Chandrashila
peak · 410 m away
temple4 min from Chopta4 h 30 min walk from the road
Tungnath Temple
Tungnath Temple at about 3,680 m, the loftiest of the five Panch Kedar shrines, reached on foot from Chopta and shut by snow for about six months.
What it is
Tungnath is a stone temple of Shiva high on a ridge in Rudraprayag district, and Wikipedia ranks it at the top of the five Panch Kedar shrines. In the Panch Kedar legend, the arms of the bull form of Shiva appeared at Tungnath. The name means lord of the peaks. The temple is about 3,680 m up and is reached on foot from the road-head at Chopta; it is only open in the warmer half of the year.
Photos: Navdeep Gusain (CC BY-SA 4.0) · TEKSENG MOS (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
You drive to Chopta and walk. Wikipedia says the climb from Chopta is about 5 km on a stone-paved path with benches, taking 4 to 5 hours depending on fitness, and another article on the same site says 3.5 km. Our own trail measure is about 3.1 km. The sources do not agree, so start early and leave a margin. We have no verified entry rules, fees or permit requirements for the sanctuary area, so ask in Chopta.
The visit
You climb through meadow and rhododendron, and the temple sits on a ridge with the snow range in front when the sky is clear. Wikipedia says the priest here is a local Brahmin from Makkumath, unlike the other Kedar temples, and that the rhododendrons flower in March. Our photographs show the temple in sun, the steps under deep snow, and the paved path up from the road.
Chandrashila, the summit above, is a further steep climb of about 1.5 to 2 km, depending on which article you read; see its own page.
When to go
April to September is the season Wikipedia gives for the temple. Snow lies from about December to March and shuts the temple for around six months. See when to visit Chopta.
Around it
Chandrashila is the summit above the temple. Deoria Tal and Ukhimath lie down the road. The one-day plan is this walk, and the two-day plan adds the summit and the town below.
Plans that include this
All 2 plans that stop here →
Day plan · First visittrek
One day at Chopta — the walk up to Tungnath Temple
A one-day Chopta plan on foot: the paved path from the road-head up to Tungnath Temple, an early start and a descent before dark. Free to copy.
Best Apr–May · Sep–Oct
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visittrek
Two days at Chopta — Tungnath, Chandrashila and Ukhimath
A two-day Chopta plan: the walk to Tungnath Temple on day one, then the Chandrashila summit and the winter pilgrimage town of Ukhimath on day two. Free to copy.
Best Apr–May · Sep–Oct
See the plan →Nearby places
Questions people ask
How high is Tungnath Temple?
About 3,680 m, according to Wikipedia, which describes it as among the world's highest Shiva temples and the top one of the Panch Kedar group. It stands on a ridge between the Mandakini and Alaknanda valleys, just below Chandrashila. Figures for these heights differ between sources, so treat them as approximate.
How far is the walk from Chopta?
Wikipedia's Tungnath article says about 5 km and 4 to 5 hours, a steep climb on a stone-paved path with benches, while its Chopta and Chandrashila articles say 3.5 km. Our own trail data gives about 3.1 km. Treat 3 to 5 km and a few hours up as the range.
Is the temple open in winter?
No. Wikipedia says heavy snow shuts the temple for about six months, and the deity and the priests move down to the Markandeshwar Temple at Makkumath. It also says the best time to visit is April to September. Check the road and the temple with a local contact before you travel, because dates change with the snow.