Kedarnath

What the texts say

1. Lineage text

   Sadhguru says the reason for coming to Kedar is that the valley has seen countless yogis and mystics over thousands of years, people who taught no one and instead left their energies and their way in the place itself.

   “the craziest cocktail of spirituality anywhere in the world”

   Himalayan Lust, Sadhguru, "Part One: The Domain of Shiva (Kedarnath)"

2. Lineage text

   For someone seeking spiritual uplift, he calls Kedar a boon beyond imagining if one is open to it: only a mountain, an outcrop of rock, made different by what the people who lived here did to the space.

   Himalayan Lust, Sadhguru, "Part One: The Domain of Shiva (Kedarnath)"

3. Lineage text

   Sadhguru describes Kedarnath as a space specially prepared for the sound "Shiva", which he says takes on a new dimension there.

   Shiva: Ultimate Outlaw, Sadhguru, "Kantisarovar – Lake of Grace"

What tradition holds

Kept apart from the texts on purpose. These are held with respect, and they are not the same as a written source.

• Pilgrim tradition

  Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and part of the Char Dham and Panch Kedar pilgrimages. The temple committee attributes the present temple to Adi Shankaracharya, over a thousand years ago.

  Held by: Pilgrims, as described by the Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee

What you will find today

A practice for this place

Find a place on the slope above the temple, away from the crowd. For ten minutes, let the sound "Shi-va" repeat silently with each out-breath, then drop it and sit in whatever silence remains. At this altitude, take the trek slowly and keep warm.