Kedarnath: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}

| name                           = Kedarnath

| native_name                     = केदारनाथ

| native_name_lang               = केदारनाथ

| other_name                     = Kedarkhand

| settlement_type                 = Town

| image_skyline                   = Kedarnath View1.jpg

| image_alt                       =  

| image_caption                   = A view of Kedarnath

| nickname                       =  

| image_map                       =  

| map_alt                         =  

| map_caption                     =  

| pushpin_map                     = India Uttarakhand#India

| pushpin_label_position         =  

| pushpin_map_alt                 =  

| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in Uttarakhand, India

| coordinates                     = {{coord|30.73|N|79.07|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type               = Country

| subdivision_name               = {{flag|India}}

| subdivision_type1               = [[States and territories of India|State]]

| subdivision_type2               = [[List of districts of India|District]]

| subdivision_name1               = {{flagicon image|..Uttarakhand Flag(INDIA).png}} [[Uttarakhand]]

| established_title               = <!-- Established -->

| established_date               =  

| founder                         =  

| named_for                       = [[Kedarnath Temple]]  

| government_type                 =  

| governing_body                 =  

| unit_pref                       = Metric

| area_footnotes                 =  

| area_total_km2                 = 2.75

| area_rank                       =  

| elevation_footnotes             =  

| elevation_m                     = 3553

| population_total               = 612

| population_as_of               = 2011

| population_footnotes           =  

| population_density_km2         = auto

| population_rank                 =  

| population_demonym             =  

| demographics_type1             = Language

| demographics1_title1           = Official

| demographics1_info1             = [[Hindi]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |title=Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013) |publisher=Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India |access-date=7 December 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708012438/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |archive-date=8 July 2016 }}</ref>

| demographics1_title2           = Additional&nbsp;official

| demographics1_info2             = [[Sanskrit]]<ref name="sanskrit">{{cite news|last=Trivedi |first=Anupam |title=Sanskrit is second official language in Uttarakhand |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/sanskrit-is-second-official-language-in-uttarakhand/story-wxk51l8Re4vNxofrr7FAJK.html |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=19 January 2010 |access-date=30 August 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201065836/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NorthIndia/Sanskrit-is-second-official-language-in-Uttarakhand/Article1-499467.aspx |archive-date=1 February 2012 }}</ref><ref name="sanskrit2">{{cite news|title=Sanskrit second official language of Uttarakhand|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/Sanskrit-second-official-language-of-Uttarakhand/article15965492.ece |work=The Hindu |date=21 January 2010 |access-date=30 August 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303145846/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/Sanskrit-second-official-language-of-Uttarakhand/article15965492.ece|archive-date=3 March 2018}}</ref>

| timezone1                       = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]

| utc_offset1                     = +5:30

| postal_code_type               = <!-- [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] -->Pin Code

| postal_code                     = 246445

| registration_plate             = UK-13

| website                         = {{URL|https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/}}

| footnotes                       =  

'''Kedarnath''' is a town in the [[States and territories of India|State]] of [[Uttarakhand]] in [[India]] and has gained importance because of the [[Kedarnath Temple]]. It is a [[Nagar panchayat]] in [[Rudraprayag district]]. The most remote of the four [[Chota Char Dham]] Pilgrimage sites, Kedarnath is located in the [[Himalaya]]s, about {{convert|3583|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} above [[sea level]] near Chorabari Glacier, the source of the [[Mandakini river]], and is flanked by snow-capped peaks, most prominently the Kedarnath Mountain. The nearest road head is at [[Gaurikund]] about 16 km away. The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from the [[2013 North India floods|Flash Floods]] caused by torrential rains in [[Uttarakhand]] state.

Kedarnath has been a pilgrimage centre since ancient times. It is not certain who constructed the original [[Kedarnath Temple]] and when. A mythological account attributes the temple's construction to the legendary [[Pandava]] brothers mentioned in the ''[[Mahabharata]]''.<ref>{{cite book |editor1=J. Gordon Melton |editor2=Martin Baumann |title=Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices |volume=1 (A-B) |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v2yiyLLOj88C&pg=PA1624 |year=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-59884-204-3 |page=1624 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=James G. Lochtefeld |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |url-access=registration |year=2002 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/n395 363]–364 }}</ref> However, the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' does not mention any place called Kedarnath. One of the earliest references to Kedarnath occurs in the ''[[Skanda Purana]]'' (c. 7th-8th century), which names Kedara (Kedarnath) as the place where [[Lord Shiva]] released the holy waters of [[Ganga]] from his matted hair, resulting in the formation of the [[Ganges river]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Alex McKay |title=Kailas Histories: Renunciate Traditions and the Construction of Himalayan Sacred Geography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3HsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 |year=2015 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-30618-9 |page=135 }}</ref>

[[File:Kedarnath and Kedar Dome, Uttarakhand India November 2013.jpg|thumb|left|260px|A view of Kedarnath and the Kedarnath Dome Mountain (2013)]]

Kedarnath is located at a distance of 223&nbsp;km from [[Rishikesh]] in [[Uttarakhand]] and close to the source of the [[Mandakini River]] at the height of {{convert|3583|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} above sea level.<ref name=abram>{{cite book|last=Abram|first=David|title=The Rough guide to India|year=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|location=New York|isbn=9781843530893|pages=354–355|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kAMik_6LbwUC&q=Kedarnath&pg=PA353|edition=2003}}</ref>  The township is built on a barren stretch of land on the shores of Mandakini river. The surrounding scenery of Himalayas and green pastures makes it a very attractive place for pilgrimage and trekking. Behind the town and the Kedarnath Temple, stands the majestic [[Kedarnath (Mountain)|Kedarnath peak]] {{convert|6940|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}, Kedar Dome {{convert|6831|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} and other peaks of the range.<ref name=abram/><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kala | first1 = CP | year = 2014 | title = Deluge, disaster and development in Uttarakhand Himalayan region of India: challenges and lessons for disaster management | journal = International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction | volume = 8 | pages = 143–152 | doi=10.1016/j.ijdrr.2014.03.002}}</ref>

{{As of|2001}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=16 June 2004|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=1 November 2008|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Kedarnath has a population of 612 as for 2021. Males constitute 99% of the population and females 1%.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}} Kedarnath has an average literacy rate of 63%: male literacy is 63%, and female literacy is 36%. Kedarnath, none of the population is under six years of age. The floating population from May to October every year is more than 5000 per day.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}}

The Kedarnath Temple is closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. For six months, from November to April, the palanquin with the [[Utsavar|Utsava Murti]] (Idol) of Kedarnath and of the [[Madhyamaheshwar]] Temple is brought to the Omkareshwar Temple in [[Ukhimath]], near [[Guptakashi]]. Priests and other summer-time residents also move to nearby villages to cope with the winter. Around 360 families of the Tirtha Purohit of 55 villages and other nearby villages are dependent on the town for livelihood.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}}

 

According to the [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system]], Kedarnath's climate is [[subarctic climate|monsoon-influenced subarctic]] climate (Dwc), bordering a [[subarctic climate|uniform rainfall subarctic climate]] (Dfc) with mild, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.

| source = <ref name="KEDARNATH CLIMATE SUMMARY">{{cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/india/uttarakhand/kedarnath-54697/ |title=KEDARNATH CLIMATE|publisher=CLIMATE-DATA.ORG |access-date=May 5, 2020 }}</ref>

On 16 June 2013, at approximately 7:30&nbsp;P.M., a landslide occurred near the Kedarnath Temple with loud thunder followed by the gushing of huge amount of waters from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini River at about 8:30&nbsp;p.m. which washed away everything in its path.  On 17 June 2013 at approximately 6:40&nbsp;a.m., waters rushed down from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar, bringing along with its flow, a huge amount of silt, rocks, and boulders. A huge boulder got stuck behind the Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the ravages of the flood. The flood-water gushed on both sides of the temple, destroying everything in its path.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/what-happened-on-the-night-of-16th-june-inside-kedarnath-temple/|title=[First-person Account] 'How I Survived 16 June Fury At Kedarnath' - Manoj Rawat - Tehelka - Investigations, Latest News, Politics, Analysis, Blogs, Culture, Photos, Videos, Podcasts|website=www.tehelka.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/video/uttarakhand-floods-survivors-kedarnath-recount-082517606.html|title=Uttarakhand floods: Survivors of Kedarnath recount ordeal|work=Yahoo News|access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref> Thus in the middle of the pilgrimage season, torrential rains, cloud bursts, and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the town of Kedarnath. The town was the worst affected area by the floods.<ref name="economist.com">{{cite news |title=High and wet |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2013/06/29/high-and-wet |access-date=14 November 2020 |work=The Economist |date=29 June 2013}}</ref> Thousands of people were killed, and thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the [[Kedarnath Temple]] were destroyed, the temple itself survived.<ref>{{cite news|title=Monsoon fury leaves Kedarnath shrine submerged in mud and slush|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/monsoon-fury-leaves-kedarnath-shrine-submerged-in-mud-and-slush/1130991/|work=The Indian Express|date=19 June 2013|access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mishra |first1=Subhash |title=Thousands missing near Kedarnath shrine |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2013/jun/19/Thousands-missing-near-Kedarnath-shrine-488172.html |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=The New Indian Express |date=19 June 2013}}</ref> The rescue operation resulted in more than 100,000 people being airlifted with the help of mainly the Private Helicopter Operators, who began the rescue mission voluntarily without any clear directives from the State Government or the Ministry of Defence. The Indian Army and Indian Air Force helicopters arrived much after the Private Helicopter Operators had already begun the massive air-rescue mission. Dare-devil helicopter pilots, mostly ex-Indian Air Force and Ex-Army Aviation officers, flew relentlessly. Capt. Unni Krishnan from Prabhatam Aviation & Capt. Bhatnagar from Premair were few such outstanding pilots who landed at the Sh. Kedarnath Ji right-ridge at dusk hours - 1910hrs (almost 35 minutes after 'sunset') to pick-up the 'last' batch of survivors for the day. The NDRF represented by a commandant, and another junior officer arrived at the 'right-ridge' of the town bordering the Mandakini River, unprepared with a malfunctioning satellite phone. However, the next day, they brought in more men and supplies. The first Indian Army officer to arrive at the Sh. Kedarnath Ji 'right-ridge' was a Captain from the Assam Rifles Regiment. He single-handedly displayed exemplary courage in rescuing many survivors by climbing up steep slopes and fractures along the Rambara ridge-line. His cool demeanor and stable poise, even under such intense and perilous circumstances, are proof of the impeccable training & discipline imbibed within him. The Indian Army later launched a massive rescue effort with thousands of its brave-heart men and vital equipment. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the reserve battalions of the Uttarakhand Police displayed outstanding courage in the rescue mission. A Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter, each, of the private helicopter operators - Prabhatam Aviation & Simm Samm Aviation, were lost during the rescue mission without any reported casualties. An Indian Air Force helicopter (Mi 17) also crashed during this exercise, killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The Air Force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.<ref name="economist.com"/>  It was reported that previously uncollected bodies were still being found one year after the tragedy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bhatt |first1=Bindiya |title=Exclusive: Dead bodies of pilgrims found in Kedarnath, one year after Uttarakhand tragedy |url=https://english.newsnationtv.com/article/46666-exclusive-dead-bodies-pilgrims-found-kedarnath-year-uttarakhand-tragedy.html |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=News Nation English |date=12 June 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

After the floods, the [[Government of India]] decided to provide a flood-free infrastructure plan for the town. This involves:-

* Development of houses for the Kedarnath Teerth Purohits.

The foundation stone for the plan was laid by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] on 20th October 2017.

About 6&nbsp;km upstream from the town, lies Chorabari Tal, a lake cum glacier also called Gandhi Sarovar.<ref name=abram/> Near Kedarnath, there is a cliff called Bhairav Jhamp.<ref name=abram/>

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