I Really Wanted to See the World’s Highest Shiva Temple!

I planned for a Deoriatal-Chopta-Tungnath-Chandrashila trek during the last few days of March, when spring was at its peak and there were rhododendrons blooming everywhere in Uttarakhand.

I boarded a bus from ISBT Kashmiri Gate in Delhi around 10 in the night and reached Rishikesh at around 3am. I enquired at the bus depot about the first bus to Rudraprayag and was told it would leave at 5:30am. I was trying to figure out what to do for the next two and a half hours, when I heard shouting of announcements by the private bus and car operators. I got on a mini bus that was scheduled to leave at 3:30am for Rudraprayag. However, the bus left the depot about half an hour late since it was not full by 3:30 (that’s always a problem you will face with private operators).

After another 5-6 hours of journey I reached Rudraprayag, the point of confluence of two rivers, Alaknanda and Mandakini.  As soon I got off at Rudraprayag, I found another bus heading to Ukhimath and boarded it immediately. From here, it took another 2.5-3 hours to reach Ukhimath, since the bus driver kept taking long stops to fill the bus with passengers.

After reaching Ukhimath, I took one of the many jeeps that ferry people till Sari village. The journey takes about 20 minutes and takes you through one of the most beautiful roads you will ever see. Once you have reached the village, it’s a 3kms uphill trek to Deoriatal. Another one hour or more (depending on how you trek) takes you to one of the most beautiful glacial lakes you will find in this country. You can see the reflection of the treeline behind the lake in the clear water of the lake and sometimes you can even see the reflection of the Himalayan ranges from a certain angle.

You can rent a tent from the shops close to the lake or you can stay in your own tent. A small amount has to be paid, (around INR 150) as fee to the forest department which goes for the maintenance of the Nanda Devi bio reserve. I spent the night under the stars in front of the lake, and woke up refreshed for the next day’s trek.

You’ll need a guide to trek from Deoriatal to Chopta, as it’s an 18-20 kms long trek. My suggestion would be to talk to other people camping around the lake and hire a group guide for everyone. It will be cheaper, and you also will get company for the long trek. That’s what I did too. During spring, this entire trek is dotted with flaming rhododendrons and the beauty of the valley is bewitching.

Remember to leave Deoriatal early as the trek to Chopta takes about 6-7 hours. You will pass through the Rohini Bughyal meadow, where you can rest and have some food. It can be used as a campsite as well, if you want to finish the trek in two days (I would advise against it, as will the guide). I reached Chopta late in the day and watched the sun go down from the beautiful meadows. A hearty dinner and some sound sleep ensured that I was well rested and ready for the next day’s trip. 

It’s best to leave early, say around 4am so you can catch the sun rise from the summit. This almost 5 kms uphill trek from Chopta took me through beautiful meadows, and I saw a few stone and mud built homes and had the entire panoramic view of the Garhwal ranges to feast my eyes on. After another two hours, I reached the snow-covered Tungnath Temple, the highest Shiva temple in the world.

Another 1.5 kms from Tungnath takes you to Chandrashila. You’ll have to navigate through many rocks along a small trail to reach the final ascent of the trek. Watching the sun rise from the summit here is a magnificent experience. It is a moment of absolute peace and you feel like you don’t want anything else in the world, after seeing the might of the Himalayas sitting there peacefully.

I trekked back down till Chopta taking all the time in the world, stopping every 10 minutes to embrace of the beauty of the things around me as I knew I would be leaving very soon.

I got a ride till Sari village in a jeep from Chopta which was going there to deliver some goods. From Sari, I started heading back to Delhi using the same way.