A folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. Thus, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of Shiva and to seek his blessings.
First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva's favourite city and known for its Kashi Vishwanath Temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.
Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs
. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the face showing up at Rudranath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar.
The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.
A variant of the tale credits Bhima of not only catching the bull, but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas. After building the Panch Kedar Temples,
The Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice) and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation.
The Panch Kedar Temples are constructed in the North-Indian Himalayan Temple "Katyuri" architecture with the Kedarnath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples looking similar.
After completing the pilgrimage of Shiva's darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Shiva.
Legend also states that Rama, the central character of Ramayana, meditated at the Chandrashila peak which is close to Tungnath, in India. It is also said that Ravana performed penance to Shiva, the lord of the peaks, when he resided here.
Ravana Shila / Speaking Mountain
Ravana shila is above Tungnath temple, there is a small temple which is known as Chandra Shila. Ravana Shila or Speaking mountain have his own historical importance related to the Ramayana. After killing Ravana, Rama felt guilty for what he had done.
He then started austerities for Shiva and requested Shiva to release him from the guilt of killing Ravana. During his penance, he built the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram, in Tamil Nadu. The temple in Rameshwaram is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
Tungnath is one such temple, situated among the majestic mountains of Tunganath, and is famed for being one of the world’s highest Shiva temples. It is believed to have been discovered by Adi Sankacharya.
While India is home to numerous temples that are dedicated to Lord Shiva, there are some that are considered special due to their significance.
Tungnath is one such temple, situated among the majestic mountains of Tunganath, and is famed for being one of the world’s highest Shiva temples. It is believed to have been discovered by Adi Sankacharya.
It is one of the Panch Kedars and is believed to be almost 1000 years old. As per the folklore, Arjuna, the third brother of the Pandavas, laid the foundation of this temple. Featuring the North Indian style of architecture, shrines of other Gods also surround the temple..Also, legends believe that it is this place where Lord Rama meditated to get himself released from the curse of Brahmahatya for killing Ravana.
Tungnath Temple Trek is a moderately easy trek of 3.5 km, and doesn’t necessarily require the help of a guide, except during winters, when the place is covered by snow. So, if you ever embark on the Panch Kedar journey, you will find that this temple is the third destination of the divine journey. The trek starts in Chopta in Uttarakhand, and is the shortest among all the Panch Kedars.
Do note that the temple remains open for visitors only for a few months. It is usually during the months of summer when the pilgrims make their way to the temple, while the temple shuts its doors by the end of October. As such, during the winter months, Lord Shiva then moved to Makkumath Temple, and the shrine remains covered with snow during this time of the year.
Tungnath peacefully adorned on the Chandranath Parvat is the highest Shiva temple in the world and the highest Panch Kedar temple of Uttarakhand.
It is the third (Tritiya Kedar) in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. Tungnath is perched at an elevation of 3, 680 metres above sea level and is considered to be more than 1,000 years old.
Tungnath Temple has perched on the Chandrashila Parvat in the Tungnath mountain range, in the state of Uttarakhand. It sits atop an intimidating altitude of 12,073 feet.
Tungnath Temple is a heavenly abode that literally translates to “God of Mountain Before. Set amidst the most beautiful backdrop, it is not only the highest temple of Lord Shiva but also the highest of the PanchKedar temples.
We will discover more about this magnificent place of worship, first, let us quickly learn about the Panch Kedar temples.
These 5 temples (PanchKedar) are the holy places dedicated to Lord Shiva and therefore, held in high esteem by Hindus for pilgrimage.
The strict order that one should follow for a pilgrimage to these temples is Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar.
Tungnath is the Tritiya Kedar (3rd) among the PanchKedars.
The beautiful meadow of Chopta is perched at an elevation of 8,556 ft in the lush evergreen forest area of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a small region that lays 29 km from Ukhimath. Chopta village, also famously known as the “Mini Switzerland of Uttarakhand” is the unspoiled hamlet in the Uttarakhand Himalayas with the mesmerizing view of the majestic peaks such as Trishul, Chaukhamba, and Nanda Devi that leave you awestruck.
Chopta village is blessed with the nature all around it, be it the forest of pine, deodar, and rhododendron or the chirping of the rare bird species to the animals from the wildlife sanctuary. Chopta will leave you mesmerized with its beauty.
Isn't it ironic that the trek to the highest Shiva temple in the world is short and moderately easy? The trekking route starts at Panger village and journeys to Chopta, the base camp of the trek. This simple yet adventurous trek of 5 km (from Chopta to Tungnath) is dotted with a mixed terrain against the backdrop of distinct Himalayan peaks.