Traveller (Manoj Singh Negi)

Panch-Kedar refers to five holy places of the Shaivites dedicated to Lord Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. Panch Kedar is one the most difficult pilgrimage tour in India, as all the Kedars are reached by trekking, with few lodges and eating places. The five Kedar lies in the valleys between the rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage for worship are the Kedarnath at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), the Tungnath (3,680 m or 12,070 ft), Rudranath (2,286 m or 7,500 ft), Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m or 11,450 ft) and Kalpeshwar (2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The Kedarnath is the main temple, which is part of the four famous Chota Char Dhams or pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas; the other three dhams are the Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.   Hump at Kedarnath: The Kedarnath Temple is situat...

We four friends recently visited Chopta (Tungnath and Chandrashila) on June Month 2017. Tungnath is the highest Shiva temple in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples located in the mountain range of Tunganath in Rudraprayag district, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The temple is believed to be 1000 years old and is the third (Tritiya Kedar) in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharata epic Chopta is a small tourist town located at 2600m and is also the last road head for the trek to Tungnath Temple & Chandrashila peak. The distances and nature of the trek make it a popular weekend holiday from Delhi and other parts of North India and hence this guide is an attempt to make it as easy as possible for prospective travellers. Popularly known as ‘Mini Switzerland’ among travellers, Chopta is a hill station nestled amidst the mountains of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 2...