Tungnath, the world's highest temple of Shiva, is located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Perched at an height of 12,073 feet, it is the highest among all the Shiva temples in the whole world. Temple history dates back to the 8th century, earning it recognition of national monuments from the Government. Tungnath means the lord of the mountains and it forms the river valleys of Mandakini and Alaknanda. Located just below Chandrashila, this temple is linked with Pandavas.It is said that the temple was built by Arjuna (the third
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Tungnath, the world's highest temple of Shiva, is located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Perched at an height of 12,073 feet, it is the highest among all the Shiva temples in the whole world. Temple history dates back to the 8th century, earning it recognition of national monuments from the Government. Tungnath means the lord of the mountains and it forms the river valleys of Mandakini and Alaknanda. Located just below Chandrashila, this temple is linked with Pandavas.
It is said that the temple was built by Arjuna (the third Pandav), later discovered by Adi Shankaracharya. Placed among the Panch Kedar, the temple is renowned for its religious belief and awestruck panoramic view. To experience the spiritual aura and beauty of nature, this place draws a multitude of devotees and tourists. Nestled at such a height and far from modernization like others , this temple has its own set of challenges, including breathlessness and severe weather conditions. Unlike other Panch Kedar temples, whose priests are from South India, the head priest of Tungnath is from a local village called Makkumath.
Shrine remains open throughout the year except in winter due to heavy snowfall, during this the idol of the Lord along with priests moved to Markandeshwar Temple, situated 29 km away. According to legend, after defeating Kaurav’s, Pandav handed over their kingdom to their kin and went to Shiva to seek his blessings and the atone for the sin of fratricide. In their search, when they reached Guptkashi, Bhim saw a bull grazing at that place. Bhima understood that Lord Shiva was trying to disguise himself in the form of a bull. As soon as Bhim tried to hold the tail and legs of the bull, Shiva in the form of a bull disappeared into the earth.
Later, Shiva appeared at five different places in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal regions; his waist (hump) in Kedarnath, hands in Tungnath, face in Rudranath, navel in Madhyamaheshwar and hair in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas were very happy to see these five forms of Shiva, subsequently they built temples of Shiva at these revered places, known as Panch Kedar. Pleased with their devotion, Shiva freed Pandav from all sins. It is believed that one who completes the Panch Kedar circuit and ends it with the blessing of Lord Vishnu at Badrinath, attains utmost salvation.
Just 2 km above Tungnath temple, there is a place called Ravana Shilla, home to the Chandrashila temple. It is said that, after killing Ravana, Lord Rama performed penance to please Lord Shiva, to get salvation from Brahma killing. It is also believed that, during this time, Lord Rama built a Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. From Chandrashila, visitors can view a majestic view of the Himalayan Range, including peaks such as Nanda Devi, Panchchuli, Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Bandarpunch and Kedarnath.
The weather remains cool round the year and receives heavy snowfall during winters. Summers and post monsoon are considered to be the most ideal time to visit the temple, with bus and taxi services readily available from Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar and other prominent bus and taxi stands.
