Rudranath Temple is one of the Panch Kedar Temples of Lord Shiva located in the Grahwal region of Uttarakhand. It is the third in the order of Panch Kedar temples. It had followed by Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar temples. Rudranath Temple timings are from 06:00 am to 07:00 pm.
About Rudranath Temple:
Contents
- 1 About Rudranath Temple:
- 1.0.1 What is the history of Rudranath Temple?
- 1.0.2 What is the significance of Rudranath Temple?
- 1.0.3 Rudranath Temple Timings:
- 1.0.4 Best time to visit Rudranath Temple:
- 1.0.5 Which festivals had celebrated in Rudranath Temple?
- 1.0.6 Tourist Places Nearby Rudranath Temple:
- 1.0.6.1 Mansa Devi Temple:
- 1.0.6.2 Garjiya Devi Temple:
- 1.0.6.3 Purnagiri Temple:
- 1.0.6.4 Tungnath Temple:
- 1.0.6.5 Madhyamaheshwar Temple:
- 1.0.6.6 Lakhamandal Temple:
- 1.0.6.7 Kalpswara Temple:
- 1.0.6.8 Gangotri Temple:
- 1.0.6.9 Badrinath Temple:
- 1.0.6.10 Kedarnath Temple:
- 1.0.6.11 Hemkund Sahib:
- 1.0.6.12 Chandi Devi Temple:
- 1.0.6.13 Maya Devi Temple:
- 1.0.6.14 Har Ki Pauri:
- 1.0.6.15 Nileswara Temple:
- 1.0.7 Where to stay near Rudranath Temple?
- 1.0.8 How to reach Rudranath Temple?
- 1.0.9 Rudranath Temple Address:
- 1.0.10 FAQs:
- 1.1 What is Rudranath famous for?
- 1.2 Who built Rudranath Temple?
- 1.3 When was the Rudranath temple built?
Moreover, Lord Shiva’s face is worshipped here as “Neelakanta Mahadeva”. Many people consider Rudranath the most difficult time to reach, among the Panch Kedar temples, the five sacred temples of Shaivism dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Moreover, the Garhwal region is also known as Kedar-Khanda, as ‘Kedar’ is the local name of Lord Shiva. It is a part of Char Dham Yatra destinations in Uttarakhand.
What is the history of Rudranath Temple?
According to history, the Pandavas founded the Rudranath temple. During the Mahabharata, the Pandavas killed their cousins, the Kauravas.
Hence, Sage Vyasa advised them to go to Lord Shiva as only He could absolve them of their sins. However, Shiva hides from them and takes the form of a bull. After that, he hid in an underground safe place in Guptkashi.
Later, Lord Shiva’s body parts, like a bull, were reconstructed in five places. The Pandavas built Shiva temples at these five places, known as ‘Panch Kedar’ (Learn more about Char Dham Yatra).
Rudranath Temple is the place where Lord Shiva’s face appeared. At Nandikund, devotees worship ancient historical swords protruding from rocks, believed to belong to the Pandavas.
What is the significance of Rudranath Temple?
The significance of Rudranath Temple is that the pools like Chandra Kund, Surya Kund, Tara Kund and Manas Kund had located around it. There are also peaks like Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti near the Temple.
Moreover, it is the most difficult trek compared to other Panch Kedar temples. Before seeing the Temple, devotees take a holy dip in the Narad Kund. According to belief, the deity appeared himself, hence ‘Swayambhu’.
It is a Shiva Lingam whose shape resembles a human face. Also, the holy river Baitarani or Vaitarani or Rudraganga flows near the Temple. Devotees think that this river leads to salvation. Hence they come here to conduct the last rites of the deceased.
Rudranath Temple Timings:
Here are the Rudranath Temple timings.
| Day | Timings |
| Monday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
| Thursday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
| Friday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
| Saturday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
| Sunday | 06:00 am to 07:00 pm |
Best time to visit Rudranath Temple:
You can visit Rudranath temple throughout the year, but the best time to visit here is between May and October. Travelling here is the best and most enjoyable during these months. The climate here is cold in winter.
Due to the surrounding snow in winter, the temperature here drops significantly. Due to the heavy rains during the monsoon season, travel here is somewhat difficult as there is a risk of landslides due to heavy rains.
Which festivals had celebrated in Rudranath Temple?
Some of the festivals honoured at Rudranath Temple are:
Mahashivarathri:
This festival is in praise of Lord Shiva. Followers believe he is the Adi Guru, the source of the Yogi Tradition. It had been observed through prayers, fasting, yoga and meditation in remembrance of Lord Shiva.
Doli Yatra:
During the winter, devotees bring the symbolic image of Lord Shiva to Gopeshwar for puja during the Doli Yatra that passes through Sagar village.
When pilgrims reach Pitradhar, they worship their predecessors and at the end of the journey, they reach Rudranath along with the image.
Annual Fair:
According to the Hindu calendar, a fair had held in the Temple on the full moon day of Shravan. It is mostly on the day of Raksha Bandhan, and mainly locals attend the fair.
Tourist Places Nearby Rudranath Temple:
Mansa Devi Temple:
Mansa Devi Temple is a famous temple located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, who is considered a form of Shakti and had believed to have emanated from the mind of Lord Shiva.
Garjiya Devi Temple:
It is a holy Shakti Kshetra where Goddess Garjiya had worshipped as the presiding deity. The Temple is situated on a large rock in the river Kosi and is one of the most famous temples in the Nainital district, visited by thousands of devotees.
Purnagiri Temple:
Purnagiri Temple had an altitude of 3000 meters at Tanakpur in Champawat district of Uttarakhand (Northern Himalayan state of India), above sea level and just 20 km from Tanakpur.
Tungnath Temple:
It is the second in the order of Panch Kedar Temples. It is also the tallest Shiva temple in the world. Moreover, the Tungnath Mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. Tungnath is where it found the bahu (hands).
Madhyamaheshwar Temple:
Following the order of Panch Kedar temples, it is the fourth after Kalpeshwar Temple. Peaks like Chaukhamba, Neel Kanth and Kedarnath surround the Temple. Madhyamaheshwar Temple is where there found Lord Shiva’s navel.
Lakhamandal Temple:
Lakhamandal Temple had dedicated to Lord Shiva. It had located in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. Lakhamandal Temple timings are from 07:00 am to 06:00 pm. The name of the complex has roots in the words ‘lakha’ meaning ‘many’ and ‘mandal’ meaning ‘temples or lingam’.
Kalpswara Temple:
It comes last in Panch Shiva’semples. Shiva’sara TShiva’selps to visit Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath and Madhyamaheshwar temples.
Also, it is a small temple, and devotees must pass through a cave to reach it. Kalpswara temple is the place where Shiva’s Jata (tress) appeared. It is near Rudranath Temple.
Gangotri Temple:
Gangotri Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga. This Temple had located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state. It had situated at an altitude of 3,100 meters in the Himalayan Range on the banks of the Bhagirathi River.
Badrinath Temple:
This Temple is a Hindu temple devoted to Lord Vishnu in the Garhwal area of Uttarakhand. Alaknanda river flows next to the Temple. Devotees believe that the idol of Lord Vishnu is Swayambhu in nature.
Kedarnath Temple:
Kedarnath Temple had Located in the Garhwal Himalayan field in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India. The Kedarnath Temple is one of the most prestigious and sacred Hindu temples, as it is part of the Chhota Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. It is near Mansa Devi Temple.
Hemkund Sahib:
Hemkund Sahib (formerly Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Ji) is a Sikh worship area in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It had also called Hemkunt Sahib. This place is devoted to the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Sri Guru Gobind Singh.
Chandi Devi Temple:
Chandi Devi Temple had located on top of Neel Mountain in Haridwar. This Temple is in honour of Chandi Devi. It is also one of the Panch Theerthas in Haridwar. Devi Chandi is a state of Goddess Parvati and is always close to Mansa Devi. People can also reach Chandi Devi Temple by cable car.
Maya Devi Temple:
Among the three oldest ‘temples in Haridwar, this Temple is still intact. The other two are the Narayan-sila and the Bhairava temple. The deities of the Temple include Maya and Kali, as well as Kamakhya.
Har Ki Pauri:
It means ‘Steps of Shiva’. Har Ki Pauri is a sacred bathing ghat. It leaves the Gangetic Mountains at a point on the banks of the Ganges and enters the plains. A person who bathes in the river Ganga washes away all his sins. It is also a part of Char Dham Yatra destinations in Uttarakhand.
Nileswara Temple:
This Temple had situated at the foot of Nile Mountain near Kushavarta Ghat. This Temple had Here’sted Here’sd ShivHere’sldhara and Ganges flow near the Temple. Here, devotees bathe before visiting the Temple. The Temple had located at a distance of 500 meters from Har Ki Pauri.
Where to stay near Rudranath Temple?
Some of the places to stay near Rudranath Temple while undertaking the Char Dham Yatra are:
- Krishna Homestay
- Hotel Rudra and restaurant
- Himalaya bird resort and homestay
- Himrab Chopta Resort
- The Meadows Chopta
- Alpine Hotel (Mandal)
- Hotel Peace Palace And restaurant
- Nirvana Stays Chopta
- Amar Resort And Camps
- Neelkanth home stay tungnath chopta
How to reach Rudranath Temple?
Here’s how to reach Rudranath Temple:
By Air:
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, 258 km away.
By Rail:
The nearest railway head is Rishikesh which is 241 km away.
By Road:
You can use automobiles till the village Sagar after that, and one has to complete a 20 km trek to reach the Temple.
Rudranath Temple Address:
Rudra Nath, Uttarakhand 246472.
FAQs:
What is Rudranath famous for?
Rudranath is famous for the Shiva Temple, one of the five body parts into which Lord Shiva divided himself to avoid the Pandavas.
Who built Rudranath Temple?
The Pandavas built this Temple.
When was the Rudranath temple built?
This important Hindu shrine was built in the 8th century AD and is said to shelter the face of Lord Shiva.