The five Kedar lie in the valleys between the rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. The term Kedar itself means a natural rock formation or a glacial moraine. According to legend, Himalayas Kedarnath, According to mythology, after the Kurukshetra war Mahabharata. When the Kauravas refused to grant the Pandavas even a small portion of their kingdom, the dispute escalated into the devastating battle of Kurukshetra.
Although the Pandavas emerged victorious, the bloodshed weighed heavily on their conscience — they had slain their own kin. Seeking redemption for this sin, they journeyed to Varanasi in search of Lord Shiva, the destroyer and purifier. But Shiva, angered by the carnage, chose to avoid them entirely.
When he saw the Pandavas approaching, Lord Shiva assumed the form of a bull to conceal himself. Yet, Bhima recognized the disguise. As Shiva tried to vanish into the ground, Bhima grabbed the bull’s tail and hind legs. The bull’s hump remained above ground — this sacred form is worshipped at Kedarnath.
Shiva then manifested in four other places —
- Kedarnath — Hump of the bull
- Tungnath — Arms
- Madhyamaheshwar — Navel
- Rudranath — Face
- Kalpeshwar — Hair
