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Shiva Temple · South Indian pilgrimage hubRecognisable from the river by its distinctive red-and-white striped steps, Kedareshwar Temple has long been a favoured stop for pilgrims from South India, many of whom treat a visit here as a meaningful stand-in for the much harder Himalayan journey to Kedarnath.
The lingam inside is said to have arisen naturally rather than been installed, giving it a self-manifested (swayambhu) status that adds to its significance for devotees. The ghat itself, with its striped steps, is one of the most visually distinctive stretches of the riverfront and a favourite with photographers for exactly that reason.
The surrounding neighbourhood has a noticeably South Indian character, with Tamil and Kannada spoken as often as Hindi in the lanes nearby, a legacy of generations of South Indian families who settled around the temple over the centuries.
It's a good stop on a boat ride or a longer ghat walk, and pairs naturally with nearby Harishchandra Ghat, one of the city's cremation ghats, a short walk further along the river.
Morning, as part of a ghat walk or boat ride
The distinctive red-and-white striped steps of Kedar Ghat
Harishchandra Ghat, a short walk south
It's long been treated as a meaningful, more accessible alternative to the Himalayan journey to Kedarnath, and generations of South Indian families have settled in the surrounding lanes as a result.
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