Guptkashi is a beautiful town situated 47 kms east of Kedarnath, the holy temple of Lord Shiva. Guptkashi is situated on the west side of Mandakini river on the way to Kedarnath at an altitude of about 1319 meters above sea level. Guptkashi is a religiously important town located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Guptkashi has ancient temples like Vishwanath Temple and Ardhanareshwar Temple.
The main Vishwanath temple of Guptkashi is dedicated to Shiva, the "Lord of the Universe". This temple is built in ancient style. Ardhanarishvara temple is situated to the left of Vishwanath temple.
The most prominent attraction in Guptkashi is Manikarnika Kund, a place where the two streams of Maa Ganga and Maa Yamuna meet. Gaurikund is situated 34 km ahead of Guptkashi. From where the trek to Kedarnath begins, Ukhimath city is situated on a beautiful hill, a little away from Guptkashi.
Mythology about Guptkashi
Guptkashi means 'hidden Kashi' According to mythological belief, the history of Guptkashi is related to the epic of Mahabharata. When the Pandavas were searching for a glimpse of Shiva, Shiva first hid in Gupta Kashi. But later they went towards Kedar Ghati. Since then this place was named Guptkashi.
Places to see in Guptkashi
Ukhimath Winter Seat of Kedarnath:- Ukhimath is situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Ukhimath is situated at an altitude of about 1317 meters above sea level. After the deception of Kedarnath temple is closed, winter worship of Baba Kedar is offered at Omkareshwar temple of Ukhimath.
Ukhimath is mainly inhabited by the chief priest (Pandit) of Kedarnath, who is called Rawal's.The beautiful city of Ukhimath is situated in the middle of the snow-capped peaks of the magnificent Himalayan range.
Triyuginarayan Temple:- Triyuginarayan is a famous Hindu pilgrimage situated in Rudraprayag district. Akhand Dhuni Temple is another name for Triyuginarayan. Triyuginarayan Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
The architecture of this temple is similar to that of Badrinath temple. According to mythological belief, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married in Triyuginarayan temple. In today's days Triyuginarayan Wedding Destination has become.
Narayan Koti Temple:- Narayan Koti is situated in Rudraprayag district. Narayan Koti is a group of temples dedicated to Shri Lakshmi Narayan. This place is associated with Pandavas. It is said that these group of temples were built before 9th century.
The mention of these temples is also found in Kedarkhand. It was a cluster of 360 temples, due to the impact of disasters and lack of care. Now only 29 temples remain.
Kalimath:- This temple of Maa Kali is a religious place situated on the banks of Saraswati river in Rudraprayag district. Kalimath, situated at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level, is one of the 108 Shaktipeeths of India. This Shaktipeeth is situated in the lap of nature providing divine atmosphere.
Staying in Guptkashi
Being situated on the way to the revered temple of Kedarnath and being one of the largest towns in Rudraprayag district, Guptkashi has various accommodation options across the city. If you are looking for a budget hotel hotel in Guptkashi then you can contact Hotel Vivek one of the best hotels in Guptkashi.
Guptkashi Food Guide
There is no problem of food, you will find many restaurants and many food options around Guptkashi. You will find almost all types of food. Since here is a religious place, you will not find any restaurant offering non-vegetarian food and alcohol.
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