Guptkashi

Guptkashi, Uttarakhand: Guptkashi, famous for an ancient Vishwanath Temple, is situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It lies 45 km south of Kedarnath which is one of the most religious places of Hindus. The city Guptkashi, located at an elevation of 1,319 meters, is found between the north latitudes of 30.31 degrees and the east longitudes of 79.04 degrees. It has beautiful milieu of the snow covered peaks of Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks and enjoys a wonderful weather throughout the year. Guptkashi's Mandakini river valley has lush green forests with large magnolia trees that scatter its sweet fragrance in atmosphere all around this place. Legend states that the Pandavas on the advice of Lord Krishna went to Kashi to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva was not interested to meet them. Therefore, he turned himself into a Nandi bull to hide himself from Pandavas. Since this act by Lord Shiva was done at this place hence it is named as Guptkashi.

Guptkashi has a great importance quite like that of Kashi. The ancient Vishwanath temple, Ardhnareshwar temple and Manikarnik Kund, where the two streams of Ganga and Yamuna are believed to meet, are the main places of attraction in Guptkashi. It is believed that after the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas wanted to meet Lord Shiva and seek his blessing. But Lord Shiva evaded from Guptkasi to Kedarnath as he did not want to meet the Pandavas, the reason being that although they had fought for the right cause, they were also responsible for destroying their own dynasty.

A holy town adorned with the many ancient temples and believed to be a part of epic Mahabharata, is a place called Guptkashi. Situated 47 kms before Kedarnath, the holiest shrine of Lord Shiva, this town is bestowed with great religious significance. It is perched at an elevation of 1319 m above the sea level housing two ancient temples namely Vishwanath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Ardhnareshwar Temple. Manikarnik Kund is another popular destination in the town.