Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ मन्दिर, IAST: Kēdāranātha Mandira) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, situated on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The name is generally translated as "temple of the God of the field", and the deity Kedarnath is regarded as a form of Shiva, the lord of Kedarkhand, the historical name of the region.
The temple is counted among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and is considered the highest among them. It is also one of the four major sites of the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of the Northern Himalayas, and the first of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites. In the Shaiva canonical literature, it figures among the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams sung in the Tevaram by Tirugnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar, and is also referenced by Sekkizhar.
According to Hindu tradition, the temple was originally built by the Pandavas, who are said to have pleased Shiva through penance at Kedarnath. The shrine is not directly accessible by road; pilgrims undertake an uphill trek of about 17 kilometres from Gaurikund. Owing to extreme weather conditions in the high Himalayas, the temple remains open to the general public only between Akshaya Tritiya in April/May and Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon, in November. During the winter months, the vigraha (deity) is carried down to Ukhimath, where worship continues for the next six months.
Kedarnath was the worst affected area during the flash floods in North India in 2013. The temple complex, the surrounding areas, and the town of Kedarnath suffered extensive damage, although the main temple structure did not sustain major damage. According to accounts of the event, a large rock lodged among the debris acted as a barrier, shielding the temple from the force of the flood.