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Tungnath Temple is in Uttarakhand.
Tungnath is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples and is located at a height of 3,690 metres from the sea level.
The whole country today is celebrating Maha Shivratri with utmost devotion and fervour. Devotees are flocking to the temples to offer flowers, milk, water and bel leaves to Lord Shiva. For devotees, Maha Shivratri is an auspicious day which marks the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Many also try to make the best of the occasion and visit temples across India. While you may be aware of Kedarnath, Somnath, Ekambarnathar Temple and Shri Amarnath Cave Temple, have you heard of Tungnath Temple?
Tungnath is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world. It is also the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples that is situated in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. It is located at an altitude of 3,690 metres and the Tungnath mountains form Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. This significant temple can be reached via a scenic hill pass which is over a short distance of 5 km from Chopta.
Climbing the hill to reach this temple is relatively easy and along the way, you will witness some breathtaking sights of panoramic mountains, lush green meadows and snow-capped peaks and the great altitude will make everything look surreal. The trek generally begins from Chopta which is quite close to NH 58. Chopta is almost 24 km away from Rudraprayag towards Karnaprayag and can also be reached from Rishikesh via Devprayag, Srinagar and then Rudraprayag.
Tungnath has a mythological significance. It is believed that after the Pandavas defeated their cousins- the Kauravas they wanted to atone for their sins and hence left their kingdom behind in search of Lord Shiva to seek forgiveness and his blessings. When they reached Varanasi, known for its Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Lord Shiva wanted to avoid them and hence transformed himself into a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.
When one of the Pandavas, Bhima went looking for Lord Shiva in the Himalayas, he noticed a bull grazing and immediately recognised it to be Lord Shiva, who disappeared into the ground and reappeared in parts. It is believed that the hump showed up in Kedarnath, the arms appeared in Tungnath, the face in Rudranath, the navel and stomach in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair in Kalpeshwar. Hence, the Pandavas built temples in the 5 places and worshipped Lord Shiva after they were free from their sins.
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