- By Kashish Rai
- Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:19 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kedarnath Yatra 2025: Kedarnath is a sacred site for Hindu pilgrimage nestled in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India and is a part of the holy Chardham Yatra pilgrimage circuit. Millions of devotees visit this ancient temple to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and offer obeisances. The place has great spiritual significance, with rich religious tales and legends associated with it and passed down from generations.
According to the legend, the Kedarnath temple was constructed by the Pandavas, the five brothers of the epic Mahabharata, who asked for forgiveness from Lord Shiva for the bloodshed during the Kurukshetra War. Lord Shiva dodged them by turning into a bull and vanishing into the ground, leaving behind only his hump. The Pandavas constructed the temple at this location, which became the legendary Kedarnath Temple. This holy place continues to attract the devout followers of the lord who visit to worship and relate to the divine. The temple's rich heritage makes it a place of great veneration for Hindus.
However, one interesting fact associated with the temple is that the head priest of the temple is chosen from Kerala. Let us know the spiritual significance behind this custom below:
Kedarnath Yatra 2025: Why Head Priest At Kedarnath Temple Is chosen From Kerala?
The priests of Kedarnath Temple are members of the Rawal community of Karnataka, who have been conducting ancient rituals and reciting mantras in Kannada since the 10th century AD. Interestingly, the chief priest does not conduct the rituals but leaves them to the assistants. There are five head priests of the temple who alternate occupying the chief position. Nambudiri Brahmin priests from Kerala are particularly chosen to perform rituals at the Kedarnath Shrine. This ritual is believed to be initiated by the South Indian Philosopher - Adi Shankara.
As per hagiographies, Adi Shankara, a philosopher of the 8th Century, died close to Kedarnath, with Kanchipuram indicated as another possibility in some versions. There exists a memorial in the place marked as his assumed place of Samadhi near Kedarnath. It was an important pilgrimage site by the 12th century and is referenced in the Kritya-kalpataru. According to a legend, Adi Shankara restored the temple along with other temples such as Badrinath and others of Uttarakhand and it is assumed he achieved Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath.
Kedarnath is one of the 12 most sacred Jyotirlingams dedicated to Mahadev. (Image Source: Canva)
The Kedarnath Teerth Purohits - the prehistoric Brahmins of the place have been performing the worship of the lingam since the ages of Nara-Narayana and Daksh Prajapati. As per the ancient legends, King Janmejay, who was the grandson of the Pandavas gave them the privilege of worshipping the temple and gifted the Kedar area. These Brahmins, otherwise referred to as Shukla or Bajpai, have been attending to pilgrims since then, reading the Shukla Yajurveda and adhering to the Madhyandin school.
The Rawals (South Indian priests) and native Jamloki Brahmins are devoted to worshipping Shiv Lingam at Kedaenath and the pilgrim puja is conducted by the Tirtha Purohit Brahmins. The historical data also suggests that one Rawal priest once conducted rituals in both Badrinath and Kedarnath temples by visiting the latter on a daily basis. It emphasises the firm religious attachment and devotion of Rawal priests towards these sanctuaries, and hence, the Keralite priests are still chosen as the head priest at Kedarnath.