Chopta-Tungnath: The Meadow Temple Circuit

Tungnath at 3,680m is the highest Shiva temple in the world, a small stone shrine perched on a ridge in the Garhwal Himalayas that has stood for over a thousand years. This journey begins from the meadows of Chopta - often called the 'Mini Switzerland of India' - and climbs through dense rhododendron and oak forests to the temple, then continues to the summit of Chandrashila at 4,000m where a 360-degree panorama reveals Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, and Kedar Dome in one sweeping arc. The trek is short enough to be accessible to almost anyone, but the views rival treks three times its length. In spring the hillside is a wall of red and pink rhododendron blooms; in autumn the skies are crystal clear and the peaks seem close enough to touch.