Kalpeswar
(5th Kedar)
(IPLTOURS)
Kalpeswar is the 5th Kedar Kshetra among the Pancha Kedar situated in the beautiful Urgam Valley in Garthwal region of the Himalayan Range in Uttarakhand State. The temple is at a height of 7200 feet above sea level. Pilgrims visit Kedarnath, Madhyamaheswar, Tunganath and Rudranath before Kalpeswar in Pancha Kedar Yatra. After visiting Rudranath, Pilgrims have to travel 28 km by trekking to reach Gopeshwar through Sagar and Gangol and continue their travel to reach Chamoli at a distance of 10 km from Gopeshwar. Pilgrims travel to Devagram through Hellang at a distance of 22 km and reach Kalpeswar by walk of 3 km. Otherwise Pilgrims may travel 18 km in 8 hours trekking from Rudranath to reach Dumuk and stay in the night. In the early morning Pilgrims start from Dumuk and travel 14 km by trekking in 7 hours to reach Kalpeswar Mahadev Temple.
After completing darshan, Pilgrims reach Helang by travelling 3 km by walk and 12 km by road and proceed to Joshimath at a distance of 14 km from Helang for onward journey to Badrinath to complete the yatra with darshan of Vishnu and Shiva temples in Badrinath. The Kalpeswar deity worshipped where the hair of Lord Shiva was spread here along with other parts at Pasupathi Nath, Kedarnath, Madhyamaheswar, Tunganath and Rudranath. Dasnami Gosaina are the Chief priests in Rudranath and Kalpeswar nominated by Adi Sankaracharya.
After completing the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s dharsan in Panch Kedar temples, Pilgrims have to visit Lord Vishnu in Badrinath Temple to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. There is no Air, Rail and Bus facility to the Pancha Kedar except Kedarnath and Badrinath. Pilgrims have to travel nearly 800 km by road engaging private taxi or by bus and to travel nearly 130 km by walk. Pilgrims are advised to practice walking daily from 6 months before their Pilgrimage. Old age Pilgrims suffer from Diabetes, B.P. and heart complaint are advised not to think about this Pilgrimage. Uttaranchal Tourism Corporation provides Pancha Kedar Yatra for Rs.45000/- per head which will complete in 14 Nights/15 days.
The legend is that Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharata, defeated and killed Kauravas in Kurukshetra war. They wished to free from their sins of Gotra Hatya and Brahmana Hatya in the war. Pandavas handed over the ruling of their kingdom to their kin and left searching lord Shiva and to get his blessings. They went to Varanasi, the favourite city of Shiva. Shiva wanted to avoid them as felt angry to the death and dishonesty in Kurukshetra war and not insensitived to Pandavas’ prayers. Shiva assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and disappeared in the Garhwal region. Pandavas have not find Shiva in Varanasi and gone to Himalayas searching Shiva. Bhima stand between Two mountains and started to find out Shiva. He find a bull grazing near Guptakshi and Bhima recognised the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold the tail of the bull and it was disappear in the ground and later re-appeared. The body of the bull spitted into five parts. The parts spread hump in Kedarnath, arms in Tunganath, navel and stomach in Madhya maheshwar, face in Rudranath and hair and head in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas, built temples at the five places for worshipping Shiva and thus freed from their sins. The front body of Shiva appeared at Doleshwor Temple, Nepal. Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath and performed Yagna after construction of the Pancha Kedar Temples. They have attained Swargarohana through the Mahaprastana.
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