Kedarkhand: A Collector’s Book for Every Uttarakhandi Family
(Review of Kedarkhand (Dharm, Sanskriti, Vastushilp evam Paryatan) by Hema Uniyal)
Review by Bhishma Kukreti
Kedarkhand a book by famous temple of Uttarakhand scholar Dr. Hema Uniyal is one of the books that every Uttarakhandi book should have in their library. The Kedarnath book by eminent Uttarakhand Architecture expert Dr. Uniyal takes you a journey of temples, important places, brief historical aspects of religious places of all districts of Garhwal including Garhwal region. Before, writing this book, Hema published ‘Kumaon ke Prasidh Mandir’.
Hema Uniyal did not write descriptions by just reading the books from other scholar’s writing but she visited each and every religious place she described in this book. Therefore this book is firsthand knowledge by Uniyal about spiritual and tourist world of Garhwal region.
Hema starts her book by historical period of Garhwal and provides main important characteristics of culture of Garhwal (including Haridwar).
When the readers come to the chapter of Haridwar district they get all information about temples and religious places as Akhada etc and the readers get all images of religious places of Haridwar.
The readers get information about known and unknown temples, religious places of Dehradun including Jaunsar and Ravai region in the chapter of Janpad Dehradun ke Pramukh Mandir va darshniya Sthal.
Pauri Garhwal is not perceived a region for temples and religious places. By reading the book Kedarkhand, readers come to know less heard but very important and old temples of Pauri Garhwal.
Tehri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Chamoli Garhwal and Rudraprayag districts are known for various temples and religious, spiritual places. In separate chapter for each district, Hema tells the readers about not only well known religious places but also those spiritual places to those seldom described by tourist guides. Hema tries to provide folk beliefs about each temple and also provides the priest family descriptions of temples. The author tries to provide necessary information about festivals and fairs related to temples and religious beliefs of each region.
Dr Hema Uniyal adequate provides information about most of the folk deities and goddess of Garhwal.
Dr Hema Uniyal did not forget to analyze the science of Architecture and science of religious Images of Garhwal region in separate chapters. These two chapters are gems for Garhwal architecture and temple science.
The book is also very important from tourist’s point of view as the learned author provides other important information to readers those are needful to tourists as boarding and lodging facilities in remote and less known spiritual places.
The book has photographs of all temples described in the book barring exception for a couple of temples. There are geographical and religious activities photographs of many important places in the book those enhance the reader’s engagement for the book.
The book reveals many unknown about spiritual world of Garhwal. This author was amazed o know that Rawat families of Mudi Kheda are in charge of Bhuwaneshari temple near Neelkhanth and they get Chadhava (donation) offered to temples by devotees .
The author has problems while writing such books. Either the book becomes serious due to religious stories and architectural detailing or become a tourist guide. Hema is successful in keeping appropriate balance.
Every Uttarakhandi would congratulate Hema Uniyal for her marvelous research and writing works on temples, religious and spiritual places of Garhwal with such vigor and in simple Hindi language.
Every Uttarakhandi family should buy the book.
Kedarkhand (Dharm, Sanskriti, Vastushilp evam Paryatan)
Author –Hema Uniyal
uniyalhema@gmail.com
Year of Publication- 2011
Language-Hindi
Publishers,: Takshshila Prakashan, 98A Hindi Park, Dariyaganj, New Delhi 110002
Phone 011-23258802
Price Rs 750/-
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 4/1/2014
Review on Books on tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Haridwar Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Gangasalan Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Lansdowne Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Pauri Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Ravain region Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Jaunsar region Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Dehradun Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Gangotri Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Mandakini valley Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Neeti valley Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Alkananda valley Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Uttarkashi Garhwal; tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Garhwal; Books on tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Tehri Garhwal; Books on tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Bhilangana-Bhagirathi valley Garhwal; Books on tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Chamoli Garhwal; Books on tourist places, temples, spirituality, religion, architecture, and culture of Rudraprayag Garhwal;
