Trek to the Madmaheshwar and Budha Madmaheshwar Temple
Gaondar Village- The last village on the route
The Panch Kedars -
In my last blog post I had written about the Trek to Tungnath temple and had also written about the legend of the Panch Kedars – the 5 Shiva temples. It is believed by us locals that there is a particular order in which these temples are to be visited. The first should be Kedarnath then Madmaheshwar, then Tungnath and then Rudranath. The last temple to be visited is the Kalpeshwar temple. In this post I will describe my Trekking journey to the Madmaheshwar temple.
The second Kedar, Madmaheshwar -
I visited the temple last year in mid May. The Madmaheshwar temple, as per the mythological belief, is where the body (middle or navel part) of Lord Shiva supposedly fell while he was escaping the Pandavas. The Budha Madmaheshwar is about 2 km further up from the Madmaheshwar temple and this is where one can get the clear views of the Chaukhamba and other Himalayan peaks. The Madmaheshwar temple is situated in the Madmaheshwar valley which itself is a beauty to behold.
Ransi Village, the start of the Trek-
The journey to the temple starts from Ransi village which is the last village that can be reached by a vehicle. There are no motorable roads after this point. Ransi village is about 20 kms from Ukhimath and hired jeeps are available for travelling from Ukhimath to Ransi. I reached Ransi village on my bike at around 9 am and parked it near a shop (which is quite safe anywhere in these hilly areas). I then started my Trekking journey to the Madmahehwar temple…with the chant of Om Namah Shivay !!
A long and Beautiful Trek-
It is a long and difficult trek up to the temple and the distance from Ransi village to the temple is about 16 kms. This distance to be covered on foot is quite a challenge for most people considering the gain in altitude and the distance. The entire distance of 16kms can easily take 10-12 hours so it is wise to break the Trek into two parts. I also took a halt midway at Nanu Chatti – which is about 10 kms from the temple.
Gondar Village- The last village on the route
After an easy trek of about 2 hours, I reached the village of Gondar which is the last proper village on this route. This village has home stays and eating options for Tourists at reasonable rates. These are generally clean and cozy considering the distance of these places from the road. The hosts are very friendly and the hospitality is great. I stopped here for some tea and snacks and proceeded further on my journey.
Night Halt at Nanu Chatti-
My next halt was Nanu Chatti – which is 10 kms from where I started my journey and is almost midway to the temple. As I was tired of my journey up to this point, I decided to rest there for the night. Nanu Chatti is a very small settlement but one would be surprised to see how nicely the locals have made arrangements of food and shelter for the Trekkers and tourists visiting Madmaheshwar temple. I spoke to a local guy there and decided to rest in the room he offered as a home stay. It was a decent place to stay considering the terrain of the place and how inaccessible it is for most people. Life at these places can be very difficult and these places still lack basic facilities including piped water and electricity. Mobile networks are also not reliable at these areas.
Hospitality better than what I had imagined –
After having a nice local dinner of Roti and Aalu Beans ki sabzi prepared by the nice hosts, I decided to retire early to my bed for a proper night’s rest. Next morning I woke up refreshed and energized to restart my journey. I left Nanu Chatti at around 8 am. My breakfast was Maggi and tea, which is usually what you get at these places and is mostly available throughout the route. I packed some glucose biscuits and lemon water and started my trek. The temple from there was 6 kms and I expected to reach there in 4-5 hours.
A Trekking route to remember -
The route to the temple passes through a narrow path in the Madmaheshwar valley which is dense in greenery and has a large number of rare species of birds – including the Himalayan Monal. The views are mesmerising and the air is fresh and clean. One can also find a number of waterfalls on the route with crystal clear water to drink. The route is a stone covered path and one has to walk carefully to avoid any injury due to ankle twists. It is also advisable to wear proper shoes and carry a Trekking stick. The weather at these high altitudes changes suddenly so a raincoat is also a must.
The last settlement before the temple –
On the route there are other small settlements like Maikhamba Chatti- which has 1-2 shops and Kun Chatti which are too small and insignificant to find a mention on Google maps. There is a small hotel at Kun Chatti called the “Shikhar Prince hotel” which provides basic food and shelter. Our destination is another 5 kms from here. It’s only 6 am at Kun Chatti and I expected to reach the temple well before my planned time and reach back to Nanu Chatti before sunset.
Trek classified as a Moderately difficult one -
The trek from there was through dense forests but it’s quite safe and there have been no incidents of man-animal conflicts here till date. Through the entire route I could find only 10-15 other Tourists/Trekkers. This is understandable as it is considered as a Trek of Moderate Difficulty and cannot be done in one day. But it was interesting to find some foreigners, some Bengalis and also some South Indian tourists on the way. A big salute to their spirits!!
The Madmaheshwar Temple –
After another 3 hours of walk through dense forests and mist covered hills, I finally reached my destination. The Madmaheshwar Temple is supposed to be built by the Pandavas and is similar in architecture to the Kedarnath and Tungnath temples. The idol is a Shiva image with a Navel. The temple is situated against the backdrop of Himalayan peaks and dense forests. It is a mesmerising sight to look at the temple and is a divine experience to offer prayers and have Prasad at this temple.
The Opening Dates of Madhyamaheshwar temple -
This place gets good snowfall in the winter months and therefore the temple is closed in the winter months. The opening and closing dates of this Temple are decided by the Adi Guru Shankaracharya and the people of Gaundar village who also have the right to worship there. This year the opening date is 19th May 2022. The Doli of the Lord is taken from Gaundar village to the temple with a lot of fanfare and enthusiasm.
The Budha Madmaheshwar –
The Trek is not complete without visiting the Budha Madhmaheshwar, which is another 2 kms from the Madmaheshwar temple. After my Darshan I proceeded further to Budha Madhmaheshwar. This is a steep trek of about 2 kms. The trek is very tiring but the views one gets to see from Budha Madmaheshwar are unmatched. The place has a small temple and a lake in which the reflection of the Chaukhambha peak can be easily seen. It is a great sight to see the reflection of the mighty Himalayas in water and also the peak in front of us. I also got to see the clear views of Chaukhamba and other Himalayan peaks, all of which were completely snow covered. After spending some time sitting there and admiring the views, I started my return journey to Nanu Chatti.
Contact for planning your trip -
So when are you planning your trip for the divine Darshan of Shiva at Madhyamaheshwar? You can comment below for your queries or feedback. You can also tell me what you like about this post and which other treks you would like me to write about in future.
Thanks.
-Neeraj Tiwari
{The author has been born and brought up in Chopta, Uttarakhand and works to improve the lives of the locals by being involved in community work and also running an eco friendly resort in Chopta. The author can be reached at himalayaresorts@gmail.com for any queries or help required regarding the above trek. The author also organises regular guided Treks to all the Panch Kedars (including that to Madmaheshwar) and works towards improving the lives of local and needy children of the villages. Please get in touch if you would also like to contribute in any way for the locals in and around Madmaheshwar}
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