Tungnath and Chandrashila from Chopta: The Detour Worth a Day

Tungnath is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples and is counted as the highest Shiva temple in the world, at about 3,680 m. It is also one of the easiest high shrines in Garhwal to reach: a 3.5 km paved path from the meadow at Chopta. Another 1.5 km of steep climbing above the temple brings you to Chandrashila, a summit close to 4,000 m with one of the widest Himalayan views anywhere near the Char Dham route.

What makes it worth planning for is where it sits. Chopta lies on the road between the Kedarnath and Badrinath valleys — the same road a Do Dham yatra uses on its transfer day. With one extra night, the transfer becomes a pilgrimage of its own.

Getting to Chopta

From Guptkashi, cross the Mandakini to Ukhimath and climb through forest to Chopta — about 45 to 50 km, roughly two hours. Ukhimath is worth a stop: its Omkareshwar temple is where Kedarnath's deity spends the winter. Beyond Chopta the road drops to Chamoli on the Alaknanda, where you turn north for Joshimath and Badrinath.

The walk

Chopta to Tungnath — about 3.5 km

The path starts from the roadside at Chopta and is paved all the way to the temple. It climbs through rhododendron and oak into open bugyal meadow, steadily rather than brutally. Most walkers take one and a half to two and a half hours up. Ponies are available at Chopta for those who need them.

Tungnath to Chandrashila — about 1.5 km

Above the temple the path turns rough and steep. It is short, but it is the hardest part of the day, and early and late in the season it can hold snow and ice. Allow about an hour up. From the top the view runs along the main Himalayan range — Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedarnath and Chaukhamba are among the peaks you can pick out on a clear morning.

For the view, you want to be up early. Cloud usually builds from late morning, and by midday the peaks have often gone. That is why many people sleep at Chopta and start in the dark to reach Chandrashila for sunrise.

The temple

In the Panch Kedar story, Shiva evaded the Pandavas in the form of a bull after the Mahabharata war, and parts of him reappeared at five places in Garhwal. At Tungnath it is the arms. The temple is small, built of stone and very old, and the setting does most of the work. Like Kedarnath it closes for winter, when the deity is taken down to Makkumath.

Fitting it into a Do Dham trip

The simplest version adds one night:

1. Come down from Kedarnath to Guptkashi as usual, and rest.
2. Drive to Chopta and walk to Tungnath, sleeping at Chopta if you want Chandrashila at sunrise, or returning to the road the same afternoon.
3. Continue to Joshimath for Badrinath the next day.

Chopta has simple camps and lodges rather than hotels. If you want a proper bed, sleep in Guptkashi and leave early enough to be on the path by eight; you miss sunrise but usually still get the morning view.

Do not try to fit Tungnath into the day after the Kedarnath trek unless your legs genuinely feel fine. Most people's do not, and the Chandrashila section is the wrong place to find out. Our Guptkashi and Kedarnath guide covers that first half of the trip.

When to go

The temple is open from roughly May to early November. May and June bring rhododendron in flower and long days; September and October, after the monsoon, bring the clearest views. Our month-by-month guide covers the rest of the circuit. In winter Chopta is snowbound and popular with snow trekkers, but the temple is closed and the road can shut after heavy snowfall.