Table of Contents
Kedarnath Temple
The pedestal that supports the presiding image of Kedarnath, a lingam, is uneven and measures 3.6 m (12 ft) in height and circumference. A small, pillared room with images of Parvati and the five Pandava princes is in front of the temple. Four temples in the vicinity of Kedarnath make up the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites: Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar.
The five Pandava brothers, Krishna, Nandi, Shiva’s chariot, and Virabhadra, one of Shiva’s wardens, are all depicted in the Kedarnath Temple’s first hall. Additionally, there are statues of Draupadi and other gods in the main hall. The head of a man etched into the triangular stone lingam is an odd element of the temple.
In a nearby temple that was constructed on the site where Shiva and Parvati’s wedding ceremony took place, a head resembling this one can be seen. Adi Shankara, who is also credited with obtaining Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath, is supposed to have repaired this temple, along with Badrinath and other Uttarakhand temples. It is possible to find the Adi Sankara Samadhi Mandir behind the temple.
2013 Floods :
The Kedarnath valley and other regions of the state of Uttarakhand saw tremendous flash floods on June 16 and 17, 2013. Near Kedarnath Temple, on June 16, at about 7:30 p.m., there were loud thunderclaps and mudslides. The Mandakini River started to fill with enormous amounts of water at 8:30 p.m., and it destroyed everything in its way as it poured down from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal.
A substantial amount of silt, rocks, and boulders were carried downstream by the river on June 17, 2013, at about 6:40 a.m., from the Saraswati River and Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal. A large rock became wedged behind the Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the flood’s fury. The waves rushed on all sides of the temple, destroying everything in their path.
According to eyewitnesses, a sizable boulder was moved to the back of the Kedarnath shrine, stopping the river’s flow and directing the debris to the sides of the shrine to avoid harm. A rock that is regarded as God’s Rock protected the temple.
That the temple was well-built is another factor in its survival. The surrounding complex and surroundings were entirely destroyed, killing hundreds of tourists and residents even though the temple was severely inundated. All of the roads in Kedarnath were damaged, and shops and hotels were destroyed. People sought shelter in the temple for several hours before the Indian Army flew them to safer destinations. The Uttarakhand state minister said that the Kedarnath shrine would be closed for a year in order to clean the debris.
The Archaeological Survey of India consulted experts to assess the foundation’s state in the wake of the floods, and they came to the decision that the temple was not at risk. The IIT Madras experts visited the temple three times for this. The IIT team used non-destructive testing tools to examine the temple’s walls, foundation, and structure without causing any harm. They have submitted their interim report, which concludes that the temple is stable and that there was no substantial threat.
The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) is in charge of rebuilding Kedarnath. The institute had expertise in high-altitude training but not in building or urban planning. Under the expert climbing guidance of Colonel Ajay Kothiyal, NIM painstakingly worked for a year to get the pilgrimage yatra ready for the following year.
Administration :
The temple was included in the Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act, also known as Act No. 16,1939, which was passed by the state of Uttar Pradesh. A commission selected by the state government oversees the management of both temples. In 2002, the state of Uttarakhand changed the law to allow for the appointment of additional committee members, including government employees and a vice-chairman. The board is comprised of seventeen individuals: ten chosen by the state of Uttarakhand, three chosen by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, one chosen by each of the district councils in Chamoli, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi, and three chosen by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.
There are four priests: Acharya/Dharmadhikari, Vedpathi, and Naib Rawal in addition to the Rawal (chief priest). A chief executive oversees the temple’s administrative structure and carries out directives from the state legislature. A deputy chief executive officer, two OSDs, an executive officer, an account officer, a temple officer, and a publicity officer support the chief executive.