Lord Shiva · Uttarakhand
Kedarnath Temple
A stone Jyotirlinga shrine high in the Garhwal Himalayas, reached on foot and open only through the summer months. Kedarnath enshrines one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, set in a remote Himalayan valley below snow peaks. The temple is reached after a long uphill trek, and its survival through floods and avalanches is held to be itself a sign of grace. The austerity of the journey is part of the devotion, the hardship of the path matched by the stillness of the shrine.
The route inside Kedarnath.
The visit4 min read→Its founding — An ancient shrine credited to the Pandavas and revived by Adi Shankaracharya; the surviving stone temple is many centuries old.
Going there, and what the town asks of you
3 days suggestedHow long to stay is our suggestion, not a temple-published figure. No shrine publishes a length of visit — group the stops to suit your own party.
First — to the trailhead
- Sonprayag
Where the road ends for private vehicles. Yatra registration is checked here, and shared transport runs the last stretch on to Gaurikund.
Where — the last point a private car reaches. - Gaurikund
The start of the walk, with its temple to Gauri. Ponies and porters are engaged from here.
Where — on from Sonprayag by shared vehicle.
Next — the walk up, and the shrine
- The Kedarnath path
There is no road to the temple. The shrine is reached on foot, by pony, or by helicopter from the valley helipads. It is a long ascent at altitude, and how long it takes depends entirely on your party — take the route profile and the current condition of the path from the Shri Badrinath–Kedarnath Temple Committee and the Uttarakhand yatra portal before you set out.
Where — the whole way up from Gaurikund. - Kedarnath temple
The stone shrine below the snow peaks — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The lingam here is an uncut conical rock, not a carved image.
Where — at the head of the path, on the valley floor. - Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi
Behind the temple: the memorial to the teacher held here to have attained samadhi, and credited with reviving this shrine. It was rebuilt after the 2013 floods.
Where — immediately behind the temple. - Bhairavnath Temple
On the ridge above the shrine. Bhairavnath is held to guard Kedarnath, including through the months it stays shut.
Where — a climb on the slope above the temple.
Last — down, and the valley below
- The walk back to Gaurikund
The same path, descending. Ponies and porters run in both directions.
Where — down the way you came up. - Guptkashi
The valley town most pilgrims stay in on the way out, with its own Vishwanath temple.
Where — in the valley, reached by road from Sonprayag. - Ukhimath
The winter seat, and its own journey rather than something to append to the descent. When Kedarnath closes, the deity comes down and is worshipped at the Omkareshwar temple here until the shrine reopens — so out of season, this is the destination, not a detour.
The rhythm of the year
The temple opens around Akshaya Tritiya, in late April or May, and closes for winter after Diwali, on Bhai Dooj. Through the closed months the deity is worshipped at Ukhimath. The Shri Badrinath–Kedarnath Temple Committee announces the exact opening and closing dates each year — take them from the committee, never from a travel page, and note that Badrinath's dates are announced separately and are not the same as these.
Abhishek of the rock lingam
The Jyotirlinga here is uncut stone, not a carved image, and abhishek at the sanctum is the shrine's central act of worship. The temple committee takes puja bookings on its own portal, and only there.
Puja booking and offering at the shrine.
Shri Badrinath–Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which runs both shrines. Book pujas on the committee's own portal, and take its registration requirements from there before you travel.
The town around the gates
- There is no road to the temple. From Gaurikund it is walked, ridden by pony, or flown by helicopter from the valley helipads.
- Private vehicles stop at Sonprayag; shared transport covers the last stretch to Gaurikund.
- Uttarakhand requires every yatri to register before travelling. Carry the registration and a photo ID — it is checked on the way in.
- The shrine is shut all winter. Out of season the deity is at Ukhimath, and that is where darshan happens.
- Weather turns fast at this altitude. Carry warm layers and rain cover even in mid-season, and treat the committee's own advisories as the last word.
What the shrine itself publishes
Every line below was read off a page the trust runs, on the day named beside it. Timings and fees change. Check the source before you travel.
What to do
- Prior online registration is mandatory for puja bookings, and must be done from an Indian mobile number (shared BKTC portal covering both Kedarnath and Badrinath).
Source: Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee — official portal (read 2026-08-27)
What devotees come for
- Worship of the conical rock Jyotirlinga of Shiva
- The trek through the high valley to reach the sanctum
- The seasonal opening and closing of the snowbound temple
- Sought for penance, endurance and inner purification
Recorded timings
- Opens
- 04:00 (during open season)
- Closes
- 21:00
- Morning aarti
- 04:00 — Abhishek · 05:30 — general darshan
- Evening aarti
- 19:30 — Sandhya Aarti · 20:30 — Shayan Aarti
- Closed on
- Closed in winter (typically Nov–Apr/May).
Same seasonal window as Badrinath. These hours are a reference, not a live schedule. Confirm current timings with the temple authority before travel.
The seva drive
Pilgrim path repair and shelter restoration after seasonal damage
Temple World collects nothing for this drive and holds no running total for it. Give through the shrine’s own body, and ask them what the drive still needs.
How to book
Steps
- Visit badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in and go to online services.
- Click 'Book Puja Online' under online services.
- Select puja type and confirm advance payment basis.
- Receive confirmation; room reservation is non-transferable.
What you'll need
- Personal information
- Advance payment
- Valid ID for registration
Yatra ticket booking is via heliyatra.irctc.co.in, not directly on the temple site.
Book on the official site ↗Last checked: Sep 28, 2026
Map and model
The temple, mapped
Not a walled temple city but one small building of heavy grey stone on a Himalayan plateau, with no road to it. Wide steps, a stone bull at the door, a hall of Pandava figures, and a cone of rough rock for a lingam. Behind it stand the boulder that split the 2013 flood and the rebuilt samadhi of Adi Shankara.
Stop 1 of 12 · Walkway
The Gaurikund Trail
There is no road to Kedarnath. The last place a vehicle reaches is Gaurikund, and from there it is about sixteen kilometres of uphill walking through forest, glacier country and waterfalls.
Where it is
The trail climbs the Mandakini valley from the south and ends on the wide plateau, ringed by snow peaks, where the temple stands.
Visitor tip
Start before dawn. The trail is only open from 4 am to 1.30 pm, and the climb is steep.
Sources (5)
- Wikipedia
The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 17 kilometres (11 mi) uphill trek from Gaurikuṇḍa.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Uttarakhand Tourism
a 16-km route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath temple
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 - Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee
located on the bank of Mandakini river at an altitude of 3584 meters above sea level
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 - Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee
The Temple at Kedarnath presents an imposing sight, standing in middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 - Uttarakhand Tourism
There are fixed timings for the trek; 4 am to 1.30 pm, to coincide with the time slots of the sanctuary.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026
Stop 1 of 12: The Gaurikund Trail
The walk, in order
The walking order follows the way up that the temple committee and Uttarakhand Tourism describe: the trek from Gaurikund along the Mandakini, up the grey steps past the Nandi, through the assembly hall to the sanctum, then round the parikrama path and out to the rock, the samadhi and the ridge behind. Facts checked against their sources on 10 Sept 2026; open “Sources” under any spot to see them.
Stay aware
What visitors and officials have reported
5 things people have run into at Kedarnath Temple, 1 of them carried in an official advisory. Every line below comes from a page we opened and read ourselves. We name no individual.
Ran into something here?
Tell us what happened at Kedarnath Temple. Sign in first, so we know a real person sent it.
Online, before you travel
Look-alike booking sites and apps
Look-alike websites, social media pages, paid ads, phone calls and WhatsApp messages offer Kedarnath helicopter tickets, hotel rooms, guest houses and cabs. After payment there is often no real booking, the contact goes dead, or a fake ticket is only spotted at the helipad.
What to do. Book Kedarnath helicopter tickets only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in. Do not use other websites or booking links sent on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp. Report fraud on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
Read the 5 sources
“Only IRCTC HeliYatra website (heliyatra.irctc.co.in) provides online helicopter ticket booking for Shri Kedarnath Dham & Shri Hemkund Sahib.”
IRCTC · Official advisory · no date on the page · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“Helicopter shuttle ticket booking for Shri Kedarnath Dham can be booked on https://heliyatra.irctc.co.in only.”
Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee · Official advisory · no date on the page · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“Fraudsters are using fake websites and social media to offer fraudulent services like helicopter bookings for Kedarnath and hotel reservations.”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 21 April 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“Officials emphasized that IRCTC is the only authorized booking partner, advising devotees to avoid Facebook ads and suspicious websites.”
News9live · Reported in the news · 29 May 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“Police have urged devotees planning to visit Kedarnath by helicopter to use only the official booking portal: heliyatra.irctc.co.in.”
Bhaskar English · Reported in the news · no date on the page · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
Fake online puja sites
Unofficial websites and social media accounts collect money for online puja, path and offerings in the name of Kedarnath and Badrinath. The temple committee says no site other than its own is authorised for that service.
What to do. Book puja only on the temple committee’s official website. Ignore social media offers of online darshan or online puja at the two dhams.
Read the source
“The Committee made it clear that apart from the official website of the temple committee, no other website was authorised to perform the online puja.”
ETV Bharat · Reported in the news · 14 July 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
Inside the complex
“VIP” and “quick darshan” passes
Someone posing as an IRCTC agent, sometimes with a local hotel operator, collects cash from pilgrims at the shrine for VIP or special darshan that is not arranged.
What to do. Do not pay unknown people for VIP or special darshan. Use only authorised government or temple-committee channels, and report any such offer to the nearest police post or 112.
Read the 2 sources
“In a recent case, police arrested a man accused of cheating pilgrims by falsely promising VIP darshan at the Kedarnath Temple.”
ANI · Reported in the news · 11 June 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“During interrogation, he admitted to posing as a fake IRCTC agent and charging people ₹3,000 each for VIP darshan.”
Hindustan Times · Reported in the news · 11 June 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
In the darshan queue
Crowd theft and snatching
Organised thieves work crowded spots and temple queues, including the Ghoraparav area, and take cash, purses, cards and papers from bags and pockets.
What to do. Keep cash and cards close in queues and crowded places around the shrine. Report theft at once to local police.
Read the 2 sources
“Two petty thieves, suspected to be pickpockets, were arrested for allegedly stealing valuables from devotees at crowded spots and in queues near Kedarnath shrine, police said on Sunday.”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 26 April 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“During questioning, the accused revealed that they operate as an organised gang in crowded temple queues to extract valuables from the bags or pockets of pilgrims, according to police.”
Rediff.com · Reported in the news · 26 April 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
Around the town
Prices well above the going rate
Horse handlers at Gaurikund take pilgrims toward Kedarnath at about twice the notified government rate and do not issue a district panchayat slip. Some animals used for riding are not licensed for passengers.
What to do. Hire a horse only at the official counter and keep the printed slip at the notified rate. If you are charged extra or given no slip, contact police on the trail.
Read the source
“पूछताछ में यात्रियों ने बताया कि उनसे गौरीकुंड से केदारनाथ तक पहुंचाने के लिए प्रति सवारी 6,500 रुपये लिए गए, जबकि प्रशासन द्वारा निर्धारित सरकारी दर 3,500 रुपये प्रति सवारी है.”
ETV Bharat · Reported in the news · 29 May 2026 · quoted in Devanagari · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
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Questions devotees ask
- Where is Kedarnath Temple?
- Kedarnath Temple is recorded at Kedarnath, Uttarakhand.
- Who is the presiding deity at Kedarnath Temple?
- The presiding deity recorded for Kedarnath Temple is Lord Shiva.
Keep this shrine close
We do not sell darshan.Here is the temple’s own desk.
Temple World keeps the record. The timing, the ticket and the entry rule are the shrine’s to publish — read them there before you travel, and treat anything on this page as a reference only.
- The shrine’s own sitebadrinath-kedarnath.gov.inToday’s hours, and any entry ruleOpen ↗
- Published enquiry line+91-8534001008 (Kedarnath pilgrim helpline)As published by the shrine. Confirm before you rely on itEnquiry
- Darshan optionsRecord a request for helpNo payment is taken. A request is not a bookingReference
- Plan the visitSourced guidance, cited line by lineEvery section there names the page it was read fromPlanner
- The rite referencesNo online service is recorded for this templeBrowse the rites we do hold a reference forBrowse