At Kedarnath

 At Kedarnath! Every breath is a whiff. One remembers the childhood game of *smoke, smoke* so beautifully used in "Sadma", a film I immensely love. It is cold. One does not mind the pleasant dip in the temperature. Eager as one is to go, meet Kedareshwar!

The mandir itself is unique. In the forefront, that is, in the foreground part of the temple, you have the Pandava panchayatan, with their eternal Guru every which way, Shri Krishna. Here rubbing the idols with ghee is the practice. Very soon I shall tell you why. 

The common "janata" is rushed past this "gabhara".  In the "garbhgriha" is THE idol, unique in its shape, given the Mahabharata myth. As Bheema tried to catch the Lord in the form of the "mahisha", the "Nandi", his nail marks scratched the Lord. Hence here it always is the ghee as the material for abhishekam so as to heal the scratch marks.

I could manage the entry in to the "garbhgriha" and the special 'jal' and the 'ghee' abhishek. Sure felt fulfilled. Happy for my entire family whom I merely represent, right?

Equally great was the visit to the "bheemshila" which miraculously protected the temple from the 2013 deluge. It is a wonder  indeed. The devout would consider it as the protection by the Pandavas, or some such mini god as the Bhairava. It could be a coincidence, and natural at that. I look at the phenomenon differently. In my opinion, it is indubitable proof that the entire universe chooses to stand behind the good. Every which way.

The Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi is a great site, too. Its architectural design is simply elegant, and deeply meaningful. I feel eternally grateful to this unique individual whose genuine contribution to Hinduism can never be re-paid. Like Sant Dnyaneshwar, who expired in his very early twenties, having fulfilled the work of  at least ten life times, the great Adi Shankaracharya, who, too, left for the eternal abode at the tender ripe age of thirty-one, too, can never be thanked enough. His statue, so young and yet so eternal, truly signifies all that the Kedarnath clearly means!

Pratima@ I wanted to, but was not exactly allowed to, visit the Bhairaw temple as it is much higher, and dangerous, given the height, and lack of oxygen. Better to listen to local wisdom, right? I built hence the small little home, as per the custom, near the samadhi of the great saint.