Shri Madhyamaheshwar (Madmaheshwar) Temple
Above Gaundar village, Mansuna valley, Rudraprayag district, Garhwal Himalaya · Lord Shiva as Madhyamaheshwar, worshipped as the navel/middle (madhya) of Shiva's bull form in a navel-shaped black stone linga
The second Kedar: a remote meadow temple at about 3,497 m, reached by a 16–18 km trek from Ransi through Gaundar and Bantoli.
Madhyamaheshwar sits in a high meadow below the Chaukhamba massif at about 3,497 m. It is the second of the Panch Kedar, where Shiva's navel (or middle) is worshipped as a navel-shaped black stone linga, with small shrines of Parvati and Ardhanarishwara and a marble Saraswati image. The temple is reached only on foot: about 16–18 km from the road head at Ransi village near Ukhimath, through the villages of Gaundar and Bantoli. It is open from about May to November, and in winter its deity is worshipped at the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath.
Timings
- Season: Usually mid/late May to mid/late November. The opening date is fixed by panchang and announced by BKTC in spring; the closing date is announced on Vijayadashami at Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath.
- Temple hours (season): approx. 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM; confirm locally
- Aarti: Morning and evening aarti; timings vary – ask the priests
- Winter seat: Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath (approx. Nov – May)
Darshan types and costs
- General darshan – Free
Sevas and costs
- Rudrabhishek / abhishek – Varies – ask at the temple (no published rate found) (Mornings in season)
- Doli Yatra and Kapat Udghatan (opening) – Free to attend (Mid/late May – date announced each year)
- Kapat Bandh and Madhyamaheshwar Mela – Free (November (closing on 18 November in 2025; doli reached Ukhimath a few days later))
How to book darshan
No booking for darshan. Arrange stays (homestays at Ransi, Gaundar, Bantoli, Khatara, Nanu and near the temple) in advance in May–June and October. Pujas are arranged at the temple.
BKTC (Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee)
Dress code
No formal code. Warm layers, rain gear and trekking shoes are essential.
Best time to visit
Late May–June and mid-September to the closing in November. Avoid July–August (heavy rain, slippery trail, landslides on the Ukhimath–Ransi road).
How to reach
- air: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun – roughly 210–230 km to Ukhimath by road.
- rail: Rishikesh, about 180–190 km to Ukhimath.
- road: Rishikesh – Rudraprayag – Kund – Ukhimath (Ukhimath is about 41 km from Rudraprayag per BKTC), then about 20 km by a narrow road to Ransi. Trek of about 16–18 km from Ransi via Gaundar and Bantoli.
Festivals
- Kapat Udghatan – Mid/late May
- Kapat Bandh and Madhyamaheshwar Mela – November