At an altitude of about 3,680 metres in the Garhwal Himalayas above Chopta, Tungnath — the Lord of the Peaks — is revered as the highest Shiva temple in the world and the third shrine of the Panch Kedar. It belongs to the beloved Panch Kedar legend of the Mahabharata: when the Pandavas sought Shiva to atone for the bloodshed of Kurukshetra, the Lord took the form of a bull and dived into the earth at Guptkashi, reappearing in five parts across these mountains — and here at Tungnath appeared his arms (bahu), worshipped ever since in the sanctum.
The small, ancient stone temple sits amid rolling alpine meadows (bugyals), a short but steep climb from Chopta, with the sacred Chandrashila peak rising just above. In winter, when snow seals the heights, the deity is worshipped at Makkumath below.
Set against a sweep of Himalayan summits, Tungnath unites profound devotion with some of the most beautiful high country in the land.
