Gaurikund is a religious place located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is related to Mother Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, who also has the name Maa Gauri. And also, it is the last stop of the motorway for the devotees coming to Kedarnath and from here the devotees start the trek to Kedarnath and Vasuki Tal.
Seeing the religious belief of Gauri Kund, all the devotees who go to Kedarnath proceed only after taking a bath in this Kund. In this article, you will get information about how Gaurikund is related to Maa Gauri and what other stories are related to it, as well as when and how to visit Gauri Kund, etc.
History of Gaurikund:
There are two stories related to the history of Gaurikund, in which one is related to the penance of Mother Parvati and the other is related to the beheading of Lord Ganesha. Let’s know about both.
Story related to Mother Parvati of Gaurikund:
Mother Sati had committed self-immolation in the fire of Yagyakund after King Daksha had insulted Lord Shiva. Enraged by this, Lord Shiva killed King Daksha and went into a long meditation. After a few years, Mata Sati was reborn as Himalaya’s daughter, whose name was Mata Parvati.
Mother Parvati had done severe penance for years by sitting at this place with the aim of pleasing Lord Shiva. Only after this Lord Shiva agreed to marry Mother Parvati. The marriage of Shiva-Parvati took place at the Triyuginarayan temple situated at a distance of 15 kilometers from Gaurikund.
Story related to Lord Ganesha of Gaurikund:
Mother Parvati did not give birth to Ganesha but created him from the union of her body. This is because Mother Parvati was going to bathe in this Kund, then she had appointed Ganesha as the gatekeeper and asked not to allow anyone to enter inside.
When Mata Parvati was taking bath inside then only Lord Shiva came there. On the orders of Mother Parvati, Ganesha stopped Lord Shiva from going inside. Enraged by this, Shiva cut off Ganesha’s head and separated it from his body. Later, when Goddess Parvati got angry, Lord Shiva restored Ganesha’s life by attaching an elephant’s head to his head.
Where is Gauri Kund situated?
It is located near Sonprayag in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state. Mandakini river flows near it. The trek to Kedarnath Dham and Vasuki Tal starts from here. Its height from the sea coast is around six thousand feet.
What to visit in Gauri Kund?
The terrible natural disaster that came in 2013 destroyed everything. In that calamity, the route to the Kedarnath temple and the places around it were destroyed. Gauri Kund was also one of them. The lake that used to be here earlier is now replaced by only a thin stream of hot water. Along with this, the hot water of Gauri Kund is made available by the government with the help of a pipe.
The Gauri temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati is located here. Devotees going to Kedarnath first visit the Gauri temple to seek blessings from Mother Parvati. The idol of Goddess Parvati is installed in the Gauri temple. At a distance of half a kilometer from the Gauri, the temple is the Sirkata temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
Aside from this if you ever plan to go near Joshimath, then you will get many houses there for a night stay. There are many clean homestays in Joshimath that are budget-friendly and where you can relax before and after finishing your journey to recharge your strength.
