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Kedarnath

Kedarnath is worshipped as the first Kedar in the Panch Kedar temple (Kedarnath, Madhyameshwar, Tungnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar) of Lord Shiva located in Uttarakhand. Apart from this, this temple is also a part of the Chota Char Dham Yatra (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath) to be done in Uttarakhand.

This Kedarnath temple is also worshipped as the eleventh Jyotirlinga of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva located all over India. Kedarnath is one of the most famous temples of Lord Shiva. You can guess the devotion of devotees towards Kedarnath, that this temple is open only for 06 months in a year.

Nevertheless, in these 06 months, around 10 lakh devotees come to see Kedarnath. The Kedarnath temple remains open for devotees to visit for only 06 months of the year, the rest of the 06 months of Kedarnath is worshipped at the Omkareshwar Temple of Ukhimath Temple.

There was a time when devotees travelling to Kedarnath were required to show a fitness certificate as the walk of Kedarnath was very difficult at that time. Just after the 2013 natural disaster, the walking path of Kedarnath has been made very easy. At present, you can complete the 16 km trek to Kedarnath in a few hours with great comfort. You can consider Kedarnath hiking as an easy and moderate level trek.

Easy because presently a paved road has been constructed for the Kedarnath trek all the way. And moderate because during the 16 km trek, you may have to climb very steep places in many places. Before starting Kedarnath, there are some things that you should know before starting Kedarnath Yatra like –

01 Where to register to visit Kedarnath?

02 Where does the Kedarnath Yatra begin?

03 When does the Kedarnath Yatra begin?

04 What to keep together during the walk?

05 What facilities are available during Kedarnath Yatra?

So let’s know what things we have to take care of during the Kedarnath Yatra.

Registration for Kedarnath Yatra

Before starting the Kedarnath Yatra, you have to make a complete itinerary so that you do not face any kind of trouble during Kedarnath Yatra. Before the year 2013, any number of devotees could visit Kedarnath in one day. There was no restriction on the number of devotees. But after the 2013 tragedy, the number of devotees was reduced to 1500 for some time to visit Kedarnath.

The ban was later lifted when the damage repair at Kedarnath was completed. After the ban is lifted, an estimated 10 lakh devotees come to visit Kedarnath. First of all, you should know that if you want to visit Kedarnath, then it is very important to register to see Kedarnath. You cannot travel to Kedarnath without registration.

So now the question arises that from where to get the registration done to see Kedarnath. There are two ways to register for Kedarnath Darshan – offline registration and online registration.

For online registration, you can go to Kedarnath Yatra’s online registration portal  ( https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/registration ) to get the registration done for Kedarnath Yatra (maybe by making any change in the given link If given, then go to Google and find out about the information related to travel).

Apart from this, if you want to get offline registration, then the Uttarakhand government has set up many kiosks to register the Kedarnath yatra. In Uttarakhand, Kedarnath registration counters are maintained at Haridwar, Rishikesh, bus station, railway station, main market and many public places.

For Kedarnath Yatra you must have a photo ID like – Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Driving License and Voter ID Card etc. If possible, you should keep a passport size photo and your original ID card along with a photocopy of them along with you. Apart from this, you can also register for Kedarnath Yatra by reaching Gaurikund.

But you can get more crowds at the registration counter of Gaurikund, so it would be better if you register for the Kedarnath yatra before Gaurikund. For the Kedarnath yatra, the Uttarakhand government has also maintained an official app on the Google Play Store in addition to the online registration portal, you can also register for the Kedarnath yatra by downloading it.

Note: – Due to the ongoing epidemic, it is very important for you to have a negative report of covid-19 during Kedarnath Yatra. If you want to travel to Kedarnath without a covid-19 report, then the local administration will not allow you to do this. 

Therefore, you must get covid-19 report giving test (RT-PCR / ANTIGEN / TRUENAT / CBNAAT) with you before the Kedarnath yatra.

Kedarnath Trek

The track to Kedarnath starts from Gaurikund, the distance from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is 16 kilometres. Before starting the Kedarnath trek, you have to show your Kedarnath Yatra registration and medical certificate at the check post made at Sonprayag, 05 km before Gaurikund.

By showing your document on the check post made at Sonprayag, you can reach Gaurikund very easily by jeep running from here. The fare of a jeep running from Sonprayag to Gaurikund is only 20 rupees. After reaching Gaurikund, you can start the Kedarnath trek from here.

There are some things to keep in mind before starting the Kedarnath trek. You can start the Kedarnath trek from 04:00 AM to 01:30 PM. After this, you will not be allowed to trek Kedarnath. There are two main reasons for this. The first reason is that the distance of the Kedarnath trek is too much because of this, if you start the trek late then there is a lot of possibility of nightfall during the trek.

The second main reason is that this area of Kedarnath is also a part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, therefore, due to security reasons, the Kedarnath trek is not allowed to start late. There are also many stops during the Kedarnath trek, where you can rest during the trek and you will also get food and drink facilities here. The total length of the Kedarnath trek is 16 kilometres.

From Gaurikund there are several stops till reaching the Kedarnath temple. The first stop is Jungle Chatti, which is only 04 kilometres away from Gaurikund. You can reach Jungle Chatti via Rambada Bridge, just 4 kilometres from Gaurikund to Jungle Chatti. After Jungle Chatti, the next stop comes Bhimbali, which is 03 kilometres away from Jungle Chatti.

After walking 04 km from Bhimbali, you reach the next stop to Lincholi. After Lincholi comes the Kedarnath Base Camp, which is 04 kilometres away from Lincholi. Kedarnath base camp is just 01 km away from Kedarnath base camp. A normal man may take 07-08 hours to complete the Kedarnath trek.

The Kedarnath trek comes easily in the medium range trek, during the entire trek you will sometimes find a flat route and sometimes a steep straight climb. You can also find slopes at many places during the trek.

Facilities available on Kedarnath trek

The total walking distance from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is 16 kilometres. It is a very long distance to walk to any religious place. For this reason, the local administration has made a lot of arrangements throughout the trek to make this walking tour of the pilgrims visiting Kedarnath comfortable and safe.

Many rest places have been built throughout the way for the pilgrims to rest. Drinking water has been provided at various places and toilets have also been constructed. Apart from this, small shops and restaurants are also available for the pilgrims to eat and drink. Due to being located at a high altitude, many devotees may have high altitude sickness during the journey.

Medical facilities have also been provided at many places on the Kedarnath trek. You will also get oxygen treatment along with first aid at these medical centres. Several government restrooms and many private hotels are also built around the temple premises to stop by paying the prescribed fee.

How to reach Kedarnath

Most of the devotees who visit the Kedarnath Yatra prefer to complete the Kedarnath Yatra on foot. But there are also many devotees of Lord Shiva who are not able to complete this journey on foot, for such devotees, the local administration has provided many facilities to complete Kedarnath.

For those devotees who cannot reach Kedarnath on foot, local administration like Gaurikund and Sonprayag provide facilities like Palki, Kandi and Ponni (mule). You can avail of these facilities by paying the prescribed fee of these facilities from Gaurikund and Sonprayag.

Rate list of Ponies, Kandi and Palanquin in Kedarnath

Palaki Rates From Gaurikund To Kedarnath

From	To	Distance (KMS)	Up to 75 kg (In INR)	Up to 90 kg (In INR)	More than 90 kg (In INR)
Gaurikund	Kedarnath	16 km	4550/-	5550/-	6550/-
Gaurikund	Kedarnath & Return Trip	32 km	7950/-	8950/-	10650/-
Kedarnath	Gaurikund	16 km	3950/-	4950/-	5850/-
Gaurikund	Lincholi	12 km	3550/-	4550/-	5350/-
Lincholi	Gauri kund Return Trip	12 km	2950/-	3950/-	4650/-
Lincholi	Kedarnath	04 km	1550/-	2550/-	2950/-
Kedarnath	Lincholii Return Trip	04 km	1350/-	2350/-	2700/-
Lincholi	Kedarnath Return Trip	48 km	2350/-	3350/-	3900/-

Kandi Rates From Gaurikund To Kedarnath

From	To	Distance (in Kms)	Hoti 25 kg (in INR)	Upto 50 Kg (In INR)
Gaurikund	Kedarnath & Same Day Return Trip	32 kms	1900/-	3350/-
Gaurikund	Kedarnath	32 kms	1500/-	2900/-

Ponies rates from Gaurikund / Sonprayag to Kedarnath

From	To	Distance in Kms	Cost (In INR)
Sonprayag	Kedarnath	19 km	2500/-
Sonprayag	Lincholi	16 km	1800/-
Sonprayag	Bhimbali	11 km	1150/-
Sonprayag	Bherachatti	18.5 km	1800/-
Sonprayag	Gaurikund	05 km	650/-
Gaurikund	Kedarnath	14 km	2300/-
Gaurikund	Lincholi	11 km	1600/-
Gaurikund	Bhimbali	06 km	700/-
Gaurikund	Sonprayag	05 km	550/-
Bhimbali	Kedarnath	08 km	1200/-
Kedarnath	Sonprayag	19 km	1700/-
Kedarnath	Gaurikund	14 km	1500/-
Kedarnath	Bhimbali	08 km	800/-
Kedarnath	Lincholi	03 km	500/-
Lincholi	Kedarnath	03 km	550/-
Lincholi	Gaurikund	11 km	900/-
Bhimbali	Gaurikund	06 km	700/-
Bherachatti	Sonprayag	16 km	1250/-
Lincholi	Sonprayag	18.5 km	1400/-
Sonprayag	Choti Lincholi	14 km	1400/+
Choti Lincholi	Sonprayag	14 km	1100/-
Gaurikund	Choti Lincholi	09 km	1000/-
Choti Lincholi	Gaurikund	09 km	800/-

Note:-

01 The rates of palanquin, Kandi and ponni (mule) are determined by the local administration every year, so make sure to know about their current rates before availing of any facilities during the journey.

02 The local administration can change the rates of palanquin, Kandi and ponni (mule) without any prior notice, so before starting the journey, be sure to know about the current rates from the concerned department.

How to reach Kedarnath

Apart from palanquin, Kandi and pony (mule), the local administration also provides helicopter facilities for the devotees visiting Kedarnath. Helicopter service to Kedarnath is available from Dehradun and Phata villages. Travelling from Dehradun to Kedarnath by helicopter is very expensive.

That’s why most of the devotees prefer to take a helicopter trip to Kedarnath from Phata village and Sarsi village a few kilometres away from Kedarnath. Many private helicopter companies provide their services to Kedarnath. Therefore, to travel to Kedarnath with any helicopter company, make sure to know about the current rates of Kedarnath Yatra.

From	To	Type  of Ticket	Distance in Kms	Cost (In INR)
Phata	Kedarnath	Return Ticket	36 km	4720/-
Phata	Kedarnath	One way Ticket	18 Km	2360/-
Kedarnath	Phata	One way Ticket	18 km	2360/-
Sersi	Kedarnath	Same-day Return Ticket	46 Km	4680/-
Sersi	Kedarnath	Next-day Return Ticket	46 Km	4680/-
Sersi	Kedarnath	One way Ticket	23 km	2340/-
Kedarnath	Sersi	One way Ticker	23 Km	2340/-

Note:-

01 Before travelling to Kedarnath by helicopter, be sure to know about the current rates.

02 The rates for the Kedarnath Yatra to Helicopter are decided by the local administration every year, so make sure to know about the current rates once before starting the journey.

03 Changes in helicopter rates are possible without any notice, so be sure to know about the current rates before travelling.

04 Before starting the Kedarnath Yatra by helicopter, you must read the terms and conditions of the yatra or ask the concerned organization so that you do not have any inconvenience during the Kedarnath Yatra.

Kedarnath Trek Tips and Tricks

01 people with heart, high blood pressure and respiratory disease need to consult a doctor before trekking to Kedarnath.

02 If you are travelling to Kedarnath by palanquin, Kandi and Ponni (mule), then get booked in advance at the booking counter at Gaurikund and Sonprayag.

03 Kedarnath trek is good if you start early in the morning. It is permissible to start the Kedarnath trek from 04:00 AM to 01:30 PM.

04 If you start the trek late, you stop at the resting place at night in Jungle Chatti, Bhimbali and Lincholi and start the trek again the next day. Trekking to Kedarnath at night is not considered safe.

05 Please keep your identity proof with you at the time of Kedarnath Yatra.

06 Keep the daily routine items together.

07 If you are trekking Kedarnath during monsoon season then keep a waterproof bag and poncho together. So that your clothes and electronic items are safe. Trek Kedarnath only during the monsoon season by wearing waterproof shoes.

08 Wearing clothes according to the weather while travelling to Kedarnath. Keep warm clothes together.

09 It would be better if you use torches, tracking shoes and tracking paint during the trek.

10 Keep extra batteries together for electronic goods.

11 During the journey of Kedarnath, keep a medical kit of first aid together.

How to reach Kedarnath By Road

Kedarnath is one of the largest religious places in India. If you want to reach Kedarnath by road, then you have to reach Gaurikund first from here, then you can trek 16 kilometres to reach Kedarnath. Apart from Gaurikund, you can also reach Sonprayag, from here you will get jeep and taxi service for Gaurikund which will leave you Gaurikund for Rs 20-50.

Regular bus services are available from Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun to Gaurikund and Sonprayag. Apart from this, you can reach Gaurikund and Sonprayag from these three places with the help of a taxi. These three cities of Uttarakhand are very well connected to all the cities of the country by road.

You can reach Kedarnath (Gaurikund) very easily with the help of your vehicle.

Haridwar to Kedarnath Distance – 239 km

Rishikesh to Kedarnath Distance – 216 km

Dehradun to Kedarnath Distance – 254 km

How to reach Kedarnath By Train

Due to its high altitude, there is no railway station in Kedarnath. The nearest railway station to Kedarnath is Haridwar and Rishikesh railway station. Both these cities are well connected to the major cities of the country by rail route. From here, regular bus services and taxi services are available to Kedarnath (Gaurikund).

How to reach Kedarnath by Air

The nearest airport to Kedarnath is the Jolly Grant Air Port of Dehradun. From Jolly Grant Airport, you can reach Kedarnath (Gaurikund) very easily with the help of a taxi. Apart from this, you can also reach Kedarnath by regular bus from Dehradun to Kedarnath (Gaurikund). Jolly Grant Airport of Dehradun is very well connected to the airports of major cities of the country.

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