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Tungnath Temple
Photo: Varun Shiv Kapur, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Uttarakhand

Tungnath Temple

One of the highest Shiva temples in the world, on the Panch Kedar circuit

Checked 21 Oct 2026 with 2 sources2 min read

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Getting there

  • By air

    Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun is the nearest, 258 km away.

  • By train

    Rishikesh is the nearest railway station, 241 km away.

  • By road

    Chopta, where the trek starts, is 23.9 km from Rudraprayag towards Karnaprayag. The road from Rishikesh to Chopta runs via Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag.

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Why devotees come here

Tungnath in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world. It is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples, and it sits at 3,680 m, just below Chandrashila Peak.

Shiva is worshipped here as a lingam, and an idol of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, about 2.5 feet tall, stands beside it. Legend says Shiva, fleeing the Pandavas in the form of a bull, sank into the ground and later rose in five parts. His hump came up at Kedarnath, and his arms appeared here at Tungnath.

The temple is believed to be about 1000 years old. Its architecture follows the Katyuri style of North Indian Himalayan temples. It is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples in Rudraprayag district, and it stands at 3,680 m, just below Chandrashila Peak. Priests move the worship to Mukunath during the severe winter months. Chandrashila Peak lies about 2 km above the temple.

Tips for your visit

  • The stone-paved trail has benches at intervals, so you can rest along the way.
  • The trek is strenuous and runs through dense forest.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Tungnath Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

In the appChamundeshwari Temple, MysuruChamundi Hill, Mysuru, KarnatakaIn the appDakshineswar Kali Temple, KolkataDakshineswar, North 24 Parganas, near Kolkata, West BengalIn the appShirdi Sai Baba Temple, MaharashtraShirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra
Get the appAndroid

The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

Is Tungnath the highest Shiva temple?

It is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples in Rudraprayag district.

Who is the idol beside the lingam?

It is an idol of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, about 2.5 feet tall, standing beside the lingam.

Is the temple open in winter?

In the severe winter months, priests move the worship to Mukunath, 19 km away. Check with the temple before you plan a winter visit.

How hard is the walk to Tungnath?

It is a strenuous trek through dense forest, and it takes about 4 to 5 hours from Chopta. The trail is stone paved and has benches at intervals.

How do I get to Tungnath?

Drive to Chopta, which is 23.9 km from Rudraprayag towards Karnaprayag, then walk the 5 km trek. The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, 241 km away, and the nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 258 km away.

How we checked this page

On 21 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Temples, District Rudraprayag (district government website) rudraprayag.gov.in
  2. Tungnath, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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