Rishikesh to Kedarnath – Route – Accommodation

Rishikesh to Kedarnath – Route – Accommodation

The Rishikesh to Kedarnath route is one of the more desirable journeys in life. Knowing what kind of accommodation is available along the route is an added advantage. This article will help you know all that you need to know to go from Rishikesh to Kedarnath. 

The distance from Rishikesh to Gaurikund is about 216 km. The motorable road ends in Gaurikund. From there Kedarnath is reached by a 16 km trek. Options of ponies and palanquins are available in Gaurikund.

The route from Rishikesh to Kedarnath will take you through some of India’s most scenic countryside with spectacular views of mountains all around. The major towns on the way are Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Guptkashi, and Sonprayag.  Accommodation is available in all these towns, should you choose to stop over.

Interesting places you will come across on the Rishikesh to Kedarnath route

Devprayag – is about 75 km from Rishikesh and this is where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers meet and continue their flow as the Ganga. Devprayag is one of the Panch Prayags. There are a number of ancient temples here including the Raghunathji Mandir. A unique feature of Devprayag is the Nakshatra Ved Shala – an astronomical observatory established by Pandit Chakradhar Joshi. The Ved Shala has modern telescopes as well as ancient equipment as well as a library with more than 3000 rare manuscripts dating to the 16th and 17th centuries CE.

Srinagar – Situated on the banks of the Alaknanda River, Srinagar is about 105 km from Rishikesh on the Kedarnath route. It was the capital of the Garhwal Kingdom. Srinagar has a number of temples and sacred spots worth visiting and comfortable accommodation is easily available here.

Dhari Devi Temple – About halfway between Srinagar and Rudraprayag is the famed Dhari Devi temple. Dhari Devi is a form of Kali Mata.Dhari Devi is the guardian Deity of Uttarakhand. An interesting feature about this temple is that it is home to only the upper half of the Goddess. The lower half is enshrined in Kalimath. Dhari Devi Temple is one of the 108 Shakti Sthalas of India.

Rudraprayag –  on the Rishikesh Kedarnath route is where the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers meet. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayags. There are a number of temples here. Many other worthwhile places like Basukedar, Tungeshwar Mahadev, Agastamuni, Kartik Swamy temple, and Koteshwar are located near Rudraprayag.

Guptkashi – 183 km from Rishikesh on the Kedarnath route, Guptkashi gets its name from the fact that this is where Mahadev was hiding in the form of Bull when the Pandavas were looking for Him. They managed to find Him here in Guptkashi. This picturesque town is home to two ancient temples. The first is the Vishwanath Temple and the other is the Ardhanareshwar Mandir. Accommodation is easily available here but is advisable to book in advance.

Onward to Kedarnath

The journey is nearly over now as we come to Gaurikund passing through Sonprayag, the last town on the Rishikesh Kedarnath route. Many devotees prefer to book their accommodation in Sonprayag and proceed to Kedarnath from here. The last stage of the journey is the 16 km trek to Kedarnath which starts from Gaurikund. As mentioned earlier ponies and palanquins are available. At the end of this trek comes the magical moment when you see the Kedarnath Temple and know Mahadev will welcome you to His abode with open arms. It is advisable to book Accommodation in Kedarnath well in advance.