Madhyamaheshwar, dedicated to Lord Shiva and known as the second of the Panch Kedars, is a sacred shrine. Located in the lap of the Himalayas in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, the Madhyamaheshwar Temple is dedicated to the worship of Shiva’s “nabhi” (middle part), and its natural beauty and trekking routes attract numerous devotees and tourists.
According to legend, after the Mahabharata war, the Pandavas came to the Himalayas to seek Lord Shiva’s blessings. When Shiva refused to grant them darshan, he disappeared in the form of a bull, and various parts of his body fell in different places; his middle part (nabhi) appeared at Madhyamaheshwar. At Madhyamaheshwar, Lord Shiva’s navel or middle part is worshipped, hence the name “Madhyam” + “Maheshwar.”
It is believed that the Pandavas, the heroic figures of the Mahabharata, built this temple while searching for Shiva to atone for their actions. The temple is constructed in traditional and captivating Himalayan architecture, using stone. A self-manifested Shivalinga made of black stone is installed in its sanctum sanctorum