Char Dham 2012 - CharDham Yatra Online Booking of Char Dham Packages 2012
 

Guptkashi Travel Guide (Char Dham)

CharDham Tour Packages

Guptkashi (Guptakashi or Gupta Kashi) is a large village and town located at an elevation of 1,319 metres in the Kedar-khanda on the Rudraprayag-kedarnath highway. Guptkashi is 39 kms from Rudraprayag by road and 178 kms from Rishikesh.

Guptkashi is famous for the ancient Vishwanath Temple - dedicated to god Shiva - similar to the one in Varanasi (Kashi). The other famous temple here is dedicated to Ardhanareshvara (a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati). Its religious importance is considered next to that of Varanasi, believed to be the most pious of all Hindu pilgrimage places.

Guptkashi and Char Dham Yatra

GuptKashi is a important market town on the road to Kedarnath, and an important stop on the traditional pilgrim route of Char Dham Yatra. Many pilgrims during their Kedarnath Yatra take halt at Guptkashi or purchase important items from this market.

Guptkashi Legend and Mythology

  • Mythology also states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi (on the road to Kedarnath) before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.
  • It is believed that after the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas wanted to meet Lord Shiva and seek his blessings. But Lord Shiva evaded from Guptkashi 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.
  • According to Puranic literature, Kashi and Kanchi (Kanchipuram) are considered as two eyes of Shiva. Keeping this connotation in view, six more "Kashi"s have been prescribed to be as sacred and spiritual as the main Kashi - Varanasi. Pilgrims, who cannot undertake the long journey to the main Kashi, can travel to the closest Kashi. The six other "Kashi"s cover all the regions of the country. These are: Uttarkashi and Guptakashi in Uttarakhand in Northern Himalayas.
  • Another legend declares that when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb demolished the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1669, and constructed Gaynvapi Mosque (he had even renamed Varanasi as Mohammadabad), the Shiva Linga was shifted to Guptakashi for safe keeping. But the original linga of Kashi Vishwanath is stated to have remained here from the time it was shifted.

Guptkashi in Char Dham Road Route Plan

Haridwar - Rishikesh - Chamba - Tehri - Dharasu - Barkot - Sayana Chatti - Hanuman Chatti - Jankichatti - Yamunotri - Uttarkashi - Harsil - Gangotri (Gaumukh) - Srinagar - Rudraprayag - Augustmuni - Phata - Sitapur - Guptkashi - Gaurikund - Kedarnath - Ukhimath - Chopta - Gopeshwar - Chamoli - Pipalkoti - Joshimath (Auli) - Govindghat - Hanuman Chatti - Badrinath - Nandprayag - Karnprayag - Devprayag

Guptkashi Google Maps

Guptkashi Hotels and Resorts

There are few options for accommodation in Guptkashi during Char Dham Yatra. Following is the list of hotels, resorts, guest houses in Guptkashi.

List of Guptkashi Hotels

Char Dham Route Map 2012

Places enroute Char Dham
Char Dham Tour Booking