Located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Rudranath Temple is a religious place dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated at an altitude of 2286 meters, and the Rudranath Temple is full of magnificent natural beauty. Lord Shiva is worshiped in Neelkanth Mahadev in Rudranath temple, and this temple holds a special religious significance among Hindus.

The face of Lord Shiva is worshiped in the Rudranath temple. In contrast, the rest of the body is worshiped in the Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, India’s neighboring country. Rudranath Temple is an important pilgrimage place of Panchkedar, one of the Panch Kedars called Kedar. Apart from Rudranath, Panch Kedar includes Kedarnath, Tungnath, Madmaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar. The atmosphere of Rudranath temple is relatively calm and full of cool. The Rudranath temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located in a cave, the only place in India where Lord Shiva’s face is worshiped.

Rudranath Temple Mythology

It is said that the Pandavas came to the Himalayas after the Mahabharata war. The Pandavas were seeking forgiveness from Lord Shiva for their sin as they were guilty of killing the Kauravas in the war of Mahabharata, but Lord Shiva did not want to meet them, so he disguised himself as Nandi the bull and hide somewhere. Soon after this, the body of Lord Shiva got divided into four different parts, which are known as Panch kedars. The Rudranath temple was built where the head of Lord Shiva was found.

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The Rudranath temple has high mountains all around, which are covered with a white sheet of snow. Standing in the Rudranath temple, the clouds look so close that it seems like we are in the middle of the clouds. Rudranath temple is also the best destination for trekking. While trekking here, rivers and waterfalls are found on the way, making the mind happy to see.

Nearest place around Rudranath Temple

Panar Bugyal

In the Panar Bugyal located in the Rudranath temple, green grass is seen all around. There are numerous types of flower species, which adds to the beauty of the place. During your visit to Rudranath temple, you will smile after coming here and seeing the lush green meadows all around.

Tree of Heaven

There is a long chain of Kalpavriksha near Joshimath in Rudranath. Kalpavriksha is a very ancient tree. It is said that deities reside in these trees; hence they are worshiped here. Kalpavrikshas are seen all around here. It is believed that Adi Guru Shankaracharya did penance while sitting under the Kalpavriksha. It is said that the Kalpavriksha here is 1200 years old.

Narasimha Temple

Narsingh Temple is a famous temple in Rudranath near Joshimath, where pilgrims visit Badrinath Dham for their darshan. Here the idol of Narasimha is established in the temple. It is said about this temple that the idol of Lord Narasimha is getting smaller day by day. It is said that on the day this idol disappears, disasters will start coming here.

Joshimath

Joshimath is a significant city situated at an altitude of 6000 feet above sea level. Tourists go to Rudranath and Chopta from Joshimath itself. Surrounded by high mountains covered with snow, Joshimath looks very beautiful. Adi Guru Shankaracharya founded Joshimath in the 8th century. Joshimath is one of the four main monasteries of the country, and this place was known as Kartikeyapura in ancient times. Joshimath is an extraordinary place for pilgrims as there are thousands of temples here. If you want to feel the beauty of nature, then definitely visit Joshimath once.

The journey to Rudranath Temple starts from Gopeshwar. Gopeshwar, the historical temple, is famous for the Gopinath Temple. Devotees do not forget to visit Gopinath Temple and Iron Trishul during their visit to Rudranath Temple. During the journey of Rudranath temple, devotees cross the buggles and climb and reach the place called Pitradhar, where there is Shiva, Parvati, and Narayan temple. Here travelers keep stones in the name of their ancestors.

There is Vaitarni Kund near Rudranath temple, where there is also an idol of Sheshasayi Vishnu, who is worshiped as Shakti. On one side of the temple are five Pandavas, Kunti, and Draupadi and small temples. Before entering the temple, there is Narad Kund, in which all the travelers take a bath and remove their fatigue, and after that, they reach the temple. Apart from this, Surya Kund, Chandra Kund, Tar Kund, and Man Kund are also nearby.

During the Rudranath Yatra, you get to see wild animals like Himalayan Peacock, Monal, Thunar, and antelope on the way. Bhojpatra trees and Brahmakamal are also seen in large numbers here. The peaks of Hathi Parvat, Nanda Devi, and Trishul Parvat can be seen from the Rudranath Temple. The rainbow shade here will leave you spellbound. The entire area of Rudranath is so supernatural that the beauty of this place cannot be described in words.

The journey of Rudranath begins in May, at which time the doors of the Rudranath temple open here. The best time to visit Rudranath is from August to September. At this time, people adorned with colorful flowers attract the attention of the poor people. At this time, there is greenery all around here.

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How to reach

By Air: The nearest airport from Rudranath is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is about 258 km from Gopeshwar. Taxi and bus services are available from Jolly Grant Airport to Gopeshwar.

By Rail: The nearest railway station from Gopeshwar is Rishikesh Railway Station, situated at a distance of about 241 km from Gopeshwar. Gopeshwar can be reached from Rishikesh by bus or taxi.

By Road: Road is the best option to reach Rudranath. You can easily reach here by bus, taxi or private vehicle.

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