Kalpeshwar is the only one of the five Panch Kedar shrines which remains open throughout the year. However, inspite of the Shravan month starting, this temple of lord Shiva is not seeing the large number of devotees as in past years due to recent disaster damage in the approach route to the shrine.
The ancient Kalpeshwar Mahadev temple in the Joshimath block of Chamoli district is situated on the left of the Kalp Ganga river. The locks of Shiva are worshipped at this shrine where he is venerated as the fifth Kedar. This shrine is also associated with the Pandavas as it is believed that to seek pardon for the sin of ‘Gotra Hatya’ committed during the Mahabharat, the Pandavas had gone from Kalpeshwar to Kedarnath. The Shiv ling here is set on the surface of the mountain below a cliff. The heavy rains experienced last month caused the Kalp Ganga to swell which caused damage to the suspension bridge spanning it. With the sole bridge leading to the shrine damaged, hardly any devotees are visiting this important shrine even in the month of Shravan. Devotees use a 10 km road from Helang and then have to walk three km to reach this shrine, but with the routes being damaged, this shrine, like other Panch Kedar shrines, is bearing adeserted look.