Tungnath Temple

Tungnath, the world's highest temple of Shiva, is located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Situated approximately 12,073 feet above sea level, it is the highest among all the Shiva temples in the whole world, including Panch Kedar. Declared a national monument by the Government, the temple's history dates back to the 8th century.

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 his 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 said that Lord Rama also performed penance for Bholenath on Chandrashila mountain located  2 km ahead of Tungnath temple.