Tungnath

 Tungnath

Tungnath temple, one among the five of Panch Kedar pilgrimages and the highest altitude temple dedicated to lord Shiva, is situated on the lap of Chandrashila peak in Chamoli district of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand 3,680 meters above the sea level. Bearing the religious significance, Tungnath temple is one of the most visited pilgrimages of India. Arm of lord Shiva is worshipped in Tungnath temple. Legend of Panch Kedar states about its origin.

Tungnath temple resembles the Kedarnath temple, Madhyamaheshwar temple and temples at Guptakashi, built in North Indian temple architecture.  The idol of lord Shiva or the Shivalinga in Tungnath is 0.3 meters high tilted black rock resembling arm (bahu) of lord Shiva.

Tungnath Temple Tourism

The hill of Tungnath divides Mandakini river and Alakananda river the former raising from Kedarnath and the later raising from Badrinath. The peak Tungnath sources water to three springs who combine to form Akashkamini river. Trek to Tungnath begins from Chopta, the Garhwal valley that tourists need to pass through from Chopta to Tungnath provides enough of natural beauty- the agricultural fields along with the alpine meadows and beautiful rhododendron flowers fill you with enchanting pleasure. During March and April, the crimson, red and pink rhododendron flowers delight not only the passersby human but also the birds and animals. Nature blooms with youth and the trekkers fall for the beauty. More, the steep Himalayan peaks Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, Neelkantha, Kedarnath, Panch Chuli, Banderpunch and Trishul make your journey easy and live. The easy stone paved route with benches for trekkers to rest at places lightens trouble.

Tungnath Temple Trek

Trek to Tungnath begins from two spots depending upon which route you choose. The route to Tungnath would be Guptakashi-Kund-Ukhimath-Chopta-Tungnath.

If yours is not a religious tour or if you want to try something different and not follow the traditional route, you can first go to Badrinath and come Tungnath through Gopeshwar-Mandal route. Guptakashi-Kund-Ukhimath-Chopta-Tungnath is shorter and traffic free route in comparison to Gopeshwar-Mandal-Chopta-Tungnath route. Guptakashi to Chopta is 42.9Km. Chopta to Tungnath is 5Km zigzag trek. Tungnath temple is travelled by thousands of religious tourists every year especially during the Char Dham yatra season starting from May till October.

Tungnath Temple | Best Time to Visit

March to October, escaping the summer months of June to September, Tungnath temple best serves the tourists with natural beauty along with religious favor. Snowfall restricts the trekkers to Tungnath during winter. Those tourists who love to enjoy the snow can go to Chopta village on the way to Tungnath temple.

Tungnath Temple | How to Reach ?

If your destination is Tungnath alone, the tour begins at Haridwar, passes through Rishikesh-Devprayag-Srinagar-Rudraprayag reaching Ukhimath throuth Agastmuni in Kedarnath road. When you reach Singoli, you will take Ukhimath Chopta road and your trek will begin as you reach Chopta.

• By Air: The nearest airport is Jolly grant Dehradun. Haridwar is 34.1Km from Jollygrant airport. You must use other means of transportation from Dehradun to Haridwar.
• By Rail: Haridwar railway station is connected to most of the parts of India with regular service.
• By Road: Haridwar is accessible through roadways from all parts of the country and regular bus service.

Tungnath Temple | Plaeces Near By

• Chandrashila Peak: 2Km above Tungnath temple, Chandrashila peak offers breathtaking view of snow clad Himalayan peaks Banderpoonch, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Nanda Devi, Neelkanth, Panch Chuli and Trishul. The trek to Chandrashila peak is filled with joy of seeing the beautiful Himalayan views and green panorama of Garhwal valley enlightening you with beauty beyond explanation.
• Chopta Village: Surrounded by pine, deodar and rhododendron forest with varied flora and fauna, chopta village, 2,680 meters above the sea level provides you with spectacular  view of Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi and Trishul peaks and is the spot from where trek to Tungnath and Chandrashila peak begins. Itself a hill station, Chopta village welcomes you with rhododendron and deodar trees that bloom with full youth during March-April.
• Guptakashi: 1,319 meters above sea level in Rudraprayag district of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand, Guptakashi is a large village that houses Vishwanath temple dedicated to lord Shiva. Guptakashi, named after the Guptavash (hidden residency period) of Pandavas, the heroes of Hindu holy epic Mahabharata, enshrines a temple of Ardhanareshwar- half Shiva and half Parvati to form a single statue. Guptakashi is considered second most pious Hindu holy places that comes after Varanashi.