Harsil - Town In the Wind

Harsil is an unspoiled and hidden jewel of Uttarakhand state offering ample scope for people seeking peace and serenity in the lap of Himalayas. It is situated on the banks of Bhagirathi River at an elevation of 2,620mts above sea level. Harsil has become popular in recent years with travel enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Dense deodar forests, gushing water of Bhagirathi River, chirping of birds, salubrious environment and serene environs are the highlights of this little quaint destination. There are several adventurous trekking routes that you can do in the vicinity of Harsil. A holiday at Harsil is a rejuvenating experience where you can do meditation and yoga.

Harsil is located in a picturesque valley inhabited mainly by bhotias. The temperature of Harsil remains pleasant during summers and chilling during winters. There are numerous deodar and apple trees in Harsil and the region receives snowfall from December to March. Harsil is situated on Uttarkashi - Gangotri Road at a distance of 72kms after Uttarkashi.

Harsil is a hill station famous for unspoilt beauty in lap of Himalayas. Harsil is situated on the banks of Bhagirathi River and popular stay destination during Char Dham and Gangotri Yatra.

Harsil also has a military base and DRDO research lab so for security reasons foreign nationals are not allowed to stay in Harsil . 

Harsil is too windy but you are gonna enjoy it .

Ways To Reach :-

Ways to reach depend on source destination but i will give you general route .

There is a Helipad in Harsil so if you can afford you can come in a chopper .

General route :-

1. Reach Uttarkashi (It is the district capital of Uttarkashi district in state Uttarakhand , India ) , you can easily find Hotels and Restaurants .

2. From Uttarkashi there are two ways either you take the bus or you take a Taxi which is going to Gangotri ( as Harsil will come on the way to Gangotri ).

3. In Harsil you can easily find Hotels and Restaurants .

Timings of Bus and Taxi :-

Timings might change on the discretion of  Taxi and Bus operators.

Bus Timings :-

9:00 AM

2:30 AM

Taxi Timing :-

5:30AM to any time

But i would advice that you take the taxi early in the morning as in the afternoon service becomes low as number of passengers decrease . You can also book whole taxi if you like but that would cost you more.

People are humbly requested that whenever you visit the place please donot litter it respect it , admire it and live it . 

In case of any kind of emergency ( like medical etc. ) call 108.

Tungnath - The Way To Heaven

Located on the Chandranath parbat in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Tungnath is one of the sacred Panch Kedar. It is the highest temple of Lord Shiva perched at an astounding elevation of 3,680mts above sea level.

Magnificent in its architecture and artistic structure, Tungnath Temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and few other idols of Goddess Parvati and other gods can be seen in the vicinity. This sacred temple was discovered by Adi Shankaracharya and now the priest of this temple is a local Brahmins of Maku village.

The mythological background of Tungnath Temple is associated with the epic Mahabharata. Vyas Rishi told the Pandavas that they were guilty of killing their own brothers in the war and their sins would be expiated only if Lord Shiva pardoned them. Pandavas began to search Lord Shiva in the Himalayas and Lord Shiva kept avoiding them because they were guilty.

In order to escape from the Pandavas, Lord Shiva disguised himself as a bull and took refuge underground. The places where the parts of the bull were found are now renowned Shiva temples. Tungnath Temple is the place where his hands (bahu) were supposedly seen.

It is also believed that Pandavas went to heaven from there . It also said that one must visit the temple to complete their journey of Char Dham .

This highest temple of Lord Shiva is ironically easiest one to achieve. Tungnath Temple can be reached by an easy but steep trek of 4km commencing from Chopta (2700mts). The region receives heavy snowfall during winters making Tungnath temple tough to access. The symbolic image of Lord Shiva is moved to Mukunath during winters, situated 19kms away. The trek goes through rocky terrains, green meadows and rhododendron bushes showering us with visual vistas of nature. The invigorating views of the imposing Himalayas boosts with confidence in the heart of the trekkers. Several named and unnamed peaks of the Himalayan range are distinctly visible from Tungnath.

Another 1.5 km steep trek take you to Chandrashila summit which offers a majestic view of snow clad Himalayan peaks including Trishul, Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba

 Tungnath is a 3km mild trek which begins from Chopta

Tungnath is one the famous Panch Kedar Temples of Lord Shiva, located 4 Kms from Chopta. Tungnath Chopta Trekking Trek is famous as weekend getaway break destination and views of meadows and Himalayas. 

Tourists can easily find hotels and restaurants in Chopta . There are also some huts on the top of the mountain belonging to local people near the temple . Tourists can find boarding and lodgings there . There are also some small eateries on the top and some on the way  . The huts are kept warm in traditional ways . There is very less commercialization on the top and the climate is cold . In short you will love the place if you are a nature lover . 

There is heavy snowfall in winter and the temple remains closed at that time . The best time to visit is in summers . I would recommend that you start trekking from Chopta in the early morning and do take raincoats with you as the climate changes suddenly . 

Northern Char Dham

In real char dham are four four piligrimage places in India that are widely revered by most of the "Hindus". They are: Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri, and Rameshwaram . 

                                         
                                          Badrinath Temple , Badrinath

Dwarakadheesh Temple , Dwarka

Jagannath Temple , Puri

                         

Ramanathaswamy Temple ,  Rameswaram

But this post is not about the real char dham but about Chota Char Dham ( or 'Little' Char Dham or Northern Char Dham whatever you may call it ) .

The Char Dham are often considered the most revered sites for Hindus that have to be visited in one's lifetime.

The Chota Char Dham (Devanagari: चार धाम) (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand (formerly the northwestern section of Uttar Pradesh), the circuit consists of four sites—Yamunotri (Hindi: यमनोत्री), Gangotri (Hindi: गंगोत्री), Kedarnath (Hindi: केदारनाथ), and Badrinath (Hindi: बद्रीनाथ).Badrinath is also one of the main Char Dham's .

Badrinath Temple , Badrinath

Gangotri Temple , Gangotri.

Kedarnath Temple , Kedarnath

Yamunotri Temple , Yamunotri