Rudranath, is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva. This natural rock temple is situated within a dense forest of rhododendron dwarfs and Alpine pastures. Rudranath temple is the third temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region. The other temples in the circuit includes: Kedarnath and Tungnath to be visited before Rudranath or Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar to be visited after Rudranath. The face (mukha) of god Shiva is worshipped as “Nilkanth Mahadeva” here. Trek starts from Sagar village which is approx 03 km from Gopeshwar. The other trek starts from Mandal which is 12 km from Gopeshwar. This trek goes through Anasuya devi temple. Trek is very hard with a distance of approx. 22 km.
Rudranath Trek is mostly done from the village of Saggar, but this journey is from the village of Kunjmaikot. There is a very beautiful open ground named Toli Taal in the middle of the passage from here. There is different excitement in traveling from here.
About location:
Rudranath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Garhwal Himalayan mountains in Uttarakhand, India at height of 11,800 ft above sea level. Rudranath Trek distance is 22 km from Kunjonmaikot village in Gopeshwar, Chamoli, Uttarakhand.
History & recent tales:
The temple was constructed way back in 8th Century AD. The Rudranath temple is believed to be established by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Legend has it that the Pandavas came to the Himalayan mountains in search of god Shiva, to redeem them of the sins of killing in the epic Kurukshetra war. God Shiva did not wanted to meet them and left in form of a bull in the ground and reentered in parts in the Panch Kedar places: the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tunganath, the navel and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheswar, the face showing up at Rudranath and the hair and the head appearing in Kalpeshwar. In winter, a symbolic image of Shiva is brought to Gopeshwar for worship. The Doli Yatra starts from Gopeshwar via Sagar. The Doli Yatris cross Lyuti Bugyal and Panar and finally reach Pitradhar. The worship of ancestors is done here. Then, after crossing Dhalabni Maidan, the Doli or the symbolic image of Shiva, reaches Rudranath.Here first the Vandevi is worshipped. The local belief is that Vandevi protects the area. The Kheshtra is protected by Vandevi or Vandevatas.
At Nandikund (2,439 m or 8,002 ft), on the trekking route to Rudranath (if coming via Madhmaheshwar), devotees worship old historic swords protruding from the rocks, believed to be of Pandavas.
There are numerous sacred water tanks (“Kund”) near the temple. These include Surya-kund, Chandra-kund, Tara-kund, Mana-Kund etc. Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti are the famous mountain peaks, which provide the backdrop to the temple. The holy river Vaitarani or Baitarani or Rudraganga flows near the temple, which has a grey stone idol of Rudranath. The river is identified with the “river of salvation”, where souls of the dead cross to reach the other world.
Thus, devotees visit Rudranath Trek to perform rituals of the dead, such as performing a pind offering. Some believe that offering a pind to ancestors here equals offering a hundred million at the holy city of Gaya. The mountain peaks of Trisul, Nanda Devi, Devasthan, Hathi Parbat and Nanda Ghunti are visible from Rudranath Trek. The name “Rudranath”, literally means, “Him who is Angry.” The mountain cave of Rudranath was modified into the temple we see today.
Trek information:
- Region: Chamoli district (Uttarakhand)
- Trek duration: 5 Night / 6 Days
- Difficulty Grade: Moderate to Tough
- Max. altitude: 13,123 Feet
- Hike distance: 24 km
- Driving distance: 266 km
Journey route:
Driving: Dehradun / Rishikesh – Gopeshwar – Ghigran village – Kunjonmaikot village
Trekking: Kunjonmaikot village – Tolitaal – Panar Bugyal – Rudranath Temple
Additional information:
| ALL MEALS | Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch |
|---|---|
| PACKAGE INCLUSIONS | Accommodation, All Meals, First Aid Medical Help, Forest Permits, Entry Fees, Local Guide, Cook & Support Staff, Local Transport, Trek Equipment |
| PACKAGE EXCLUDES | Anything Except Package, Food During the Transit, Insurance, Mules or Porter for personal luggage, Personal expenses, transportation |
| PLACES COVERED | Rishikesh, Chamba, Tehri lake, Ghansali, Boodha Kedarnath Temple |
| THINGS TO CARRY | Back Pack & Rain Cover (50/60 liter)., Personal Medical Kit, Snacks (Energy bars, ORS and dry fruits), Torch, Trek pants, T-shirts(Full sleeves), Wind and waterproof Jacket (Light and warm), Woolen Gloves and Thermal Inners., Walking stick (Advisable at least one)., Water Bottle (Two bottles of 1 liter each) |
Short Itinerary
Day 1: Dehradun / Rishikesh to Gopeshwar / Kunjonmaikot village
- Altitude: 3,800 feet
- 266 km drive – approx 08 hours
- The journey gives you the view of some beautiful temple area like Devprayag River Sangam & Dhaari Devi Temple.
- Dinner
- Stay in Hotel or Homestay.
Day 2: Kunjonmaikot to Toli Taal
- Breakfast
- Altitude: 6,561 feet
- 8 km trek, approx 6 hours
- The trail passes through the open till Toli Taal from Maikot Village & then comes to forest area.
- Packed lunch & dinner
- Stay in Dome tents.
Day 3: Toli Taal to Panar to Pitradhar to Panch Ganga Bugyal To Rudranath
- Breakfast
- Altitude: 13,123 feet
- 16 km trek, approx 8 hours
- Trail start with the dense forest and some open areas with source of water.
- Packed lunch & dinner
- Stay in Temple.
Day 4: Rudranath to Pung Bugyal (Sightseeing)
- Breakfast
- Altitude: 11,811 feet
- 16 km down trek, approx 4 hours
- Later come back to Pung Bugyal camp
- Packed lunch & dinner
- Stay in dome tents or in huts.
Day 5: Pung Bugyal to Saggar Village to Gopeshwar
- Breakfast
- Altitude: 7,381 ft.
- 8 km down trek – approx 05 hours
- Packed lunch & dinner
- Stay in Hotel 0r Guest House
Day 6: Gopeshwar to Dehradun / Rishikesh
- Breakfast
- 246 km drive – approx 7 hours
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1:- Dehradun / Rishikesh to Gopeshwar or Kunjonmaikot (266 km by / approx 8 hrs.)
On arrival at Gopeshwar or Kunjonmaikot our representative will show the Hotel Room or Homestay place. Later get refreshed & check into your rooms. Have evening tea with snacks and after that enjoy evening walk around the Gopeshwar or Kunjonmaikot area. Later have dinner & overnight stay.
Day 2:- Kunjonmaikot Village to Toli Taal (8 km trek / approx 6 hrs.)
In the morning have breakfast and after that you may get ready for the morning journey & then we will trek to Toli Taal which is at the height of 6561.68 ft above sea level in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. Toli Lake is a lake of at least 2 kilometers in a very large and open field. People of the village here have built wooden, grass and stone houses to live with their cow goats during the rainy season, which are called Chaani. You can see the snowy hills above ToliTal, which gives a very beautiful view from the Taal. Later in the evening enjoy the delicious dinner and overnight stay in campsite.
Day 3:- Toli Taal to Panar to Panch Ganga to Rudranath Temple (16 km Trek / approx 9 hrs.)
Early in the morning after breakfast & with packed lunch get ready for the Panar & Panch Ganga Bugyal hike. Panch Ganga Where five sources of fresh and cold water exist from history in Uttarakhand, India, situated at a height of 13,123 ft. Panch Ganga is arguably one of the most beautiful high altitude scenic place in north India. Dinner and Overnight stay at Temple.
Day 4:- Rudranath to Panch Ganga to Pung Bugyal (16 km trek)
Early in the morning after breakfast & with packed lunch get ready to go back back to Panch Ganga. Enjoy the beautiful scenic view of Snowy mountains. Enjoy your evening with beautiful sunset view from Pung Bugyal. Dinner and Overnight stay in campsite.
Day 5:- Pung Bugyal to Saggar village to Gopeshwar (8 km down trek & 4 km drive / approx 6 hrs.)
Wake up normally in the morning & have breakfast. Later start trek down to Saggar Village and drive back to Gopeshwar. It takes full day to reach there in Gopeshwar. Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 6:- Gopeshwar to Dehradun / Rishikesh (246 km drive / approx 8 hrs.)
Good morning to Last day of Trip !!
Have Breakfast and travel back to Dehradun / Rishikesh with happy memories of Rudranath tour & trek.
!! An Unforgettable Journey will be ended here !!
Photo Gallery
- Note
- Inclusion
- Exclusions
- Need To Carry
- Advisory
- Confirmation Policy
- Cancellation Policy
- In case of a NO–SHOW the entire amount will be charged as retention.
- The amount received is Non Refundable.
- If reservation is cancelled minimum 15 days prior to Arrival we will give 3 months time to utilize the booking.
- Any cancellation /amendments done less than 15 days prior to arrival, then the total cost of the total number of rooms booked for the total number of nights will be charged as cancellation charges & no refund or credit note will be given.
- Accommodation for 4 Night / 5 Days (Home stay & camping)
- Meals while on trek (Organic traditional food)
- Trek equipment’s (Tent, sleeping bag, mattress & crampon)
- Local Guide, Cook & Support staff for whole trek.
- First aid medical kit
- All necessary forest permits and entry fees.
- Any kind of personal expenses.
- Transport (pick & drop).
- Food during the transit.
- Insurance.
- Mules or porter to carry personal luggage.
- Anything not specifically mentioned in Itinerary.
- Any kind of emergency evacuation charges.
- Back pack and rain cover (50/60 liter).
- Trek pants, T-shirts(Full sleeves), Wind and waterproof Jacket (Light and warm), Woolen Gloves and Thermal Inner.
- Walking stick (Advisable at least one).
- Torch.
- Water Bottle (Two bottles of 1 liter each).
- Snacks (Energy bars, ORS and dry fruits).
- Personal Medical Kit (at least some needy stuff).
- Climatic conditions in the high altitudes vary from the plains; take adequate time to get acclimatized to high altitudes.
- Pay heed to the trek leader or instructor in order to enjoy a safe and sound trekking experience.
- Do not consume alcohol or any other intoxicants during the trek.
- Avoid trekking during the nights.
- Before undertaking the trek, consult a physician.
- Carry basic medications and a first-aid kit during the trek.
- The trek takes place through Eco-friendly zone; do not encourage littering the local sites or campsites.
- The customer receives a confirmation voucher via email within 24 hours of successful booking.
- In case the preferred slots are unavailable, an alternate schedule of the customer’s preference will be arranged and a new confirmation voucher will be sent via email.
- Alternatively, the customer may choose to cancel their booking and a full refund will be processed.
- In case of a NO–SHOW the entire amount will be charged as retention.
- The amount received is Non Refundable.
- If reservation is cancelled minimum 15 days prior to Arrival we will give 3 months time to utilize the booking.
- Any cancellation /amendments done less than 15 days prior to arrival, then the total cost of the total number of rooms booked for the total number of nights will be charged as cancellation charges & no refund or credit note will be given.
