Madhyamaheshwar

 Uttarakhand state of India is well known for its historical events that occurred in modern India. Apart from this, the region is also known for its cultural and spiritual significance that is carried out from thousands of years back. Among four Dhams in Uttarakhand Himalayas, Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva. But very few people are aware that altogether there are five Kedar Dhams , which are altogether known as Panch Kedar. One of them is Madhyamaheshwar temple that is situated 3490 mts above sea level with wonderful environment. 

Legend:

In the battle of Kurushetra in Mahabharata, Pandavas fought with Korwas, kings, warriors and Brahmins who got killed in this battle. Due to killing of too many people, Pandavas had committed this sin and sought for forgiveness from almighty God. Lord Krishna guided Pandavas to pray Lord Shiva to get rid of their sins. Pandavas  handed all their kingdom to their kins and went on search for Lord Shiva in Himalayas but couldn’t succeed as Lord Shiva did not wanted to them Darshan (his appearance) due to their sins they committed in battle. Near Guptkashi, Shiva converted himself into form of Nandi (Bull) so that no one can identify him. But somehow Pandavas recognised this and ran after the bull to sought forgiveness. Lord Shiva dived into the ground where the strongest brother among Pandavas, Bhim could only hold the hump .  Somehow, Lord Shiva blessed the Pandavas in this form whose various parts of the body appeared at different places in Himalayas. During this incident, navel of bull emerged at Madhya-Maheshwar,  the hump of the bull was found in Kedarnath, two four legs appeared at Tunganath, face in Rudranath and hair came up at Kalpeshwar.  Pandavas worshiped all these places which are today in the form of be sacred shrine for many  people all across the world.

The Temple: Madhya Maheshwar

Among panch kedar,  Madhya-Maheshwar is located in lush green environment where beauty lies in each direction. The temple is in north Indian style of architecture, is situated, just below a high ridge. The older, so-called ‘Vriddhe-Maheshwar’ temple is a tiny blackened shrine on the ridge, which looks straight up at the commanding Chaukhamba peaks. In the current temple, a navel-shaped Shiva-lingam, made of black stone, is enshrined in the sanctum. There are two other shrines, one for Shiva’s consort Parvati and the other dedicated to the Ardhanarishwara, a half-Shiva half-Parvati image. Bhim, the second Panadava brother is believed to have built this temple and worshiped Lord Shiva here. To the right of the main temple there is a small temple where the image of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of learning , made of marble is installed in the sanctum.

The water from the temple precincts is considered so highly sacred that even a few drops are stated to be adequate for ablution. The worship at this temple starts with a specified time period from the beginning of the summer months after the winter and lasts till October/November from start of winter season when temple precincts are not accessible due to snow conditions. During the winter period, the symbolic idol of the God is shifted with religious ceremony to Ukhimath for continued worship.  Priests at this temple, as many other temples in Uttarakhand state, are from South India and at this particular temple they are called Jangamas of the Lingayat cast who hail from Mysore in Karnataka state.

How to Reach:

Madhyamaheshwar Temple is linked by Kedarnath road by 13 km road to Kalimath from Guptkashi. Further approach from Guptakashi  to the temple is by 24 km trek after 6 km by road journey. Guptakashi is on the state highway from Rishikesh via Devprayag. Rishikesh is the entry point to majority of shrines in Garhwal Himalayas and is connected by train and road to the rest of the country. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at a distance of 18 km.