Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom

Tripoto
11th Nov 2016

Does the mundane city life make you feel incomplete? Or do you want to feel the influence of the supernatural power?
Tungnath, the highest temple of Lord Shiva, awaits you!

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 1/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Temple Tungnath

Tungnath is shrine of lord Shiva located in the Himalayan ranges at an altitude of 3,680 meters in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state in India. It is believed to be built ten centuries ago and is associated with the legends of the Pandavas, who were the heroes of the Indian Mahabharata epic.

Trek to the Tungnath ,Tritya kedar, is one of the most beautiful treks offered by mighty Himalayas. It is a 4 Km trek from the base Chopta to the temple and 1 Km steep trek to the Chandrashila summit.

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 2/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Gateway to the Heaven.

As you pass through the gate of the temple, the waves of faith starts gushing into your soul. This is a trek of difficulty level as moderate but the level of elation is as high as the Himalayas surrounding you. There is a paved path which takes the pilgrims to the temple. However, if the pilgrim is an adventurous being, divergence from the concrete is desirable. Along the way to the temple there are various high altitude grounds luring a traveler to relax and forget worries. The snow covered, white and shining, Himalayas inspire to stand tall and rigid.

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 3/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Chaukhamba peaks

Moving up towards the temple, the Himalayas never leave your side and as you advance, they are closer and vivacious. The air becomes furious and cleans the wicked thoughts. The shining sun makes the path purer. The nature makes you feel so tiny before it that you become humble. The bold and breathtaking trail to the safe heaven keeps the blood streaming into your heart.

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 4/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Way to Tungnath Temple

And then, when you reach at the abode of the lord Shiva, the sense of calmness takes over the turbulence of your mind and soul. An insignificant human inevitably kneels down in front of the creator of the universe. The aura of the temple and echo of ringing bells casts a spell which let the conscience to take over the grubby mind. The idol of Lion sitting on the roof of this temple is a totem of wisdom and strength. The Nandi (Bull) in front of the temple is the bearer of truth and righteousness.

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 5/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Highest Shiva temple in the World.

Moving towards the Chandrashila summit, the trek is steep and unpaved. Though the trek is tiring but the breathtaking view of the mountains and valleys keeps the enthusiasm flowing. The Chandrashila means ‘Moon rock’ and it is believed that Lord Ram meditated here after defeating Ravana. The beauty of Chandrashila is hard to believe. The heart beating over 100 BPM will suddenly hold its breath when there is a 360 degree panoramic view of Himalayan ranges from the summit. Lustrous white Himalayan peaks of Nanadadevi, Trisul, Kedar, Bandrapunch and Chaukhamba are evident. Only the peaks of the one mountain after another are visible as far as you can see. The drowning Sun brings the brilliant Orange color to the peaks making it picturesque.

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 6/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Himalayan Peaks

There is a small temple at the summit of an altitude of 4,000 meters. The summit can be your heaven on the earth where you can sit for hours, with peace and rejuvenate your spirit.

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 7/8 by Akshunya Jugran
Chandrashila Summit

Stones stacked together can be seen at the summit. These stones are the prayer stones and mark your presence at the summit.

Do not forget to mark your presence!

Photo of Tungnath: Lord Shiva’s kingdom 8/8 by Akshunya Jugran