just behind
the Kedarnath temple. It is said that after establishing four
sacred Dhams in India, he went into his samadhi at an early
age of 32 years.
Best time to visit this area is in the summer when
one should wear light woolen clothing.
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