| Char Dham Yatra – towards Kedarnath, Day 28 |


After Darshan in Agastya Muni, we will have Darshan of Ukhimath today. So vast is the history of our country Bharat and in Bharat, the glory of Uttarakhand is distinct and exclusive; where every particle & grain contains the glory of the yogis & ascetics. The Lord Himself celebrates the festival of bliss here and any amount of extolling it is inadequate. No matter how much I speak about the glory of Uttarakhand, it shall be insufficient. Carrying such joy and glory in our hearts, we shall go to Ukhimath today; the joy of whose glory is indescribable with words. This place, verily the field of Lord Bhole Nath Himself, is extremely pure and sacred. Come let us hear the glory of Ukhi Math.

Ukhi Math

Travelling for about an hour from Agastya Muni, we have reached Ukhimath. This place nestled in the lap of nature and its pristine beauty is very sacred. Ukhimath, which is also referred to as Okhi Math, is a small town in the district of Rudraprayag and a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre in Uttarakhand. It is located at a distance of 41 kms from Rudraprayag. During winter, when the Kedarnath & Madhyamaheshwar temples begin to get covered in snow, the idols of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar are brought to Ukhi Math and worshipped here for six months. The Lord resides here for 6 months. Ukhi Math can be used as a convenient hub to visit different places in the vicinity, such as Madhyamaheshwar (known as the 2nd Kedar), Tungnath (known as the 3rd Kedar), Devariya Tal (a natural fresh water lake) and many other enchanting places around. According to the tales from the Hindu Puranas, the marriage of Usha (daughter of Vanasur) and Aniruddh (grandson of Lord Krishna) was performed here. This place acquired the name Ushmath from the name of Usha and is now known by the name Ukhimath. King Maandhata engaged in the penance of Lord Shiva here.

Ukhi Math has been dedicated and offered to Usha, Lord Shiva, Devi Parvati, Aniruddh and Maandhata. It is full of many ancient, aesthetic temples. Primarily, it is Rawals – the chief priests (pundits) of the Kedarnath temple, who live in Ukhimath. The grand & majestic, snow capped peaks of the Himalayan range are clearly visible from Ukhimath. On a clear day, the gorgeous sights of Kedarnath peak, Chaukhamba & many other beautiful green valleys can be seen in the span of a day, from Ukhimath.

The temple has a stone idol of Maandhata. This emperor gave up everything including his Kingdom, during his last phase of life and came to Ukhimath to perform penance on one leg, for 12 long years. Towards his end, Lord Shiva finally manifested in the form of the primeval sound of Omkar, to bless him. From that day, this place also came to be known as Omkareshwar.

(To be continued …)