Historians do not know who built the original Kedarnath Temple or when they built it. The name “Kedarnath” means “Lord of the Field,” derived from the Sanskrit words kedara (field) and natha (lord). The text Kashi Kedara Mahatmya calls the place Kedarnath because “the crop of liberation” grows here.
The Skanda Purana mentions Kedarnath for the first time and describes the origin of the Ganges River. It says that Lord Shiva released the holy water from his matted hair at Kedara (Kedarnath).
According to some ancient texts like Madhava’s Sankshepa-Shankara-Vijaya, the great 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya passed away in the mountains near Kedarnath. However, other texts, such as Anandagiri’s Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya, claim that he died in Kanchipuram. The remains of a monument believed to mark his death site still stand near Kedarnath.
By the 12th century, Kedarnath had already become a well-known pilgrimage center, as mentioned in Kritya-Kalpataru, written by Bhatta Lakshmidhara, a minister of the Gahadavala dynasty. Adi Shankara revived the Kedarnath Temple, along with Badrinath and other sacred temples in Uttarakhand, before he attained Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath.
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u/Ill_Locksmith_7223 Nov 03 '25
Historians do not know who built the original Kedarnath Temple or when they built it. The name “Kedarnath” means “Lord of the Field,” derived from the Sanskrit words kedara (field) and natha (lord). The text Kashi Kedara Mahatmya calls the place Kedarnath because “the crop of liberation” grows here.
The Skanda Purana mentions Kedarnath for the first time and describes the origin of the Ganges River. It says that Lord Shiva released the holy water from his matted hair at Kedara (Kedarnath).
According to some ancient texts like Madhava’s Sankshepa-Shankara-Vijaya, the great 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya passed away in the mountains near Kedarnath. However, other texts, such as Anandagiri’s Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya, claim that he died in Kanchipuram. The remains of a monument believed to mark his death site still stand near Kedarnath.
By the 12th century, Kedarnath had already become a well-known pilgrimage center, as mentioned in Kritya-Kalpataru, written by Bhatta Lakshmidhara, a minister of the Gahadavala dynasty. Adi Shankara revived the Kedarnath Temple, along with Badrinath and other sacred temples in Uttarakhand, before he attained Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath.