The last temple of Panch Kedar is “Kalpeshwar Temple (“कल्पेश्वर मंदिर”)”, this is a holy temple, whose doors are open all year round and Kalpeshwar Temple is one of the major religious places in Uttarakhand.
The temple here is worshiped by Shiva, who is seated as the main god. To reach here one has to pass through dense forests and hilly grounds. There is a very old Kalpeshwar tree here. It is said that whatever wish is asked with this power, it is fulfilled.
Kalpeshwar is in the Urgam Valley (उर्गम घाटी) district of Chamoli at an elevation of about 2134 meters above sea level. 11 km from Helling (हेलांग), this place can be reached by finishing from here. It can be reached from Delhi by a distance of about 475 kilometers and a distance of two kilometers.
Kalpeshwar Temple Legendary statement about the temple included in Panch Kedar Dham
A grand temple of Lord Shankar is built at Kalpeshwar. The mythological texts about Kalpeshwar are mentioned in detail. There are also some interesting stories in the context of this sacred land, which shows its importance in detail. It is believed that this is the place where the victorious Pandavas after the war of Mahabharata, suffering from complacency of killing their relatives killed in war, wanted to know the law of atonement from Ved Vyas to get rid of this sorrow and sin.
Vyas ji said that there is never welfare of the Kulghati, but if you want to get rid of this sin, then go to Kedar and worship Lord Shiva. After receiving instructions and instructions from Vyas ji, the Pandavas went on a journey to see Lord Shiva. The Pandavas first reached Kashi. Wished for Shiva’s blessings, but Lord Shiva was not interested in this task.
To avoid forgiving the Pandavas, when Lord Shiva went underground as a bull, many parts of his body remained above the ground. A part of him is also worshiped in Kalpeshwar. In this temple, ‘Jata (जटा)’ or one of the recognized three trinities of Hindu religion, Lord Shiva’s tangled hair is worshiped. Kalpeshwar Temple comes fifth in the ‘Panchkedar’ pilgrimage. It can be visited at any time of the year. This small stone temple can be reached through a cave. The arms of Shiva appeared in ‘Tungnath‘, the navel in ‘Madhyameshwar’, the mouth in ‘Rudranath’, and the jata in ‘Kalpeshwar’. These four places are known as Panchkadar. Along with these four places, Shri Kedarnath is also known as ‘Panchkedar’.
Kalpeshwar Temple of Panchkedar Dham, Tapobhoomi of Rishi Durvasa and where the sight of Shiva is seen
Kalpeshwar is located in the Kalpaganga Valley (कल्पगंगा घाटी). Kalpaganga was called Hiranyavati (हिरण्यवती) in ancient times. The land of the coast at its right place is called ‘Durbasa (दुरबसा)’ land. There is a temple of Dhyanbadri at this place.
Kalpeshwar is an ancient cavity at the foot of the rock, within which a self-contained Shivalinga sits in the womb. Kalpeshwar rock looks like jataa. The first Kalpa tree was in place of the Kedar temple of Devgram. It is said that here Indra, the king of the gods, worshiped Shiva and obtained Kalpataru to get rid of the curse of Durvasa Rishi.
According to Shivpuran, sage Durvasa (ऋषि दुर्वासा) did penance at the same place sitting under the Kalpa tree which gave him a boon, since then it started to be called ‘Kalpeshwar’.There is a similar mention in the Kedar Khand Purana that in this place Durvasa Rishi had done severe penance by sitting under the Kalp tree, since then this place became famous as ‘Kalpeshwaranath’. Apart from this, according to other stories, the Gods, suffering from the atrocities of the Asuras, performed Narayanastuti in the Kalpasthal and received the boon of Abhaya after seeing Lord Shiva.
Tourist places in Kalpeshwar Temple
Kalpeshwar temple included in Panch Kedar temples can be visited at many other places. There are many places around it, which are the best tourists Is the site.
Rudranath Temple : There is also a temple of Lord Shiva in Panchkedar. Here Lord Shiva is worshiped as his enchanting face. It can be reached by trekking 21 kilometers from Saggar in the Rudranath temple situated at an altitude of 2286 meters. By the way, it is located at a distance of about 10 kilometers from Kalpeshwar village.
Joshimath : This is a very small pilgrimage center, but it attracts tourists from all over the country and abroad, it is one of the most important tourist destination of Chamoli district. There are four main institutions made by Adi Guru Shankaracharya here. Along with this, the idols of Lord Badrinath can also be seen. In cold days these institutions become the home of God.
Chopta : Chopta is also called Mini Switzerland of Uttarakhand. 23 kilometers from Kalpeshwar, this place is no less than a paradise. There is a flow of mountains here all over the year. It is a favorite place for adventure sports enthusiasts. During winter, a large number of tourists come here to see the natural beauty of this place. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun which is about 267 kilometers from Kalpeshwar while the nearest railway station is about 251 kilometers from Rishikesh, Joshimath. Road traffic can also be used to get here. Kalpeshwar Temple, one of the Panchkedar temples of Lord Shiva, can be visited at any time of the year.
How to reach Kalpeshwar temple of Panchkedar Dham
The nearest railway station of Kalpeshwar temple included in Panchkedar is Rishikesh and Dehradun railway station at a distance of about 247 and 268 kilometers. The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant of Dehradun, which is situated at a distance of about 266 km. Bus service is also available from Rishikesh, Dehradun, and Haridwar to reach Kalpeshwar.