Ukhimath: Winter Seat of Rurdranath & Madhmeshwar

Ukhimath: Winter Seat of Rurdranath & Madhmeshwar

People who follow Shiva. They must visit Ukhimath –  Winter Seat of Rurdranath & Madhmeshwar Temple along with Char Dham Yatra to visit the Pancha Kedra temples. To get the blessing of Lord Shiva and also fulfill their desires. Among these Pancha Kedara temples, Rurdranath and Madhmeshwar temples are Two temples. All these temples are difficult to access during winter as snowfall in this region will be very high.

Ukhimath – Celebration

However, the Utsav idols of the gods from these temples will be shifted to other temples to continue the daily rituals. Even the temple priest moves along with the idol and stays in that place by performing daily rituals. Indeed, few pilgrims visit this temple during winter who can’t visit the main temple and get the blessing of the god.

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Ukhimath

As this temple is not accessible during winter the Utsav idol will be shifted to the Ukhimath for six months. Not only the idol of Lord Madhmeshwar but also the Kedarnath temple Utsav idol as well brought here.

The idols stay here for six months until the temple reopens back in May month. Daily rituals for both the idols are conducted by the respective temple priest.

Many pilgrims come to this temple and have the Dharma of both Kedarnath and the Madhmeshwar. Besides pilgrimage, many trekkers visit this place as it is the center for the Tungnath, Deoria Tal, and many other picturesque places around the Ukhimath.

This small temple town locates in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 1311 m from sea level.

Legends of Ukhimath

The legends of this temple are that this very place where the wedding of Lord Krishna’s Grandson Anirudh married Usha. The place is known as Ukhimath. Here one can see temples for Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvathi, Anirudh, Usha, and Mandhata.

How to reach Ukhimath?

The between the Ukimath and the Rudraprayag is 41 km. The nearest airport this Jolly Grant airport. The nearest railways are the Rishikesh railways. Apart from this, it has well-connected bus services with all the major cities and towns in Uttarakhand.

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Gopeshwar – A Winter seat of Rurdranath Temple

The Rudranath temple has a difficult route than any other Kedara temple. During winter, the temple is not accessible due to heavy snowfall.

As a result, the Utsav idol of lord Rudranath is shifted to Gopinath mandir in the Gopeshwar town. The Gopeshwar is the biggest town in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

It locates at an altitude of 1,550  above sea level. This place is quite popular for its weather condition whereas it has very pleasant weather throughout the year except during the months of December and January.

Location

Gopeshwar town is located in the midst of the holy and divine temples Tunganath, Rudranath, Badrinath, and the Anasuya Devi temples whereas the Kedarnath temple is also closeby by this place.

Gopeshwar is famous for Lord Shiva Gopinath Temple and the Vaitrani Kund. The special attraction to this temple is its architecture the main temple sanctum doom is 30 feet in height with 24 doors and the Trident of Lord Shiva in the backyard of the temple.

Legends of Gopinath Mandir

The Legends of the temple is Lord Shiva when he was in deep meditation. Demi-god Kama Deva tries to distract him which angers Lord Shiva.

As a result of these events, he throws his mighty and most powerful trident to kill Kama Deva(Cupid).

The trident can be still seen fixed onto the ground. The trident vibrates only when a true devotee touches it. Otherwise, it stays fixed.

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How to reach Gopinath Mandir?

This sacred temple is located in the route of Badarinath and the Kedarnath temple. The nearest airport is the Jolly grant airport whereas the nearest railways are the Rishikesh railways. This place has good connections with all the towns and major cities in Uttarakhand.

Conclusion

Plan to visit Rudranath temple & Madhmeshwar temple in winter and get the blessing of God. Then visit Ukimath and the Gopinath Mandir where the Utsav idols of lords are kept here and perform daily puja which is the Winter seat of Rudranath temple & Madhmeshwar Temple.