Kedarnath Temple

The Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines and the highest of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand, at 3,583 metres above sea level. Situated in the Garhwal Himalayan peaks near the source of the Mandakini River, it is among the most revered and dramatically situated temples in India.

The current stone temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE, using massive interlocking grey Kattyur stone blocks. The rectangular structure features a gently curved shikhara in the northern Nagara style, housing a naturally formed triangular rock linga of Shiva.

The temple is only open for six months (May to November). In 2013, the site suffered catastrophic flooding but the main shrine survived — widely attributed by devotees to divine protection. The trek from Gaurikund spans 16 km of mountain terrain.