Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, and has a black marble idol of the goddess.
The temple has been destroyed and reconstructed several times over a long span of time. The present version of the temple was constructed in 19th century by Tehri Naresh Sudershan Shah. The temple is set against the magnificent backdrop of Bandarpunch mountain which gives the surrounding areas a beautiful view.
The temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya (April/May) and closes on Yama Dwitiya (the second day after Diwali, October/November) for the winter.
A little ahead is the actual source of the river Yamuna, which is at an altitude of about 4,421 metres (14,505 ft) approximately.
Two hot springs are also present at Yamunotri. Surya Kund has boiling hot water, while Gauri Kund has tepid water suitable for bathing.
The spring water is said to be hot enough to cook rice and potatoes. Here raw rice is cooked and made into prasad.
Gangotri Temple
Gangotri is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi, the origin of the river Ganges. The town is located on the Greater Himalayan Ranges, at a height of 3,100 metres (10,200 ft).
According to popular Hindu legend, Goddess Ganga descended here when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from the locks of his hairs.
The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda.
The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.
The original Gangotri Temple was built by the Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa.
A temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga is located near a sacred stone where King Bhagiratha worshipped Lord Shiva.
According to Hindu culture, Goddess Ganga took the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagiratha’s predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Bhagiratha Shila is a sacred slab where king Bhagiratha meditated.
Ganga is believed to have touched earth at this spot.
The Gangotri temple opens on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya which falls in the month of April/May and closes on Yama Dwitiya or Bhai Dooj which falls in the month of October/November.
The Gangotri temple remains closed for the rest of six months. The Goddess shifts to the village Mukhba during the winter months.
Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple roughly 1200 years old dedicated to Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
The temple remains open for the general public only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima)
During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months.
According to Hindu legends, the temple was initially built by the Pandavas, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. This temple is the highest (altitude) among the 12 Jyotirlingas.
The Pandavas after Mahabharat war handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of lord Shiva to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva’s favourite city and known for its Kashi Vishwanath Temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas’ prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the face showing up at Rudranath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar.The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva.
The temple is at a height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), on the shores of Mandakini river, a tributary of Ganga.
Adi Shankaracharya died at the mountains near Kedarnath
Kedarnath Teerth Purohits are the ancient Brahmins of this region, their ancestors (Rishi-Muni) have been worshiping the lingam since the time of Nara-Narayana and Daksh Prajapati. King Janmejay, grandson of the Pandavas, gave them the right of worshiping this temple and donate the whole Kedar region, and they have been worshiping pilgrims ever since.
The presiding image of Kedarnath in the form of lingam is of irregular shape with a pedestal 3.6 m (12 ft) in circumference and 3.6 m (12 ft) in heigh
Kedarnath Temple contains statues of the five Pandava brothers, Krishna, Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva and Virabhadra, one of the guards of Shiva. Statues of Draupadi and other deities are also installed in the main hall.
A huge rock got stuck behind Kedarnath Temple and protected it from the ravages of the flood. The rock which protected the temple is worshipped as the भीम शीला
Badrinath Temple
Badrinath or Badrinarayana Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India.
The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu – holy shrines for Vaishnavas – who is worshipped as Badrinath.
It remains opens for six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), because of extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.
The temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River.
The image of the presiding deity worshipped in the temple is a 1 ft (0.30 m), the black granite deity of Vishnu in the form of Badrinarayan.
Although Badrinath is located in North India, the head priest, or Rawal, is traditionally a Nambudiri Brahmin chosen from the South Indian state of Kerala.
The Nar Parbat mountain is located opposite to the temple, while the Narayana Parbat is located behind the Neelkanth peak.
Adi Shankara established Badrinath as a pilgrimage site in the ninth century.
The temple has three structures: the Garbhagriha (sanctum), the Darshan Mandapa (worship hall), and Sabha Mandapa (convention hall). The conical-shaped roof of the sanctum, the garbhagriha, is approximately 15 m (49 ft) tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof. The walls and pillars of the hall are covered with intricate carvings.
The main shrine houses the 1 ft (0.30 m) Shaligram (black stone) deity of Badrinarayana, which is housed in a gold canopy under a Badri Tree.
The deity of Badrinarayana shows Him holding a Shankha (conch) and a Chakra (wheel) in two of His arms in a lifted posture and the other two arms resting on His lap in a Yogamudra (Padmasana) posture.
The Tapt Kund, a group of hot sulphur springs just below the temple, are considered to be medicinal; many pilgrims consider it a requirement to bathe in the springs before visiting the temple. The springs have a year-round temperature of 55 °C (131 °F), while outside temperature is typically below 17 °C (63 °F) all year round. The two water ponds in the temple are called Narad Kund and Surya Kund.
According to Hindu legend, the god Vishnu sat in meditation at this place. During his meditation, Vishnu was unaware of cold weather. Lakshmi, protected him in the form of the Badri tree (called ‘ber’ in Hindi). Pleased by the devotion of Lakshmi, Vishnu named the place Badrika Ashrama.
Vishnu in the form of Badrinatha is depicted in the temple sitting in the padmasana posture.