Guptakashi is a pretty big town situated at 1319 meters in Kedar-Khanda. The town is famous for its old Vishwanath Temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The Vishwanath Temple, Guptkashi has visual similarity to that of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of this temple as Lord Vishwanath. The holy temple is situated on way to Kedarnath. The silver snow-covered peaks of Chaukhamba adds to the blissful aura of this temple.
Constructed with stone, a slanting roof, and a high tower on the sanctum, the Vishwanath Temple brags an outstanding architecture. Brightly painted lotuses are present on the outer façade of this temple whereas there is a violent avatar of God Shiva as Bhairav on the top of this temple’s door. The status of Nandi is also present in the temple that faces the image of God Shiva. To the main shrine’s left, there is a small shrine devoted to Ardhanareeshvara. In the Vishwanath Temple complex, a small pond known as the Manikarnika Kund is present in front of this temple. A Shivalinga is bathed here by two springs, the rivers Ganges and Yamuna. The Ganges spring flows through an elephant’s trunk which is put above the linga strategically and the Yamuna water stems from the goumukh.
It is believed that after the Kurukshetra war of Mahabharat, the Pandavas were advised by Lord Krishna and many other sages to apologize for the sins and Brahmanahatya did by them during that war by seeking forgiveness from Lord Shiva. They were also recommended to pray to get Shiva’s blessing before they attain salvation. But Lord Shiva wasn’t ready to meet them as he was angry for the unjust events that took place during the war. Lord Shiva thus escaped from Kashi in the form of Nandi to Guptakashi. However, Pandavas recognized him in the avatar of Nandi and followed him to Gupteshwar. Then Bhima, the second brother of Pandavas tried to catch Nandi by holding his legs, bull Nandi disappeared from Guptakashi in the ground. Later Lord Shiva reappeared in 5 different forms – face at Rudranath, hump at Kedarnath, stomach and navel at Madhyamaheshwar, locks at Kalpeshwar, and arms at Tungnath. This vanishing deed of Lord Shiva gives this place the name, “Guptakashi”. As per another legend, Lord Shiva proposed Goddess Parvati at Guptakashi before they tied their knot in the Triyuginarayana village. It is also believed that in 1669, when Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor demolished the whole Kashi Vishwanath Temple to build the Gaynvapi Mosque, the Shivalinga of that temple was shifted to the Guptakashi for protection.
Mahashivarti is celebrated with full enthusiasm by the Lord Shiva devotees at the Vishwanath Temple. Thousands of devotees visit this temple on this auspicious day, keep fasts, and make an offering of milk to the Shivalinga. Another most celebrated event at the temple is Dussehra. As a ritual, the devotees of Lord Rama put diyas all over the town and their houses and burn status of Ravana on this day to celebrate the triumph of good over bad.