Basukedar Temple is located in a lovely and peaceful district of Uttarakhand, i.e., Rudraprayag.
The temple is located away from the main civilization area, so it is calm. One can sit in silence here, meditate and go hiking too.
The temple comprises one primary and eight smaller temples. The other eight temples on the premises are of different gods and goddesses, which are local deities.
The main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, called the Kedar. The ancient Pagoda symbolizes the faith of locals living in the entire 40 villages around the temple.
The beautiful Basukedar temple is carved in stone with a beautiful view and fabulous premises. The strategic placement of small shrines around the temple beautifully creates a good ambiance of the place.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva heads night rest (basa) here. The name Basu is derived from basa, and thus, the temple is named Basukedar.
Every year on the occasion of Mahashivratri, special worship of Lord Shiva is done here. The locals do Jal Abhishek and Rudra Abhishek.
It is said that the temple is more than 4000 years old and was built by the Pandavas. The route to Basukedar temple used to be the original route to Kedarnath when roads were not constructed. Devotees used to trek via this route and rested at Basukedar temple.
It is one of the oldest temples of Uttarakhand where Lord Shiva is worshiped.
If one plans to visit the Basukedar temple Uttarakhand, it is better to visit on the occasion of Mahashivratri because, on Mahashivratri, a special pooja takes place here.