Madmaheshwar Temple, Rudraprayag Sightseeing & Tours

Second in the line of the Panch Kedars, the temple of Madmaheshwar is located at an altitude of 3,289 m above sea-level on the slope of a ridge, 25 km northeast of Guptkashi in Rudraprayag district. According to a legend, when lord Shiva was avoiding the Pandavas, he sank into the earth at Kedarnath with a desire to elude them and his torso surfaced here at Madmaheshwar. Thus Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of his belly at this temple. The journey to Madmaheshwar can be completed in two parts. A motor accessible road from Guptkashi to Kalimath completes the first leg and from there one can trek up to the main temple. The trek from Kalimath to Madmaheshwar is distinguished by wild unparalleled scenic beauty and is surrounded by Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks. Gaundar at the confluence of Madmaheshwar Ganga and Markanga Ganga is the last settlement before one reaches Madmaheshwar. Located amidst serene environs, the temple is distinct from other pilgrimage centres in the calm atmosphere it provides with hardly any of the local priests or crowds of pilgrims around. There is a small Dharamshala and provisions must be carried from the village of Gaundar. The temple is close for six months during winter when the silver idols are taken ceremonially to Ukhimath for worship and only the Shivling remains in the temple. Saraswati kund, where the ritual of Tarpans is offered is also situated close by.