The 10 Best Places You Must Visit Enroute Your Kedarnath Dham Yatra

Top Tourist Places to Visit Enroute Kedarnath Dham Yatra

The Incredible Travel Guide for You to Explore the Top Places Enroute to Kedarnath Dham Yatra in 2024.

Lovingly referred to as Devbhoomi or “Land of the Gods”, Uttarakhand presents a landscape that is dotted with numerous temples, shrines, and holy destinations. These temples in Uttarakhand are considered in high reverence by the devotees and form part of various pilgrimages. Home to some of the most sacred places in India, the state is home to the majestic Kedarnath Dham, dedicated to worshiping Lord Shiva. The Kedarnath Dham Yatra is an important pilgrimage taken up by his devotees who come from places far and away to seek his blessings.

With an abundance of fascinating temples, Uttarakhand has some top attractions for you to explore enroute your Kedarnath Yatra 2024. Situated among the Himalayas, offering soothing views of its surroundings, these temples provide relief to the eyes and the soul. Read along to find out more about the places you can explore during your yatra to the Kedarnath Dham with this travel guide so that you can have the best yatra experience.

Some of the best places to visit in Uttarakhand enroute your Kedarnath Dham Yatra 2024 include:

Haridwar
Rishikesh
Devprayag
Dhari Devi Temple
Koteshwar Mahadev Temple
Omkareshwar Temple
Kartik Swami Temple
Kalimath Temple
Tungnath Temple
Triyuginarayan Temple

Kedarnath Temple Opening Date	Kedarnath Temple Closing Date
10th May, 2024	November, 2024

Haridwar- A Visit to the Holy City

The holy city of Haridwar is one place that is often visited by devotees when visiting Kedarnath for the Chardham Yatra. Haridwar finds itself dotted with numerous temples, shrines and ashrams all throughout its landscape and is considered to be among the most sacred places in India, forming a part of the seven holy cities of India.

One of the things that make Haridwar a top tourist attraction is its Ganga Aarti. Given its location along the banks of the sacred River Ganga, Haridwar is most known for its mesmerizing Ganga Aarti that takes place every morning and evening in worship of the holy river at its ghats, or the stepped river banks. The Aarti is a popular affair at Haridwar, attracting tourists and devotees alike and takes place at the Har-ki-Pauri.

What makes Haridwar among the best places to visit enroute Kedarnath Temple during the Chardham Yatra is the presence of the River Ganga itself, taking a dip in which is said to absolve the devotees from all their sins. Along with Har-ki-Pauri, other top places to explore for tourists in Haridwar include the Kushavarta Ghat, Kankhal, Mansa Devi Temple, and the Chandi Devi Temple.

Rishikesh- Rejuvenation for your Mind and Soul

Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh is among the best places to visit on the way to Kedarnath Dham. A holy town lying along the River Ganga, Rishikesh has remained a major pilgrimage site for the country for centuries. Abundant with many temples and shrines throughout, the town is home to numerous ashrams that aid devotees and tourists to learn the practices of yoga, meditation, and spirituality for a more mindful living. A top attraction for tourists within the country and abroad, Rishikesh is most famously understood as being the “Yoga Capital of the World”.

With the sacred River Ganga flowing through the town, Rishikesh forms an important pilgrimage destination for Hindu devotees. Praying along the ghats, or the stepped river banks, taking a dip in the holy river, and attending the evening Ganga Aarti are some of the top attractions in Rishikesh. Along with this, as a devotee you can also explore other sacred places during your visit such as the Trimbakeshwar Temple, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, both dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and stand to form some of the best places to visit in the town. Rishikesh is among the holy towns in India and is a place that you must visit enroute your visit to the Kedarnath Dham.

Devprayag- Emergence of the Glorious Ganga

Lying at the confluence of the holy rivers of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda to form the River Ganga, the hill town of Devprayag is among the best places to explore in Uttarakhand enroute your visit to the Chardham temple of Kedarnath. This town is a top attraction during the Kedarnath Yatra and forms an important part of the five holy river confluences located in the state, which are otherwise referred to as the Panch Prayag.

Surrounded by the mighty Himalayas, along with a blanket of calmness and serenity all around, Devprayag has some fascinating temples for you to explore during your Kedarnath Yatra. The Raghunathji Temple in the town is established in worship of Lord Rama and is said to have been in existence since centuries.

The temple forms one of the top attractions for the town and is among the most sacred places to visit in Devprayag. Another site that holds immense significance in the town is the Dasharatha Chal Peak that contains the Dashrath Shila Rock, where Lord Rama’s father, King Dashratha is said to have performed penance. A town where the flow of the River Ganga begins, Devprayag is among the best places to visit on your yatra to Kedarnath.

Dhari Devi Temple- The Different Faces of the Goddess

Worshiping the Goddess Dhari Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Kali, the temple of Dhari Devi stands astonishingly along the River Alaknanda. Situated between Srinagar and Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand, near Kalyasaur, Dang Chaura Temple is considered one of the most sacred places in the state, attracting visitors from all over India. The presiding deity of Uttarakhand, Dhari Devi is said to manifest at the temple in different forms throughout the day, from a young girl, to a young woman, to an old lady, with the passage of the day.

One of the best places to visit during the yatra to the Kedarnath Dham, the Dhara Devi Temple is also said to protect the four temples of the Chardham circuit. With interesting legends and myths attached to the temple, Dhari Devi makes for a fascinating place to see enroute Kedarnath. According to a popular legend attached to the temple, the idol of the Goddess was found washed at the site during a flood. The villagers who found the idol heard a voice ordering them to leave it at the place, where later a temple would be constructed with the idol safely inside. At the temple, it is believed that the top half of the goddess is worshiped where her lower half is said to be worshiped at a different temple.

Koteshwar Mahadev Temple- The Cave Temple of Lord Shiva

Following the footsteps of Lord Shiva himself, Koteshwar Mahadev Temple is the best place to visit in Uttarakhand. It is said that it is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva stayed and meditated, while on his way to Kedarnath, making it an auspicious place to see for his devotees, especially during a yatra to the Kedarnath Dham.

Lying along the banks of the holy River Alaknanda, Koteshwar Mahadev Temple is built inside a cave in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag. Known for being the place visited by Lord Shiva himself, the temple is an important pilgrimage site for his devotees who come from far and wide to take his blessings while visiting the Kedarnath Dham. According to the legend associated with the temple, it is believed that after granting a boon to the demon Bhasmasura for his dedicated worship, the demon tried using it against Lord Shiva and attempted to kill him. In an attempt to escape from him, the lord is said to have hid himself in the cave and meditated here until Lord Vishnu came to his aid and destroyed the demon. One of the best places to see during your Kedarnath Yatra, Koteshwar Mahadev Temple stands surrounded by the Himalayas and is considered to be highly sacred being blessed by a visit by Lord Shiva himself.

Omkareshwar Temple - The Winter Abode of Kedarnath

When the mesmerizing state of Uttarakhand gets ready to receive its share of snow during the winter months, it is when the deity from the Kedarnath Dham is moved to the Omkareshwar Temple in Uttarakhand’s Ukhimath. A place that you must visit during your yatra to the Kedarnath Dham, Omkareshwar Temple is the winter home for the deity of Kedarnath and forms an important destination during the yatra.

Along with the deity from the Kedarnath Temple, Omkareshwar Temple also houses the deity from the temple of Madhyamaheshwar, one of the temples from the Panch Kedar pilgrimage, also dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva.

Out of the tales associated with the temple, a popular one suggests that the temple was the site of the wedding of Usha, the daughter of the demon Banasura, and Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna, making the temple to be known as Ushamath, which later got changed to Ukhimath. A visually gifted temple as well, Omkareshwar Temple is adorned with intricately carved structures that ooze out a feeling of spirituality throughout. One of the top tourist attractions of Ukhimath and among the best places to visit enroute Kedarnath, Omkareshwar Temple is one of the most sacred places in India.

Kartik Swami Temple- Sound the Holy Bells

Located amidst a scenic landscape of the snow-covered mountains of the Himalayas, Kartik Swami Temple in Uttarakhand is among the places that you must visit enroute the yatra to the Kedarnath Dham. Situated atop a hill, Kartik Swami Temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Kartik, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

After covering a trek that spans through a forest, the sight of the temple is truly a relief. The temple sits at the end of a ridge and offers a panoramic view of the region, from which viewing a sunset or a sunrise is one of the best things to do. The temple of Kartik Swami can be reached by a flight of around 80 stairs after which you can view the temple as it sits adorned with numerous bells offered by the devotees. At the temple, it is considered highly auspicious to offer a bell in order to get a wish fulfilled, with the evening aarti at the temple being one of its top attractions during which the sounds of the bells at the temple seem simply enchanting.

Kalimath Temple- Belonging to Goddess Kali

Situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Kalimath Temple is one of the temples that you must visit enroute your yatra to the Kedarnath Temple. At the temple, Goddess Kali is worshiped as the primary deity along with Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati as well. Kalimath Temple is also considered to be one of the most sacred places in India given the fact that it is believed to be among the 108 Shakti Peethas, the highly revered shrines dedicated to the Goddess Sati that are spread all throughout the country.

Goddess Kali is worshiped as the goddess of time, doomsday, and death and is often associated with violence. An incarnation of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, at the Kalimath Temple, Goddess Kali is said to have defeated the evil demon, Raktabeeja, after which she proceeded to reside at the temple as she went under the ground. The spot where she disappeared into the ground remains undisclosed to the public and remains closed with a silver plate that only gets removed during the eighth day of the Shardiya Navratri. Situated in the lap of the Himalayas, Uttarakhand’s Kalimath Temple is a place that you must visit and gather blessings from the goddess on your way to the holy temple of Kedarnath.

Tungnath Temple- A High Temple among the High Hills

Uttarakhand’s Tungnath Temple is a revered shrine and is known famously for multiple reasons. Tungnath Temple worships Lord Shiva as the primary deity and forms a part of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage that includes the five Shiva temples of Tungnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kedarnath. Apart from this, what makes this temple one of the best places for tourists to visit on the way to the Kedarnath is the fact that it is considered to be the highest Shiva temple in the entire world!

Being located at a height of more than 12,000 ft. Tungnath Temple is said to have been built by the Pandava brothers from the Hindu epic of Mahabharata. After their fight at Kurukshetra, the brothers went looking for Lord Shiva to repent their sins, who could not forgive them for their atrocities and chose to hide away by taking the form of a bull. On being recognized, Lord Shiva then proceeded to hide and appeared in different regions, where today stand the Panch Kedar Temples, Tungnath being one of them. Constructed by the brothers, the Tungnath temple was where the arms of the bull form of Lord Shiva was seen, making it one of the blessed places to explore on a visit on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath.

Triyuginarayan Temple- The Destination for the Divine Union

The temple of Triyuginarayan is often counted among the top attractions to visit enroute the Kedarnath Yatra for its association with Lord Shiva. According to local beliefs, the temple is believed to be the site where Lord Shiva got married to his consort Goddess Parvati, making it an extremely auspicious place to explore in this region of the Garhwal Himalayas. Inside the temple there is lit up an eternal fire that is said to have been lit up from the time of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s wedding and remains so even today.

Resembling the Kedarnath Temple in appearance, Triyuginarayan Temple is also said to be built by the Vedic scholar, Adi Shankaracharya centuries ago. There are four kunds, or sacred ponds of water, built in proximity to the temple and include the Brahma Kund, Vishnu Kund, Rudra Kund, and the Saraswati Kund. The water from these kunds are considered sacred and are used for ritualistic ceremonies. An important pilgrimage destination for the followers of Lord Shiva, Triyuginarayan Temple in Uttarakhand is a place that you must add to your list when you visit the Kedarnath Dham for a holy yatra.

Providing an abundance of temples, shrines, and hallowed places to explore, Uttarakhand is a truly blessed land. Visit these holy destinations that offer the divine touch of many gods and goddesses on your yatra to Kedarnath Dham and make your pilgrimage even more auspicious.