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The small white and blue Triyuginarayan temple with a dark stone tower and a paved courtyard
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Photo: Shaq774 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day planFirst visitTemples & heritagerelaxed

One day on the Kedarnath road — Triyuginarayan, Guptakashi and Gaurikund

A one-day plan on the road below Kedarnath: the wedding temple at Triyuginarayan, Guptakashi and its bull legend, and Gauri Kund, the road-end. Free to copy.
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The valley below Kedarnath has stories of its own. This day goes to the Triyuginarayan Temple, where Shiva and Parvati are said to have been married, to Guptakashi, where Shiva is said to have hidden as a bull, and ends at Gauri Kund, where the walk to the Kedarnath Temple begins. It suits the day before the walk, or a day for people who are not walking up. For the walk, see the two-day plan.

Photos: Shaq774 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · ShalinishuklaV (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photos Worldwide (CC0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Pilgrims on the way to Kedarnath, and families who want the valley's temples and stories without the 17 km climb, between April and November.

Day by day

Day 1

The wedding temple, the hidden Kashi, and the road-end

3 stops · 2 h 11 min on the road

The valley's three stories in a day: the wedding, the bull, and the start of the walk.

  1. 09:00
    Triyuginarayan Temple
    temple · 24 min from Kedarnath · about 45 min there
    The Vishnu temple where tradition says Shiva and Parvati were married, with the fire in front of it that is said to have burned since. About 24 minutes from Gaurikund by road.
  2. ↓ 1 h 17 min by road · 39 km
    12:30
    Guptakashi
    town · 55 min from Kedarnath · about 1 h there
    The town of the Vishwanath Temple, where by the story Shiva hid from the Pandavas as a bull.
  3. ↓ 54 min by road · 28 km
    16:00
    Gauri Kund
    temple · 1 min from Kedarnath · about 45 min there
    The road-end and base camp for the Kedarnath walk, with hot springs. Stay near here if the walk is tomorrow.

Getting there

The road ends at Gaurikund, about 203 km and 357 minutes from Rishikesh on our routing. See the hub guide for the full arrival table.

Where to stay

Gaurikund is the base for the walk. We have no verified lodging, prices or booking rules.

Know before you go

  • Register for the yatra on the Uttarakhand portal before you travel if Kedarnath is the goal.
  • Triyuginarayan is a place of worship with a living fire; dress modestly and ask before photographing.
  • We have no verified opening hours for the temples on this day; ask locally.

Places on this route

Gauri Kund — the road-end and hot springs below Kedarnath
Gauri Kund — the road-end and hot springs below Kedarnath
temple · 1 min from Kedarnath
Triyuginarayan Temple — where Shiva and Parvati are said to have married
Triyuginarayan Temple — where Shiva and Parvati are said to have married
temple · 24 min from Kedarnath
Guptakashi — the "hidden Kashi" on the road to Kedarnath
Guptakashi — the "hidden Kashi" on the road to Kedarnath
town · 55 min from Kedarnath

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

Start a groupHow groups work

Other ways to do it

All Kedarnath itineraries →
Kedarnath on foot — Gaurikund up, a night at the top, and down
Kedarnath on foot — Gaurikund up, a night at the top, and down
1 night · 2 days · Trekkers · trek
A two-day Kedarnath plan: 17 km up from Gaurikund (6 to 8 hours by Wikipedia's account), a night at the top, and the same 17 km down. Free plan to copy.
Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →

More places nearby

All of Kedarnath →
Ukhimath
Ukhimath
town · 1.9 km away
Deoria Tal
Deoria Tal
lake · 4.4 km away
Kedarnath Temple — the Shiva shrine above the Mandakini
Kedarnath Temple — the Shiva shrine above the Mandakini
temple · 9.9 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
A grassy mountain meadow among rocky outcrops and forest at Chopta, with snow peaks hazy in the distance
Chopta
25 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places
The painted stone façade of the Badrinath Temple with its gilt cupola, under green slopes and a blue sky
Badrinath
46 km away · 4 itineraries · 4 places
Joshimath's houses spread down a steep mountain slope above a deep valley, with high ridges and blue sky beyond
Joshimath
53 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
The green Ganges flowing between forested hills at Rishikesh, with buildings on the left bank
Rishikesh
93 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

Is there anything to see near Kedarnath apart from the temple?

Yes: the Triyuginarayan Temple, where tradition says Shiva and Parvati were married, Guptakashi with its Vishwanath Temple, and Gauri Kund with its hot springs, all on the road below. Triyuginarayan is about 24 minutes from Gaurikund and Guptakashi about 55 minutes on our routing.

Can you do this the day before the Kedarnath walk?

Yes. The day ends at Gaurikund, where the walk to Kedarnath starts at first light the next morning. Wikipedia gives the walk as 6 to 8 hours for 17 km. Register for the yatra first, and sleep early; the plan ends at the road-end for that reason.

Do these places need a permit?

We have found no published permit rule for the temples on this road. For Kedarnath itself the temple committee asks pilgrims to register for the yatra on the Uttarakhand portal. We have no verified rules for the other places, so ask locally and follow any instructions at the temples.