Tunganath
(3rd Kedar)
(IPLTOURS)
Tunganath is 3rd among the Pancha Kedar Shiva kshetrams in Himalayan Range. Many Pilgrim places in Uttarakhand have no road facility and have to travel by trekking. The pleasant atmosphere will give relief from body weariness. There are only two seasons in the year winter and snow fall winter. The opening dates of the temples decided by the committee on the atmosphere conditions. There are dollies and Horses available to the persons unable to trek in the mountains. Pilgrims are less than mountaineers in these places. The way is desolate for the said reason. Consumables and hot drinks available at the starting places of trekking. Pilgrims are advised to start their yatra before sun rise and close before or at sun set to escape from hurdles. The atmosphere will change from time to time with rain and sunny. Pilgrims may travel to Rishekesh by train and to travel 200 km by road to reach Okhimath and stay there in the night. There are ordinary rooms available in Okemah.
In the morning Pilgrims have to travel 30 km to reach Chopta and to travel 4 km by trekking to reach Tunganath. After dharsan of Tunganath Pilgrims may reach to Okimath for their stay. Pilgrims making Pancha Kedar Yatra may travel 32 km to Okimath from the 2nd Kedar Madhyamaheswar.
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. Bhima stand between to mountains and started to find out Shiva. He has 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 by splitting the body into five parts. The parts with the hump raising in Kedarnath, appearing the arms in Tunganath, the navel and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar, the 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. After construction of the Pancha Kedar Temples, Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath and performed Yagna. They have attained Swargarohana through the Mahaprastana.
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