In the procession a group of devotees conveys and accompanies the deity from one temple to another.  This is akin to a royal court, in which the deity is the king, and is served by his (or her) retainers.   The procession leaves Kedarnath early in the morning on Bhai Dhuj, two days after Diwali, and arrives in Gupt Kashi the following evening.   The road distance between these places is 46 km, but the processional route is shorter because it travels on older (and steeper) footpaths.   are shorter (November 2005)

The drummers and the silver staff with the standards are both conventional symbols of royalty, reinforcing the image of Kedarnath as a traveling king.  The silver canopy carried by the man in front (representing an umbrella, another symbol of royalty) hangs over the Kedarnath temple's primary image, and goes down to Ukhimath as another symbol of the deity. 

Since Kedarnath's image is a natural stone outcrop--considered to be a self-manifested (svayambhu) linga--the image itself cannot be moved, and so the deity is "conveyed" by means of these symbols.

Here's a picture of the whole procession, with the dholi or palanquin bringing up the rear.  Given the importance of the Kedarnath temple, I was a bit surprised at the relatively small number of people in the procession. 

November 2005

Here's a closer shot of the dholi (palanquin), which has a trident at the left (one of Shiva's symbols), and the traveling image of Kedarnath in the palanquin.  Many Hindu temples have a traveling or festival image (utsava murti), since many stone temple images (even when they are sculpted and not natural formations) are much too heavy to move.  This image was light enough for two men to carry, but as you'll see it was hard work.  (November 2005).