Tungnath temple

Uttarakhand , Rudraprayag, Dehradun

As the rocky ways winding through pristine meadows and blooming rhododendrons reaches its summit, there stands the highest Shiva shrine on earth, the Tungnath temple. Considered one of the sacred Panch Kedars, this shrine is where the Lord's arms is considered to have appeared. The Pandavas are believed to have built the temple along with the other Kedars. Adi Shankara, the proponent of Hinduism, is said to have discovered the temple.

Legend

The Pandavas after the war of Kurukshetra, went in search of Shiva to ask pardon for the sins of fratricide. Shiva, avoided them, took disguise of a bull and went into hiding in Guptakashi. The Pandavas chased him there. Shiva's body in the form of bull materialised at five different spots where the Pandavas built the temple in his honour. Lord's hands were materialised at Tungnath.

This Temple is part of famous Panch Kedar Yatra.

Architecture

This ancient temple built in North Indian architectural style is made of stone. The Tungnath temple bears resemblance to Kedarnath shrine. It has roofs built of stones, with the highest dome having a wooden stage with arch openenigs. At the entrance to the temple there is a Nandi stone idol facing the sanctum. At the right of the temple entrance is the idol of Ganesha. The temple also has images of the Pandavas, idols of Vyasa and Bhairava. There are smaller shrines dedicated to Parvati devi and other gods.

Picture Courtesy: "Tungnath temple" by Varun Shiv Kapur - originally posted to Flickr as Tungnath temple. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tungnath_temple.jpg#/media/File:Tungnath_temple.jpg

Darsan Info

Temple timings : 6.00 AM to 7 PM
The temple is open from April - November. It is closed during winter.

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Cafe Buransh

Cafe Buransh is situated above Sari, a tiny village hamlet located at an altitude of 2,000 m (6,000 ft) in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Tungnath, the world’s highest Shiva temple, situated in the Chopta Valley, is an hour’s drive from here followed by a three-km hike or a pony ride. Shri. Kedarnath, one of the Char Dhams, is a 90-minute drive followed by the option you take to reach the destination: hike/helicopter/pony ride. Madhyamaheshwar - another Panch Kedar, Kali Math, Kali Shila, and Badrinath are also pilgrimage places which can be covered during your stay here. Deoria Tal, a high-altitude lake with mythical connotations is a two-hour uphill walk from Cafe Buransh.

How to Reach: People usually fly to Dehradun (connection flights available from Delhi) and take a 6-hour drive from Dehradun/Rishikesh. The drive covers holy places like Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Agustyamuni, and Ukhimath. The nearest rail-head is Haridwar (225 km).

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire while visiting Tungnath Temple.

Famous Festival

April - Opening of the temple on Akshaya Tritiya(April/May)
November - Temple closes for winter after Diwali

Culture

Tungnath is not only famous for the temple but also a popular tourist destination with breathtaking beauty and scenic treks around it.

Temple Rituals

Tungnath temple have local priests unlike the other Kedar temples, where in accordance with the precedence set by Adi Shankara, the priests are from South India. The priests make a paste of marigold petals and sandalwood to apply to the deity as well as tilak for the visitors