Guptakashi, Gupta Kashi or Guptkashi (Sanskrit: गुप्तकाशी) is a fairly large village located at 
an elevation of 1,319 metres (4,330 ft) in the Kedar-khanda (‘khanda’ means “sector”), in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag district in Uttrakhand, India. It is famous for the ancient Vishwanath Temple - dedicated to god Shiva – similar to the one in Varanasi (Kashi). The other famous temple here is dedicated to Ardhanareshvara (a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati). The name Guptakashi has legendary significance linked to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
Guptkashi History
January 25th, 2010 by admin
Kedarnath Temple
January 25th, 2010 by admin
Situated at an altitude of 3584 mts from the sea level on the head of holy river Mandakani,
the great shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus. Majestic Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.Lord Shiva is also called Kadar that’s why this tample is called Kadarnath.The Kedarnath Temple has an imposing impressive sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by white snow covered mountains. The present temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya in 8th centuary A.D. The tample stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple which is belived to be built by the great Pandavas. The inner walls of the tample are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology.A large statue of the Nandi Bull stands out side the tample as a guard of Lord Shiva. The tample is believed to be more than 1000 years old.
Shankaracharya Samadhi
January 25th, 2010 by admin
On a missionary tour debating various scholars across India, the renowned Advaita
philosopher Adi Shankaracharya traveled to the Himalayas and reached the Badrinath-Kedarnath region where he also wrote the famous Bhashyas (“commentaries”) and Prakarana granthas (“philosophical treatises”). Kedarnath had fallen into ruins till Adiguru Shankaracharya revived it and initiated systematic worship and maintenance here. He allotted the responsibility to several of his disciples who had accompanied him. To this day, Kedarnath temple has a Nambudiripad Brahmin from Kerala as its chief priest/Rawal. At a young age of 32, Shankaracharya then took mahasamadhi at a beautiful spot behind this temple on the banks of the Mandakini. The site of the Samadhi has a temple with his statue and the Shivalinga worshipped by him. With the mighty peaks in the backdrop, a refreshing patch of lush green between the two temples unites the space in a serene and calm aura. A marble wall with the symbolic presence of Shankara’s hand holding the Sanyasi’s staff divides the temples. The Mandakini River flows in quiet reverence beside the temple making for deep introspective environs.
