Rudranath is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is peacefully adorned in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Located at 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) above sea level. The celestial temple is snuggled inside the rhododendron forests and the alpine meadows. The exhilarating trek to Rudranath temple can be either commenced from Sagar village, Helang or Urgam village. Rudranath temple is the toughest one to reach in comparison with other temples of Panch Kedar. The Himalayan peaks adding to the glory of Rudranath are Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti.
A remote hilly terrain that is encircled by lovely kunds, Rudranath on the backdrop of the majestic Himalayas proposes a once in a lifetime experience to those who dares to embark adventurous journeys. With its magnetic terrain, this picturesque locale offers all the sizzles of a typical rocky ambience and the serenity of a devout centre. Rudranath offers some of the finest sceneries of the snowy peaks of the Himalayas and at an elevation of 2286 meters, the beholder would be excited to experience the unspoiled beauty of Nature. The thick forest, meadows of aromatic flowerbeds, sparkling lakes and the glittering peaks, Rudranath is endowed with bewitching sceneries. Unique in every way, Rudranath trek unveils the rustic and imposing gorgeousness of a charismatic surrounding. The trek in Rudranath is somewhat tedious and risky but is highly rewarding. Nothing would stop the trekker from embarking such a nice trail since it carries him through a world of unsurpassed prettiness. A trait through the sky-scraping creases makes one tremble but the scenic beauty of the valley with rich wild orchards, alpine meadows and dense woods takes away all your uneasiness. It is not just the trekking routes that make Rudranath a favourite destination of quite number of people. Obviously the tranquility and serenity of the place is an added attraction to the casual visitors though one cannot deny the religious significance of Rudranath. One among the Panch Kedars of the Hindu ideology, the place owes much to the old temple for its magnificence and popularity. Rudranath is famous among tourist as Temple, Panch Kedar, Trekking, Meadows. Rudranath is recommended destination for Couples, Groups, Solo.
Hindu Mythology:
The Rudranath temple is believed to be established by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Legend has it that the Pandavas came to the Himalayan mountains in search of god Shiva, to redeem them of the sins of killing in the epic Kurukshetra war. God Shiva did not want to meet them and left in form of a bull in the ground and reentered in parts in the Panch Kedar places: the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tunganath, the navel and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheswar, the face showing up at Rudranath and the hair and the head appearing in Kalpeshwar. In winter, a symbolic image of Shiva is brought to Gopinath Mandir in Gopeshwar for worship. The Doli Yatra starts from Gopeshwar via Sagar. The Doli Yatris cross Lyuti Bugyal and Panar and finally reach Pitradhar. The worship of ancestors is done here. Then, after crossing Dhalabni Maidan, the Doli or the symbolic image of Shiva, reaches Rudranath.Here first the Vandevi is worshipped. The local belief is that Vandevi protects the area. The Kheshtra is protected by Vandevi or Vandevatas. The temple celebrates an annual fair on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Sravan (July–August) that is mostly on the day of Rakshabandhan. The fair is attended mainly by locals. The priests at the Rudranath temple are Bhatts and Tiwaris of Gopeshwar. At Nandikund (2,439 m or 8,002 ft), on the trekking route to Rudranath (if coming via Madhmaheshwar), devotees worship old historic swords protruding from the rocks, believed to be of Pandavas.
Trekking: Trek starts from Sagar village which is approx 3 km from Gopeshwar. The other trek starts from Mandal which is 12 km from Gopeshwar. This trek goes through Anusuya devi temple. Trek is very hard with a distance of approx 24 km.
Camping: It is an ideal place for camping with your family and friends. Camping here just beside the lake is an amazing experience.
Yoga and Meditation:
It's just Awesome Experience. One of the best trekking experience with 360 degree view of Himalayan range . we group of 6 friends started from chopta. Stayed there enjoyed evening rain with chai pakoda. Next day we moved to trekking point to tungnath temple. After 4 hours of trek we reached to tungnath temple where we took rest for 1 hour. Then moved to chandrashila trek. Ohhh god it was really thrilling trek till chandrashila you can't look down during trek. After reaching at the top view was breathtaking. It's a must trek one should do in lifetime.
The 360 degree view from the Chandrashila Peak is a dream come true and we had an amazing time. The view is simply amazing and we saw several other beautiful peaks from Chopta.
Tungnath is the highest temple of Garhwal. While I was on this trekking, I witnessed the pristine clear view of majestic peaks like the Panchchuli, Nanda Devi, Neelkanth and even Kedarnath. Chopta is too underrated. It even gives a beautiful and picturesque view of the whole Himalayas. I guess the early spring season is the right season to trek. The Rhododendron forest actually glows red as the flowers bloom during the spring. It was a very nice trek. It starts and ends in Haridwar. I had a great time. WOW, is an understatement to explain how awesome this trek was.
Tungnath Temple is a very peaceful place, away from the noisy life. I had a very nice time there with my wife. We both love going for hiking and treks. And this one was everything we could ask for. We are planning for another trip now. Hope it will be as good and fulfilling as this one.
Joining this trek, I realized why the Himalayas are the most sought after ranges in the world. The view was just way too beautiful. There are so many secrets and mysteries to reveal in this trek. And with the expert and his experience, it was really an exciting experience over all!
Chopta Tungnath Trek was one memorable experience; I was just awe-struck throughout the trekking expedition. The best part about the trek is that you get to see Himalayas from so close - no doubt the trek is challenging at times but the entire views that you get to experience is something that will make the effort worth the effort.
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