Umeshvar Temple

Overview

The Karna temple is where Karna, one of the heroic characters of the epic Mahabharata worshiped the god of sun. The legend goes that Karan meditated at Karnaprayag for many years to attain an invincible shield which would make him very strong and undefeated. Swami Vivekananda meditated here for eighteen days with his Guru Bhai, Guru Turianand ji and Akharanand ji.

Legend and Stories

When Arjuna used the Anjalika astra on weaponless Karna, who was still trying to lift the sunken chariot wheel, Lord Krishna found that Karna was still alive even though seriously wounded. Lord Krishna found that Dharma-devata, the goddess responsible for protecting Dharma (righteousness) is guarding Karna from death and resisting every arrows send by Arjuna. Krishna and Arjuna found it was impossible to kill Karna as the goddess was protecting Karna personally. Lord Krishna explained to Arjuna that the Dharma-devata herself was protecting Karna from death because of the massive good merit Karna earned by giving charity during his life time and it was impossible even for Lord Shiva to kill Karna. Krishna said wherever Dharma is present there is victory and this time Dharma was with the side of Karna. So Krishna went down from his chariot and appeared as a Brahmin and asked for Karna's punya or merit to him as charity. Karna gave his entire merits as charity to the Brahmin in the form of his blood and once Karna gifted his life's merit to him, Krishna rewarded Karna with the view of Krishna's Vishwaroopa. Krishna told that only this way it was possible to kill Karna and when Karna gave away his life's merit to Krishna, Dharma-devata disappeared. Karna asked Krishna to cremate him in a virgin land where nobody else is present. Then Krishna went back to his chariot and asked Arjuna to take the kill shot on Karna. Later, Krishna cremated Karna at Karnaprayag.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit the temple is from October to March during the winter season, when the temperature is very enjoyable and excellent for sightseeing. The summers at Karnaprayag are usually moderately hot with temperature reaching around 30 degrees Celsius. The evenings are accompanied with a cool breeze which lifts the visitor's mood. The monsoon months from August to October are a very good time for viewing the beautiful hill regions. The winters could be really cold, with temperatures reaching to sub zero levels at times. It's a very good time for viewing nearby attractions as well. November marks the start of the winter season.

Accomodation

The place of Karnaprayag lies in the highway leading to Badrinath. This is a place where most of the tourist would prefer to stay overnight during the journey. The options available for stay are less. The option of Home stay is available at nearby places. Many Dharmashalas are also present in the area, which would give a free stay for the pilgrims visiting the temple.

Accessibility

Air

Airport access is quite far from the temple. The closest airport is at Dehradun, which is approximately 220 kms away from the shrine. The taxi and cab facilities are accessible in plenty from the Dehradun airport.

Rail

The nearest railway station that is available is at Rishikesh. The place is about 180 km away from Karnaprayag temple. Local transport availability to reach the place is little less. It is advised to hire a cab and reach the nearest point of the area with ease. There is another railway junction at Haridwar, which is about 24 km away from Rishikesh. It has train connections which come from all across India, thus making it a main junction. The place is part of the national highway 58. This highway connects Badrinath to Delhi.

Road

The Mana pass which is located in the state of Uttarakhand is also near to the Indian border with Tibet. There by, all types of vehicle intended to travel from Delhi to Badrinath via Rishikesh and Haridwar passes through the area of Karnaprayag. The road to Karnaprayag has its starting point situated at Rishikesh. All buses and tourist vehicles start from Rishikesh Bus Stand. The entire road distance from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag is almost 180 kilometres. This route engulfs through Srinagar as well.