There was a Rishi named 'Mandhata' who was doing Dhyana to appease Lord Shiva at Kailash. Lord Shiva gave him darshans and blessed Rishi Mandhata but also directed him to go to Kashi and perform his Dhyan there.
On Makar Sankranti in Kashi, Rishi Mandhata had prepared 'Khichadi' Bhog to do Bhojan sewa to Sadhu and Sanyasis. Rishi Mandhata worked hard for the entire day, and managed to cook the food.
After feeding all the Sanyasis, Rishi Mandhata himself sat down to eat the remaining portion of Khichadi Bhog. Just at the same time, Rishi Mandhata saw a weak and old monk coming to eat Bhojan, due to which he was in a dilemma about whether he should give the remaining food to the old Sanyasi or take it himself.
Rishi Mandhata decided to divide the remaining portion of Khichadi into two equal halves, between him and the old Sanyasi. But in reality it was not an old Sanyasi, but it was Lord Shiva himself who had come to give him darshans.
Lord Shiva gave darshans Rishi Mandhata from the Khichadi Bhog itself along with the entire Shiva family i.e. Gauri, Ganesh and Kartikeya. After darshan, Rishi Mandhata asked God for this wish that he would give him darshan in the same form always. Lord Shiva blessed and obliged Mandhata Rishi with his wish. And the divided 'Khichadi Bhog' turned into a self-manifested Shiva Linga half of which is inhabited by 'Maa Gauri' and the other half by 'Kedarnath'.
This self manifested divine Shiva Ling is ardhanarishwar in nature and is also named 'Gauri Kedareshwar'.
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