Details of Kedarnath Temple :

The temple at Kedarnath, the Jyotirlinga of Shiva is open only for six months of a year (April-November).The temple is at a height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft)  on the shores of Mandakini river. Like Badrinath, in Kedarnath also, the head priest or Rawal, is traditionally chosen from the South Indian state of Karnataka from Veerashaiva community .

The legend of Panch Kedars :

Kedarnath is part of the legend Panch Kedars relates to the Pandavas. After the Pandavas defeated and killed  the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins committed during the war. Thus, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of lord Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi , believed to be Shiva’s favourite city and known for its Shiva temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas’ prayers.He assumed the form of Nandi and hid in the Garhwal.

Continue reading more about my journey to Kedarnath on my blog below

http://thelazytravel.com/hitchhikers-guide-to-kedarnath-1/

and

http://thelazytravel.com/hitchhikers-guide-to-kedarnath-2/