Rudranath temple is located in the village named as Rudranath in Garhwal region of the Himalaya in the state of Uttarakhand in North India. The primary deity of this temple is Lord Shiva. The architecture and culture of the temple reflects the north Indian temple srchitectural style.
According to the local legends, the temple is strongly believed to be built by Pandavas. It is a Hindu temple that is largely dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated at an elevation of 2,286 metres (7,500 ft) above sea level.
Rudranath temple is situated within an Alpine pastures and dense forest of rhododendron dwarfs. It is a natural rock temple. It is the third temple that needs to be visited by the pilgrims and devotees in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region of the Himalaya.
The circuit comprises of Kedarnath and Tungnath to be visited before Rudranath and Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar to be visited after Rudranath. It is to be noted that the face (mukha) of Lord Shiva is worshipped as “Nilkanth Mahadeva” at this temple.
Shivarathri is celebrated in grand manner at this temple with the presence of thousands of pilgrims and devotees with much dedication and devotion. Most of the pujas and rituals are conducted according to the Vedic practices. This ancient temple is directly linked to the Pandavas, heroes of epic Mahabharata. It is one of the most sought after temple by devotees and pilgrims of India and abroad. It can be reached by trekking from the head road.