Rudranath Temple

Rudranath is a natural rock temple to Shiva at around 3,600 metres in the Garhwal Himalaya, set among dwarf rhododendron forest and alpine meadows, and the fourth shrine on the Panch Kedar pilgrimage. Legend says the Pandavas sought Shiva to atone for the Kurukshetra war; he hid as a bull and sank into the earth, reappearing in parts at five places, his face here at Rudranath. Nanda Devi, Trisul and Nanda Ghunti form the backdrop, and sacred pools such as Surya Kund and Chandra Kund lie nearby. The Vaitarani stream, seen as the river souls cross after death, draws pilgrims to make offerings for their ancestors.

It is often called the hardest Panch Kedar shrine to reach. Treks start near Gopeshwar: from the road end at Sagar through oak and rhododendron forest, a 17 km climb from Gangolgaon via shepherd camps at Panar, or a longer route via Mandal and the Anusuya Devi temple. In winter the deity's image is carried down to Gopinath Mandir in Gopeshwar.