Chandrashila Peak: A Journey to the Highest Abode of Shiva

Millions of hikers hike through numerous sites each year in search of peace and calmness inside, and among all their favorite places is the Chandrashila peak, where nature provides an experience of being in the large silence.

It occurs when you inhale the mountain air and are standing still between the Himalayas. That is why Chandrashila has become an important segment of our Himalaya Yoga Hiking Retreat.

Chandrashila: the summit above Tungnath temple in India

In this blog, we shall deconstruct all that you need to know about Tungnath, Chandrashila, and the reasons why this trek is a must-have place for the seeker.

The Base: Chopta (The Mini Switzerland of India)

If you want to see the path full of flowers, visit Chopta in spring, as it is Chopta where you start your trip to the Chandrashila peak. It is a small town that is situated at an elevation of 2600 meters.

When it is winter, it is a white heaven. Our students find Chopta the ideal place to get so accustomed that when we push higher, we find the students already adjusted.

Tungnath Temple: The World’s Highest Shiva Temple.

Before reaching the Chadrashila peak, you will get to see the Tungnath temple on the way.

History and Legend:

Tungnath is not only a temple, but its history is quite long-lived, as it belongs to the era of the great war Mahabharata. This is one of the temples of Panch Kedar since, after the defeat and brutal murder of their close relatives and cousins, the Pandavas have set out in search of the Lord Shiva in order to seek his forgiveness.

Shiva was, however, eluding them and took the form of a bull. As he went down to the ground, his body parts were found again at five different places. At Tungnath his Bahu (arms) was on view.

Architecture:

The temple is constructed under the North Indian style of architecture. It is very tiny and composed of dark stone and feels like a very ancient one. The structure has withstood time and the severity of weather, despite the fact that it is at an elevation of 3,680 meters.

The Spiritual Vibe:

The first thing that you see when you enter the temple premises is the heavy ringing of bells and the smell of incense. It is a cut-to-cut spiritual experience. Distractions are absent here. Just you and the stone deity.

Chandrashila Peak: The pinnacle of the moon.

Tungnath is a steep walk of 1.5 km up to the summit—Chandrashila. The summit of this mountain is approximately 4,000 meters (13,123 ft) in elevation.

The Name:

Chandra refers to Moon, and Shila refers to Rock. The moon god (Chandra) is said to have passed some time here in penance. There is one more widely known myth that the Lord Rama meditated here when he won over Ravana to purify his soul.

The reasons why people go there to meditate.

The view is the motive of many people hiking; the vibration is the motive of yogis hiking. One of the most potent meditation positions of the Himalayas is Chandrashila.

• High Energy: The energy in the highest condition is highly Sattvic (pure) because of the legends of Lord Rama and the moon god.
• Absolute Silence: the wind is the only one at a height of 4,000 meters.
• Thin Air, Deep Focus: The thin air is the one that makes you aware of each breath. In yoga we refer to this as Pranayama. On the summit, your breath is your anchor.
• The Horizon: Gawking at the enormity of the mountains is the way that makes one forget about minor, day-to-day troubles. It provides you with an insight into how few our problems are in comparison to nature.

At Atharv Yogshala we take our students through a meditation program on the summit. It is hard to achieve in the city, but by closing your eyes at that elevation, after a physical climb, you can access a state of Dhyana.

Connecting the Spiritual Circuit.

The hike to Chandrashila is not a one-time activity. It is on a bigger spiritual journey through Uttarakhand. When we reward our students on this retreat, we walk a course that accumulates the energy:

• Ganga Aarti: we begin at Rishikesh. The Ganga Aarti purifies the mind, and the heart sets out on the travel.
• Devprayag Sangam: On our way to the mountains, we would be able to see Devprayag Sangam. This is where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda rivers unite to create the Ganga. It means the integration of different ways into a way.
• Dhari Devi Temple: We stop to seek blessings of Dhari Devi Temple which is the protector of the Char Dhams. Reportedly, she turns into a girl, woman and old lady in the daytime.
• Deoria Tal: Deoria Tal is a lake, which we normally visit before the actual climb and is gifted with a lifeless reflection of the Chaukhamba mountains. It is a spiritual and literal retreat.
• Kartik Swami: If they wish a little bit more, the Kartik Swami temple will give them another ridge-top experience that resembles the beauty of Chandrashila, yet with another more fiery charge.

Conclusion: Why We Take Our Students Here.

In Atharv Yogshala, we aim at giving a point-to-point real experience. We do not desire you to see the mountains but to touch them.

Life is compared with the climb to Tungnath and Chandrashila. It is hilly, and your legs are aching, and it is thin air. However, when you have stepped across the old stone steps of Tungnath and have eventually stood on the rock of Chandrashila, you come to know that the effort was required in order to view it.

We connect all these places—the Aarti, the Sangam, the temples, and the lakes—and make a complete circle of spirituals. By Chandrashila, you are no longer the one that set out on the journey in Rishikesh.

You, as a seeker, would never regret going out of the traveled ways and having a Himalayan adventure in a new Himalayan Yoga Hiking Retreat, would you? We can breathe, hike and meditate with the greatest temple in the world.

Are you ready to climb?