(Image source: Internet)
History and background:
Located in the Chenani region within Udhampur District, Buda Kedar Nath serves as a significant historical and religious Pilgrimage site for devotees of Lord Shiva. Located approximately 113 kilometers (70 mi) northeast of Jammu and within 47 kilometers (29 mi) northwest of Udhampur, Buda Kedar Nath is easily accessible via a good quality paved road with ample signage. Directions to Buda Kedar Nath require a right turn off of the main road in Chenani onto the Chenani-Pattangarh road; upon crossing over the River Tawi, the road branches off to the east and then follows the twisting route of the Tawi River downstream for approximately 14 kilometers further whereupon a secondary road intersects off the right side of the main road connecting Raji Mohra with Buda Kedar Nath. There is also another sacred Pilgrimage site known as 'Gaya', located directly across from and adjacent to the Nallah flowing from the hilltops, approximately midway between the two sites. The temple at Buda Kedar Nath has been constructed over an outcrop of hard rocks forming a natural cave and continues to serve as a holy site; it also contains the large resin stone that represents Lord Shiva’s knee and closely resembles that of a human knee. The Devak has flowed freely around Buda Kedar Nath for many generations.
History:-
In addition to this cave being filled with sculptures of various gods, there also exists a natural Holy Water spring located within the same cave. To access the seat of Buda Kedar Nath and view the Darshan of the knee; one must pass through a very small, dark cave-like entrance. The mountain is said to have experienced numerous miraculous events occurring at the hands of Lord Shiva. Among other things, one such miracle takes place when the first light of the rising sun comes into contact with the knee of Lord Shiva via an undiscoverable gap/hole located in the mountain side. So, the second important factor regarding this temple is that traditionally and historically you could not remain in the temple after sunset.
The evening Pooja is offered by the Mahant at least one hour before sunset, and after the Pooja the Mahant returns to his house. There are many local people who claim that anyone who stays in this temple after dark will find themselves thrown out of the cave by an unseen force. There are also many local people who claim that every now and again, before dawn each day, they will hear the sound of Sankh-Dhoona and Pooja being performed at this temple when in fact there is no one there (in person) doing it, and every person who lives in the vicinity of the temple can confirm this supernatural occurrence. Additionally, it is believed that Kedar Nath, in the form of an old Sadhu, appeared to people from far and wide from this temple, hence Buda Kedar Nath Tirtha is the name given to this place associated with Kedar Nath.
Legends behind Budda Kedar Nath Mandir:-
In ancient times, it was said that Buda Kedarnath was the site of a vedanta that dealt with Bhasmasur (demon) who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. The demon had been worshipping Shiva for thousands of years, and when Lord Shiva saw this devotion, He told Bhasmasur to ask for whatever he wanted. Bhasmasur asked to be granted immortality. Therefore, Lord Shiva granted him a "Varada" which was that if he placed his right hand on the head of any person then that person would be instantly turned to ashes. Once Bhasmasur received this boon from Shiva, he immediately wanted to test its power, so he ran towards Lord Shiva to place his hand on top of Lord Shiva's head to see what would happen. When Lord Shiva saw what Bhasmasur was trying to do, he began running for shelter; this caused all gods of Devlok to be frightened by Lord Shiva's reaction. The gods then went to the Vishnu Bhagwan for assistance in saving the Universe from Bhasmasur's evil intentions.
During this time, Lord Shiva disguised himself as an old sadhu and traveled to Prithvi Lok (Earth) through the cave at Buda Kedar Nath valley. When he arrived at the cave, ke sat with knees bent and did not speak until the arrival of Bhasmasura, who used his tantras to travel to the cave. Bhasmasura entered the cave but could not pass through the Agni (fire) Circle surrounding the cave. Lord Shiva uncurled his knee to form a stone, and the demon waited for Lord Shiva to leave the cave.
Conclusion:-
Lord Vishnu manifested as a busy Apsara (Mohini) led an encouraging dance outside the cave of Buda Kedar Nath; His dance impressed the wicked demon Bhasmasur who began to emulate Mohinis movements. During this time, the wicked demon was instructed by Mohini to imitate her movements, while aligning his movement patterns to those of Mohini. Once the wicked demon Bhasmasur had placed both of his hands above his head while copying the actions of Mohinis, an event took place; Bhasmasur (the wicked demon) became nothing but ashes and bones in a cloud of smoke. The locals refer to the mound of ashes and bones that remain located just outside the cave of Buda Kedar Nath as being Bhasmasurs final resting place. In addition to this, the residents around Buda Kedar Nath have a strong belief that if they were to cremate deceased family members at the bank(s) of the Devak River in Buda Kedar Nath, then the ashes will not need to be transported to Haridwar for immersion in Ganga ji. The Mela that will be performed at Buda Kedar Nath on July 10, 2023 is also known to have a long-standing tradition; this will be the first Shadi Yatra that will be celebrated from the Chandi Mata Temple, Garnai Chowk, Udhampur, and will be started on July 10, 2025 (Guru Purnima).
(Writer:- Vivek Koul, owner of this blogger site)
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