The Doleshwar Mahadev Temple considered the head of Kedarnath, has attracted significant crowds since early this morning. All four doors of the temple have been open since 4 AM to accommodate the influx of devotees.
On August 22, the temple was officially designated as the “head of Kedarnath,” and arrangements have been made to keep all four doors open and allow worship at the Doleswar Shila on this day. Dharma Raj Basnet, Chairman of the Kedarnath’s Head Doleswar Mahadev Preservation and Development Committee, confirmed that the temple would remain open and accessible to devotees from early morning.
Basnet also noted that the temple follows a tradition of opening all four doors only on specific occasions: Maha Shivaratri, Akshaya Tritiya, and the day of the Kedarnath’s Head designation. On these days, devotees have the unique opportunity to touch the sacred stone and offer their prayers.
Additionally, today marks the end of the Shrawan Mela, which began on Shrawan 1 (July 16) at the local Chandravinayak Temple and concluded with a procession to Doleswar Mahadev. This annual event is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and the mela attracts a large number of visitors and devotees.
In light of the special significance of the day, the Sunwinayak Municipality has declared a public holiday. Pushpraj Basnet, Ward Chairman of Sunwinayak Municipality-8, mentioned that discussions are underway with the committee to further develop Doleswar as a religious and tourist destination.
The Doleswar Mahadev Temple was officially recognized as the “head of Kedarnath” on September 6, 2009 (Bikram Sambat 2066). The municipality’s public holiday and ongoing development efforts underscore the temple’s growing importance as a religious site and tourist attraction.
