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Shri Kedarnath Dham means "Lord of the field or Kedar Khand" region, the historical name of the region. Situated amongst scenic snowy mountains and valleys covered with grassy meadows, Shri Kedarnath Dham temple is on the must-see list of sightseers all over the world - not just pilgrims. Located at an altitude of over 3,583 mtr. (11,755 ft.), above sea level in Uttarakhand and 223 km from Rishikesh, this temple is the highest of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is located at the head of the Mandakini and Saraswati River in Himalayas of Garhwal region. The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 16 kilometres uphill trek from Gaurikund. Ponie and Porter Service is available to reach the Temple. Helicopter services for 2026 Shri Kedarnath Dham Yatra will be available soon and can be booked only through Heli Service official website.
Jyotirlingas are sacred shrines of Lord Shiva, it is believed that Lord Shiva himself visited these places and hence they have a special place in the hearts of devotees. Jyotirlinga means "column or pillar of light". The "stambha" symbol represents that there is no beginning or end. When Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu had an argument about who was the supreme god, Lord Shiva appeared as a column of light and asked each one to find the ends. Neither could do it. It is believed that the places where these columns of light fell is where the Jyotirlinga are located.
One of the first references of Shri Kedarnath Dham is in the Skanda Purana that was written around the 7th and 8th century AD. The present structure is believed to have been constructed by Adi Shankaracharya about 1,200 years ago. It stands next to the site of a temple that is said to have been built by the Pandavas. It has been renovated many times over the centuries. The temple is built with huge stone slabs over a rectangular platform. There are inscriptions in Pali on the steps. There are figures of various deities and scenes from Hindu mythology on the inner walls. A large statue of the Nandi Bull, Shiva's mount, stands as guard at the entrance. The Jyotirlinga is in the shape of a conical rock formation inside the temple - Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form. Since Shri Kedarnath Dham is located at such an altitude, winters are severe, making the temple inaccessible. So, it is open to the Pilgrims only between April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima - the autumn full moon) every year. During the winters, the Murtis(idols) from Shri Kedarnath Dham temple are brought to Ukhimath and worshiped there for six months. One of the most significant calamities occurred at Shri Kedarnath Dham in 2013 when it was affected by flash floods, which was one of the worst disasters that occurred in 100 years of its existence. Bhim Shila stands for "God's rock", which saved the holy temple of Shri Kedarnath Dham from being washed away by the turbulent flood water.
Cancellation / Refunds for Helicopter Tickets booked online through Heli service website - will be governed by the terms and conditions as given below:
1) Timeline for cancellation and refund is as following:
S. No.
Time of Cancellation prior to starting time of booked slot
Refund
1.
More than 5 days before departure timeslot
75% of ticket booking amount
2.
Between 48 hours - 5 days before departure timeslot
50% of ticket booking amount
3.
Between 24 hours - 48 hours before departure timeslot
25% of ticket booking amount
4.
Less than 24 hours before departure timeslot
No Refund
5.
No Show (Not reporting 1 hour before the departure time-slot at the helipad)
No Refund
2) In all the above cases Convenience Fee and Payment Gateway/Transaction Charges are non-refundable.
3) Online helicopter tickets booked through Heli service website shall be cancelled through online mode only by the passenger.
4) No request for cancellation of Online helicopter tickets shall be entertained through any other mode.
5) In case of online cancellation of Helicopter ticket, refund as per cancellation policy will be made to same account used for booking, after deduction of Payment Gateway Charges/Transaction Charges and Convenience Fee.
6) In case of cancellation of Helicopter Service due to any technical reason / bad weather/Government orders full refund, as applicable, will be made to the passenger excluding the Payment Gateway Charges/Transaction Charges and Convenience Fee.
7) In such case, Passengers are advised to submit the ticket issued by IRCTC or the boarding pass issued by the helicopter operator at the Check-in counter immediately and get their ticket cancelled (duly stamped) at the concerned Helipad Counter.
For online tickets, refund will be processed online and credited to the source account through which the ticket was booked, within 05 to 07 days.
For tickets booked with cash payment, refund shall be collected by the passenger from the counter.
If Helicopter services is cancelled due to bad weather or any other reason, passengers of particular slot not flown will not be carried forwarded to next slot.
For extra weight charges, if any paid by the passenger, will be refunded by the helicopter operator at the helipad itself.
8) In case of cancellation of helicopter services due to any (operational/technical) reasons, if refund is not received within 5 to 7 working days stipulated period, the customer/passenger may lodge a complaint with IRCTC through their registered e-mail ID on heliservice within 15 days from the date of departure. Refund will be made after due verification with Helicopter Operator, to the same account through which the ticket was booked. No claim of refund amount due to cancellation of Helicopter service, will be entertained after 15 days from the date of departure.