Pakistan is a paradigm example of a failed state that has undergone an extremely dangerous form of radical Islamisation.
Kedarnath Temple
Situated on the banks of the Mandakini River, Kedarnath is one of the four
main Hindu pilgrim centres in Uttarakhand (Himalayan Uttara Pradesh). Though
mainly famous as a religious centre, this place, surrounded by mountain ranges,
also attracts tourists because of its beautiful landscape.
Main Attractioins
The most famous monument of Kedarnath is the Kedarnath Temple. It is
dedicated to Shiva(Destroyer in the Hindu Holy Trinity of
Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) who is worshipped mainly in the form of a
linga(symbolic phallus of Shiva). The jyotirlinga(the phallus of light) in this
temple is one of the twelve jyotirlingasthroughout India, which makes Kedarnath
one of the most sacred Hindu cities. The difference between a jyotirlingaand an
ordinary lingais that while the former derives power from within itself, the
latter is invested with mantra-shakti(power of a verse or phrase that has
magical efficiency) by priests. Legend has it that the Temple was built by the
Pandavas(the heroes of the epic, Mahabharata) to redeem themselves for the sins
they had committed during the Bharata War (for more detail about the Bharata War
see Ancient Scriptures). Going by this reckoning, the temple must be very
ancient, probably dating back to the pre-Christian era. But evidence shows that
it was built in the 8th century a.d. As a matter of fact, in the 8th centurya.d.,
the temple was reconstructed and renovated by Shankaracharaya who also
established a matha(Hindu monastic establishment) at Badrinath.
