Kedarnath
One of the twelve Shiva Jyotirlingas in India, Kedarnath Temple is the highest and is located at a height of 3,583 m on the Garhwal Himalayan range. It was initially built by Pandavas and later elaborately developed by King Parikshit. The temple is 85 feet high, 187 feet in length and 80-feet wide. Its walls are 12-feet thick and built from extremely strong stones. It stands on a six-foot high platform. The lingam inside the temple is of triangular shape with a pedestal 12 feet in circumference and 12 feet in height. There is a small pillared hall in front of the temple that has images of Mata Parvati and of the five Pandava princes. Extreme weather conditions allow the temple to be opened to the general public for only six months from April/May onwards each year. The temple can be reached by a 22-km uphill trek from the nearest motorable place. The nearest airport (254 km) is Dehradun and the nearest railway station (223 km) is Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.
