Tungnath Temple
temple · 410 m away
peak4 min from Chopta2 h 32 min walk from the road
Chandrashila
Chandrashila, the summit above Tungnath at about 3,690 m, a steep walk from the temple with views of Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedarnath and Chaukhamba.
What it is
Chandrashila is the summit above Tungnath Temple, reached on foot from Chopta by way of the temple. Wikipedia gives its height as about 3,690 m, and calls the name Moon Stone. Legend says that Rama meditated here after defeating Ravana, and another that the moon-god Chandra did penance on it. A small shrine stands on the top.
Photos: Alok (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Rahul upreti (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
There is no road. Wikipedia says the walk from Chopta is nearly 5 km, 3.5 km to the temple and a further 1.5 km up to the summit. Our own trail data gives about 3.7 km. Both are on foot, and the last part above Tungnath is steep. We have no verified entry rules or permit information, so ask in Chopta before you set out.
The visit
The point is the view from the top: Wikipedia names Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedarnath, Bandarpunch and Chaukhamba on a clear day. Our photographs show the path along the ridge, the temple and the summit marked on a long slope, and the small shrine with offerings and a prayer flag. The climb is exposed and the weather changes fast.
Wikipedia says the trek is done through the year, but that snow in winter makes it hard, and that trekkers then use a different route by Deoria Tal and Duggalbitta when the road to Chopta is closed.
When to go
Clear skies are likelier in the dry seasons; Wikipedia says the peaks are mostly hidden by cloud from June to August. See when to visit Chopta.
Around it
Tungnath Temple is on the way up. Deoria Tal is a lower, gentler walk. The one-day plan is the walk to the temple below it, and the two-day plan gives the summit the second morning, then drives down to Ukhimath.
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Questions people ask
How high is Chandrashila?
Wikipedia's Chandrashila article gives about 3,690 m, its Tungnath article gives 3,680 m, and its Chopta article says over 4,000 m. Wikidata records 3,681 m. The sources disagree, so treat it as roughly 3,690 m. The name means Moon Stone, and legend links it to Rama and to the moon-god Chandra.
How far is it from Tungnath?
About 1.5 km from the temple according to Wikipedia's Chandrashila article, and 2 km in its Tungnath article, on a steep climb. From Chopta the whole route to the summit is nearly 5 km by the first account. Our trail data gives about 3.7 km, so expect the figures to vary, and leave a wide margin.
What can you see from the top?
On a clear day, Wikipedia names Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedarnath, Bandarpunch and Chaukhamba. It says morning is the time to go, because clouds and rain gather around afternoon, and that from June to August the cloud usually hides the peaks. Winter skies are clearer, but the snow makes the trek hard.