The Panch Kedar are five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand: Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar. By tradition, five parts of Shiva are worshipped in them.
| Name | Part of Shiva (by tradition) | District |
|---|---|---|
| Kedarnathalso a Jyotirlinga | The hump | Rudraprayag |
| Tungnath | The arms | Rudraprayag |
| Rudranath | The face | Chamoli |
| MadhyamaheshwarMadmaheshwar | The navel (middle of the body) | Rudraprayag |
| KalpeshwarKalpnath; Urgam valley | The matted hair (jata) | Chamoli |
See these tirthas on a mapEach name opens its own page: place, deity, story and sources
The story of the Panch Kedar (by tradition)
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee and Uttarakhand Tourism give this story: after the Mahabharata war the Pandavas sought Shiva’s blessing to atone for killing their own kin. Shiva kept avoiding them and hid in the Kedar region in the form of a buffalo. Bhima recognised him, and Shiva sank into the ground. The hump remained above ground at Kedarnath and the other parts appeared at four more places: the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the navel at Madhyamaheshwar and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. These five are the Panch Kedar.
We did not find this story in a Purana with chapter and verse, so it is given here as a story of the tradition.
When the temples are open
According to the temple committee Kedarnath usually opens in Vaishakh (April-May) and closes at the start of Kartik (October-November); in winter Kedarnath is worshipped at the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath. Tungnath, which the committee calls the highest Shiva temple at about 3,680 m, is worshipped in winter at Makkumath; a footpath leads up to it from Chopta. Kalpeshwar is the Kedar that stays open all year (ETV Bharat).
Where the sources differ
- Shiva’s form: the temple committee and Uttarakhand Tourism’s Panch Kedar page say a buffalo; Uttarakhand Tourism’s Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar pages say a bull.
- Madhyamaheshwar’s part: the temple committee says the belly, Uttarakhand Tourism’s Panch Kedar page the navel, and its Madhyamaheshwar page the middle of the torso.
- Kalpeshwar’s part: Uttarakhand Tourism says the jata (matted hair); the temple committee says the locks of hair with the head.
- The Chamoli district website says that at Rudranath Shiva’s face (ekanana) is worshipped, while the whole body is worshipped at Pashupatinath in Nepal.
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the Panch Kedar?
Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar (Madmaheshwar) and Kalpeshwar. Three are in Rudraprayag district and two (Rudranath, Kalpeshwar) in Chamoli.
Which parts of Shiva are worshipped at the Panch Kedar?
By tradition, the hump at Kedarnath, the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the navel at Madhyamaheshwar and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar.
What is the story of the Panch Kedar?
The story of the tradition, as the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee and Uttarakhand Tourism give it: after the Mahabharata war the Pandavas sought Shiva’s blessing to atone for killing their kin, but Shiva took the form of a buffalo and hid in the Kedar region. When Bhima recognised him, Shiva sank into the ground and his hump stayed above it at Kedarnath. The other parts appeared at Tungnath (the arms), Rudranath (the face), Madhyamaheshwar (the navel) and Kalpeshwar (the matted hair), and so these five are called the Panch Kedar.
Which text tells the Panch Kedar story?
We did not find it in a Purana with chapter and verse. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee and Uttarakhand Tourism give it as a story of the tradition.
Which Kedar is open all year?
Kalpeshwar, in the Urgam valley of Chamoli district. The other four close in winter.
Sources
- Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in): Shri Kedarnath Dham; other temples (Tungnath, Madmaheshwar, Dhyan Badri, Ukhimath, Makkumath)
- Uttarakhand Tourism (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in): pages on the Panch Kedar, Kedarnath, Madhyamaheshwar and Chopta
- Chamoli district (chamoli.gov.in): Rudranath temple; Rudraprayag district (rudraprayag.gov.in): Ukhimath
- ETV Bharat, 5 November 2024: Kalpeshwar Dham stays open all year
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