Kalpeshvar

Temple and sacred site (tirtha) in the
Garhwal region of the Himalayas, about
ten miles down the Alakananda River
from Joshimath. The temple’s presiding
deity is the god Shiva in his manifestation as Kalpeshvar, the “Lord of the
Cosmic Age.” The Kalpeshvar temple is
one of the Panchkedar, a network of five
sites in the Garhwal region that are
sacred to Shiva; the other four sites are
Kedarnath, Rudranath, Tungnath, and
Madmaheshvar. Shiva is believed to
dwell in the Himalayas. This network of
five sites is seen as a symbolic representation of his body. Kalpeshvar represents
Shiva’s matted locks (jatas).