Tungnath Temple

Just below the summit of Chandrashila, at roughly 3,680 meters, Tungnath is reckoned the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples and is often cited as among the highest Shiva temples anywhere in the world. Like its sister shrines at Kedarnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar, its founding is explained by the Panch Kedar legend: after the Pandavas’ victory at Kurukshetra, seeking to atone for the killing of kin, they pursued Shiva through the Garhwal Himalayas as he fled in the form of a bull to avoid granting them forgiveness. When Bhima finally caught hold of the bull, it is said to have plunged into the earth and resurfaced in five places as five different parts of its body — Tungnath traditionally marking the arms. As with the other Panch Kedar sites, no independently documented founder or construction date survives outside this tradition.

The temple is only accessible for part of the year: it closes for winter under heavy Himalayan snow, and its deity is ceremonially moved down to the Markandeshwar Temple in Mukku village until the shrine reopens in spring, mirroring the seasonal pattern followed at Kedarnath and the other high-altitude Char Dham and Panch Kedar sites. Reaching it requires a trek of a few kilometers from the roadhead at Chopta, a route that has also made the temple a waypoint for trekkers continuing on to the Chandrashila summit above it — giving Tungnath a dual identity today as both an active pilgrimage site and a popular high-altitude trekking destination.