Kedarnath Trip: A Trek to Divinity in The Heart of The Himalayas

Hey Travellers, here I am going to tell you how I travelled Kedarnath Dham during Covid and my experience of this holy trip. You are not going to miss any relevant info as all about the Kedarnath Trip is right here.

October 2020- Yes I had started my journey on 20th Oct. Well, I arrived at Dehradun airport from Ahmedabad by 12 noon and moved further to Rishikesh. I must say ,once you reach Uttarakhand, you are going to get lost in the beauty of pristine valleys for sure. Lush green and meandering roads in the hills .Wow !! Indeed it was awesome. Lets start about how you can reach there.

How To Reach Kedarnath

I started from Ahmedabad and flew to Dehradun. It was noon so I had time to travel towards Kedarnath. Generally buses or taxi services do not run after 5pm because it’s dangerous to drive in hilly areas.

I got a shared taxi from Natraj chowk at 1.30 pm (Natraj chowk is the main exit point in Rishikesh) and I reached Rudraprayag by 6.30 pm.I stayed there all night long and moved to Gaurikund early morning at 5 am. I went to Gaurikund because I had plans for reaching Kedarnath by trekking.

If you wish to go for a helicopter then get down at Guptakashi or Fata 5 kms before Gaurikund.

Trekking Experience of Kedarnath Trip

I took my breakfast first in Gaurikund because I heard that it was a 16 km trek and takes more than 5 hours if you are a good trekker. So I needed enough energy to trek this route.

I started trekking at 9.30 am. There are mule services available but I wanted to go there walking. To be honest I was so excited as it was my first trip to Kedarnath and was sure to reach fast but was tired after 2 hours of intense brisk climbing. I thought I was done with half the trek but only 3kms was covered.

Thanks to God and the very beautiful nature which kept me going for my destination.I must say if you are nature lover and a devotee, you will complete this gracefully and successfully. It may take a little long while to reach but that’ll be worthwhile.

We drank natural hilly water all the way. Trust me, the water falling from hills in the form of waterfalls is so pure and full of minerals that it gives you instant energy for next 30 minutes.

By 1 pm I reached Ramban Ganga which is again a scenic spot.It is actually river Ganga flowing in a narrow white milk like form pouring from above. I forgot all my fatigue after watching the mesmerizing holy river. Weary earlier, I was back on it again with great vigour and vibes.

I took lunch on my way to the temple and reached by 3.30 pm finally. I took 6 hours to complete this escapade as you can see.

With magical snowfall surrounding the temple, I was awestruck by the beauty of himalayas and how it gives a royal seat to the great holy temple of Shiva.

Evening Aarti in Kedarnath Temple

Adi Shankracharya had established Shivalinga here and the perfection was quite evident. One can vividly experience the sacred vibes surrounding the area.

Aarti starts at 6 pm and goes approx for one hour. I could feel the well present energy and was teary eyed simply sitting over there.

Shivling Darshan

Temple opening time is 6.30 am for pilgrims and devotees. I woke up early morning and was done with the Darshan by 7 am.

Helicopter Experience in Kedarnath Trip

I thought about experiencing the helicopter ride so I booked tickets and came back to Fata. There was no rush that time so I got the ticket immediately from helipad.

I would suggest booking tickets in advance during peak seasons. Remember to avoid Chipson company as their helipad is too far from the main road in Fata. You will have to walk down for 2 kms and taxi charges is much high if you are a budget traveller.

You can book helicopter yatra through IRCTC also.

As of October 2020, Helicopter ticket cost was Rs.2350 for one side. It was awesome. You can see the entire lush green hills and valley while flying through the sky.

Food in Kedarnath

There are two restaurants available in Kedarnath. It is just in front of the temple on left & right side and you will get good veg thalis including varieties of parathas doing the needful.

Finally I would say that Kedarnath trip was unforgettable. I highly recommend to all eager travellers, do visit atleast once in your life. Happy touring!!

Read more: Best Trekking Destinations in Uttarakhand

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