TUNGNATH

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Location- Rudraprayag, Garhwal

Recommended Stay 2-3 days 

Famous For Shiva Temple, Trekking, Pilgrimage, Snow Trek.

Best Months May to June and September to October.

Railway Station Rishikesh Railway Station, 204 kms

Nearest Airport Jolly Grant Airport,220 kms

HISTORY

Sitting amongst the Mighty Himalayas, Tungnath is the highest temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, which traces its origin more than 1000 years back. The Pandavaas were the first to erect the temple there having prayed to wash away their sins for the battle of Mahabharata. After that Adi Shankaracharya rediscovered the holy temple, and today a native Brahmin from the Makku hamlet serves as its priest.

HOW TO REACH THERE

If you are travelling from your own vehicle, then the route will be straight from Delhi via NH1 to Rishikesh. From Rishikesh you have to take the Char Dham Route.

BUS- For travelling through bus, you have to reach Dehradun first and then book ticket online one day prior or through counter the very day, there is one regular service of public transport which starts at 7am from Dehradun and reaches Gopeshwar at 5pm.

TAXI- After reaching Uttarakhand and reaching Rishikesh railway station you can book a taxy which will cost you approx. 4500-5000.

Local taxis and buses are available from Haridwar to Sari Village/Chopta which is approximately 212 km, 8hr long drive. Chopta is the base camp for Tungnath Chandrashila trek. Chopta is 1-1.5hrs drive from Sari Village.

There is no public transport to go there from Gopeshwar, so you can book a taxy from Ukimath or Gopeshwar.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Trekking- The trek distance is 3 km starting from Chopta till Tungnath, and further 1.5 km till Chandrashila which exhibit an amazing view of snow-covered Himalayan peaks

Winter trek starts from Mid-December till Mid Feb.

Camping- the nearest hotel would be Ukimath and Gopeshwar, where the approx. tariff for 1 day would be around 800, You can also carry your own tent and can set up your base camp anywhere on the meadows.

Pilgrimage- A great number of pilgrims visit the Tungnath shrine, one of the Panch Kedar devoted to Lord Shiva in Uttarakhand, which is perched at a height of 3.6 km. During the winter, a layer of snow covers the shrine.

Bird Watching- Bird watching can also be done in Biosphere Reserve in the Kedar Ghati. State bird of Uttarakhand, the Himalayan Monal can be sighted there.

DURING THE JOURNEY

• You will get to see 4 Sangams,
• Devprayag, the Sangam of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda from where the name Gangespuri came.
• Rudraprayag
• Karnprayag- Pindar meets Alaknanda, Temple of Karn can be visited here.
• Nandprayag- You can enjoy the famous Fish rice here.

• After Srinagar you can also visit to the Dhari Devi Temple, which has its own amazing history and mysterious folk tales.
• In Gopeshwar, the temple of Gopinathcan be visited.
• While going to Chopta from Gopeshwar, Anasuya Devi Temple can be visited by doing a Trek of 6 km from Mandal Gaon, which is 13 km from Gopeshwar.
• Bird watching can also be done there.
• The 24 km trek of Rudranath(forth amongst the famous Panch Kedar) also starts from the Saggar Gaon, which is 5 km from Gopeshwar.

TRAVEL TIPS

• Make sure to rest one day prior to trekking to acclimatize yourself.
• You can easily hire the services of Mules/Porters till Tungnath.
• Avoid travelling in Monsoon. Best months to visit are May to June and September to October.
• Since Tungnath is at a distant location, there are no gasoline pumps there—not even at Chopta. To find these amenities, one must travel all the way to Gopeshwar or Ukimath.
• Carry Raincoats

Pack Wisely

• Keep your backpack as light as possible.
• Good warm clothes, warmers, trekking shoes, jackets, cap, gloves if you are planning to visit in Winters.
• For summers, carry light clothes
•  

Food

There are not many big restaurants in Tungnath. However, one can try going into local small shops which offers home-style cooked food, Maggie, parathas, soft drinks and tea etc. Prices of food are normal.

Do not climb the trek neither empty stomach nor too much filled, as shops are available at the starting of the trek, on the half way of the trek and even at the main temple.

Conclusion

Planning a minimum of 3 days trip is enough to go around the destination and also enjoy the Devine feeling and aura of this journey. Make sure to check the weather before planning your trip and pack accordingly. And don’t forget to describe your experience after finishing the journey in our website.