Kalpeshwar

A folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. Thus, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of lord Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva's favourite city and known for its Kashi Vishwanath Temple. But Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.

Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the face showing up at Rudranath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.{{Cite web |url=http://traveluttarakhand.com/panchkedar.html#madhyamaheshwar#madhyamaheshwar |title=Panch Kedar Yatra |access-date=2009-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524085601/http://traveluttarakhand.com/panchkedar.html#madhyamaheshwar |archive-date=24 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite book |author= Kapoor. A. K. |author2=Satwanti Kapoor |title= Ecology and man in the Himalayas |year=1994 |pages=250 |publisher= M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=9788185880167}}

A variant of the tale credits Bhima of not only catching the bull, but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas.

After completing the pilgrimage of Shiva's darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to worship Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jyotirlinga.com/panchakedar.htm |title=Panch Kedar |access-date=2009-07-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831110615/http://www.jyotirlinga.com/panchakedar.htm |archive-date=31 August 2009 |df=dmy-all }}

;Worship

The temple priests at this temple also are the Dasnamis and Gossains, disciples of Adi Shankara. At Tungnath also the priests are Khasiya Brahmins. These priests hail from South India; the Namboodiri brahminfrom Kerala sect who worship at Badrinath. at Kedarnath, the Jangamas are Veerashaiva from Mysore in Karnataka. In all these temples the pooja is designed by adi sankara. these priests also are supposed to be appointed by Adi Shankara. The priests at the Rudranath temple are Dasnamis and Gosains.{{cite book|last=Jha|first=Makhan|title=India and Nepal|year=1998 |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd|pages=143|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Jk6oE4sh18C&dq=rudranath+-Capildeo&pg=PA143 | isbn=978-81-7533-081-8}}

File:Himalayas at dusk from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.jpg

File:Nanda devi.jpg

The Kalpeshwar temple is located in the Urgam valley of the Himalayan mountain range near Urgam village ({{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} short of the temple). On the bridle path from Helang to Kalpeshwar, the confluence of the Alaknanda and Kalpganga rivers is seen. Kalpganga river flows through the Urgam valley.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oktatabyebye.com/destination-features/241-kalpeshwar-things-to-do-and-sightseeing.html|title=Sight seeing and Things to do in Kalpeshwar|access-date=2009-07-17|archive-date=20 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620202622/http://www.oktatabyebye.com/destination-features/241-kalpeshwar-things-to-do-and-sightseeing.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/pilgrimage/kalpeshwar.php |title=Kalpeshwar |access-date=2009-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813000548/http://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/pilgrimage/kalpeshwar.php |archive-date=13 August 2007 }} The Urgam valley is a dense forest area. The valley has apple orchards and terraced fields where potato is grown extensively.{{Cite web|url=http://www.trekkinginindia.com/trekking-in-garhwal/panch-kedar-trek.html|title=Trekking in India|access-date=2009-07-12|archive-date=2 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502050601/http://www.trekkinginindia.com/trekking-in-garhwal/panch-kedar-trek.html|url-status=live}}

Access to Kalpeshwar by road up to Urgam is from Rishikesh, a distance of {{convert|253|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} on the Rishikesh-Badrinath road. The road is very rough and not suitable to normal cars, and should only be driven by skilled drivers. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant, Dehradun, {{convert|272|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} away and the nearest railhead, Rishikesh, is {{convert|255|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} away.

Boodha Kedar temple surrounded by potato fields is seen on the trek route. Also seen is the Dhyan Badri temple at Urgam Village, one of the Sapt Badri (seven Badri) temples.{{Cite web|url= http://www.oktatabyebye.com/destination-features/405-about-kalpeshwar-temple-kalpeshwar.html|title= Kalpeshwar temple|access-date= 2009-07-17|archive-date= 8 October 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111008025410/http://www.oktatabyebye.com/destination-features/405-about-kalpeshwar-temple-kalpeshwar.html|url-status= dead}}

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{{reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090831110615/http://www.jyotirlinga.com/panchakedar.htm Locations of Panch Kedar - Schematic sketch]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=L4knycWWbqgC&pg=PA77&dq=Tungnath&lr=&ei=QDthSriJMoOulASOraWoDg Panch Kedar, trek map, page 78]

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Category:Hindu temples in Uttarakhand

Category:Panch Kedar