Chandrashila

Chandrashila

Elevation	3,681 m (12,077 ft)
Location
Chandrashila Location in northern India
Location	Uttarakhand, India
Range	Garhwal Himalaya
Coordinates	30°29′17″N 79°13′17″E / 30.48806°N 79.22139°E / 30.48806; 79.22139Coordinates: 30°29′17″N 79°13′17″E / 30.48806°N 79.22139°E / 30.48806; 79.22139

Chandrashila is summit of the Tungnath . It literally means "Moon Rock". It is located at a height of about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level. This peak provides a spectacular view of Himalayas,especially Nandadevi, Trisul, Kedar Peak, Bandarpunch and Chaukhamba peaks. There are various legends associated with this place. According to one of the popular legend, this is the place where Lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon-king Ravana.Another legend says that moon-god Chandra spent time here in penance.The Beauty of Chandrashila is Incredible.It is an impressive vantage point that offers 360 degrees panoramic views of the mighty Himalayas.This is a beautiful trek, with difficulty level rated as easy to moderate.

Accessibility

Bus can be directly taken up to Okhimath or Gopeshwar from Haridwar or Dehradun which takes about 10 hours to reach from there to Chopta hiring a jeep or shared basis. Chopta is well connected by motorable roads with major towns of Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state. Follow NH58 until you reach Rudraprayag and after reaching Rudraprayag follow the route to Kedarnath and take right turn to Ukhimath. Chopta is situated 29 km from Ukhimath. Chopta is also accessible from Gopeshwar. Buses and taxis to Chopta are available from major towns of Uttarakhand region.

By Rail: The nearest railhead to Chopta is Rishikesh situated 209 km away. Rishikesh is well connected by railway networks with major cities of India. Buses and Taxis to Chopta and Ukhimath are easily available from Rishikesh. By Air: Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest Airport of Chopta, situated 226 km away in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand state. The remaining journey has to be covered ether in a taxi or in a bus. Taxis are easily available to Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Ukhimath and Chopta from Jolly Grant Airport.

Another possible route is through Haridwar, Rudraprayag then Ukhimath finally to Chopta.

Chopta distance chart

Ukhimath to Chopta – 29 km
Delhi to Chopta – 451 km
Meerut to Chopta – 368 km
Rishikesh to Chopta – 209 km
Haridwar to Chopta – 225 km
Pauri to Chopta – 126 km
Dehradun to Chopta – 246 km
Mussoorie to Chopta – 212 km
Devprayag to Chopta – 130 km
Tehri Garhwal to Chopta – 151 km
Kotdwar to Chopta – 229 km
Joshimath to Chopta – 92 km
Srinagar to Chopta – 96 km
Kedarnath to Chopta – 64 km
Rudraprayag to Chopta – 63 km
Gopeshwar to Chopta – 41 km
Badrinath to Chopta – 136 km

From Chopta it is a 6 km trek.

Trekking

Chandrashila treks are one of the most popular treks among Indian trekking enthusiasts. The trek to the peak is 5 km. The trek route that starts from Chopta takes one to Tungnath (highest Shiva temple in the World), from here it is a kilometer long, and a steep trek. Though shorter in distance, steep climbing makes this trek rigorous.

This trek is undertaken throughout the year although during winter season due to snowfall this trek becomes hard as road to chopta gets closed. Trekkers use a different route during this period (deoria Tal - Duggalbitta - Tungnath - Chandrashila).^[1]