Tungnath Temple- The world Highest Shiva Temple
Tungnath – The Highest Shiva Temple in the World While the Char Dham Yatra has gained significant popularity among tourists, not many know about the Tungnath temple which lies on the Char Dham route from Kedarnath to Badrinath. It is situated at a small hill station called Chopta and is only 80 kms from Kedarnath. Tungnath is made up of two words, Tung(Mountain) and Nath(God) which means the God of the Mountains. This is one of the five temples of the Panch Kedar – the five temples supposed to be built by the Pandavas for worshipping Lord Shiva. Shiva turned into a bull to hide from the Pandavas and according to legends different parts of Shiva’s body appeared at different locations where the Pandavas built the temples to seek Shiva’s blessings:
• Shiva’s Hands appeared at Tungnath
• Hump of the bull appeared at Kedarnath
• Head appeared at Rudranath
• Navel and stomach appeared at Madhmaheshwar
• Jata or hair appeared at Kalpeshwar
• Hump of the bull appeared at Kedarnath
• Head appeared at Rudranath
• Navel and stomach appeared at Madhmaheshwar
• Jata or hair appeared at Kalpeshwar
Tungnath Trek Route
All these temples are located at very scenic and beautiful places and usually one has to trek long distances to reach them. I have been to all these temples and therefore I can say that the trek to Tunganth is the most popular, scenic and a relatively easier one compared to all the others. In fact, the Trek to Tunganth is so popular that most first time trekkers prefer it over other routes. It is considered a Trek of moderate difficulty because the distance is only about 3 km from the base. One should not get fooled by the small distance, as the rapid gain in elevation leaves most of the trekkers catching their breath.
The base point is the Chopta market from where you can buy some essential food and snacks which you require during your trek. The Chopta market is also 3-4 km from the place where most of the resorts and campsites are situated. One can drive up to the base of the temple and park their vehicles at the designated places before start their Treks. The trek to Tungnath and back usually takes around 3-4 hours for people with average fitness levels. The entire trekking route is stone paved and there are a number of places where you can rest and watch the beautiful valley below you and take some beautiful pictures. The route does not have any proper toilet facilities, though you can find one at the hotel near the Temple.
Opening and Closing Ceremony dates
Though the Trek can be done all throughout the year, the Temple closes during the winter season in which it gets really cold and freezing. There is very heavy snow every year from November to March and the temple closes during this time. The temple opens at the onset of summer season and the exact dates are decided by the priests on the 14th April every year which is also the date when Vaishakhi is celebrated. Similarly the closing date of the temple is also decided on the day of Dussehra by the priests at Makkumath, the nearest village. Summers are very popular among the tourists for visiting Chopta and trekking to the Tungnath temple. The weather is very pleasant even in the peak summer months and the Himalayan peaks are clearly visible on most days.
Winter Sheet of Lord Tungnath mahadev
The priests in the temple are based in Makkumath. During the winter months, when the temple closes,the Doli of Lord Tungnath is taken from the temple to Makkumath. Similarly before the opening of the temple, the Doli is taken from Makkumath to Tungnath with lot of enthusiasm and fanfare. Since the distance of Makkumath from Chopta is about 29 kms, the Doli halts for a night at Chopta. It reaches Tungnath right before the opening time of the temple. One can experience this if one travels to Chopta during this time. The energy and excitement of the locals in taking the Doli is worth witnessing and one is simply awed by the faith of the people in Lord Tungnath.
Neeraj Tiwari
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