Top 10 Divine Mandir treks in India that every devotee must take!

We know trekking satisfies the adrenal rush in us, but trekking of Hindu temples does more than that. It creates a sense of pure bliss as well as gives us an unique blessing. And let’s not forget, the touch of spirituality! The adventure, the devotion and the stunning beauty, sounds simply perfect!

 

Here are top 10 divine Mandir treks in India that every devotee must take-

 

 

Kedarnath Trek is a remote but highly celebrated pilgrimage site of the famous ‘Char Dham’ in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. At an astounding location of 3583m Kedarnath lies near Chorabari Glacier, the birthplace of Mandakini River and is surrounded by various snow-capped peaks. The Hindu pilgrimage site is visited every year by thousands of devotees from all around India.

 

 

Known for its ancient Shiva temple, a visit to Kedarnath Dham is a beautiful and mind-blowing exhilarating experience. Like other places, Kedarnath temple closes on the first day of Hindu month Kartik October-November and every year Baba Kedarnath ji’s door opens again for his devotees in Vaishakh April-May.

 

Notably, Tungnath peacefully adorned on the Chandranath Parvat is the highest Shiva temple in the world and the highest Panch Kedar temple of Uttarakhand. It is the third (Tritiya Kedar) in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. Magnificent in its architecture and artistic structure, Tungnath Temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old and sits atop an intimidating altitude of 12,073 feet.

 

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.

 

 

The Shrikhand Mahadev trek is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling and challenging treks for adventure lovers all over the world. The highest point of the trek is located at an elevation of 18,570 feet in the Indian Himalayan range and consists of some of the most beautiful natural viewpoints along the way.

 

The main attraction of the challenging and rewarding Shrikhand Mahadev trek is the Shrikhand Mahadev Peak. Here, you can witness the majestic beauty of a Shiv-Ling that is 75-feet tall and 46 feet thick. This massive Shiv-Ling depicts the face of Lord Shiva with eyes, nose and matted hair.

 

Hemkund Sahib (also spelled Hemkunt) is a Sikh place of worship in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. This Sikh pilgrimage site is at an elevation of 4,632 meters (15,197 feet). And, the Hemkund Sahib Trek starts from Govindghat, which is about twenty-two kilometers drive from Joshimath.

 

Hemkund Sahib trek is one of the moderate to easy treks in the Garhwal Himalayan region. On your trek in Garhwal Himalayas, you will witness beautiful meadows, the impressive Himalayan Peaks like Kedarnath Dome, Shivling, Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, and large glaciers. It provides various types of trek routes to visitors, from easy to strenuous.

 

 

Considered to be one of the abodes of Lord Shiva, Kinnaur holds a great religious significance for devotees as Mt. Kinner Kailash in the region boasts of housing a 79 ft. tall Shivlinga that changes its colour which each passing moment. Mostly attempted by pilgrims, the Kinner Kailash Parikrama (circumbulation) trek is a test of one’s faith, physical and mental fitness and strong determination.

 

 

Besides, Kinner Kailash (6050 m) peak is located in the Kalpa region of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is considered as one of the most challenging treks in the Indian Himalayan region which takes you into a deep wilderness of the Kinnaur region in Himachal Pradesh.

 

 

The trek of Manimahesh Kailash is also known as Chamba Kailash and is one of the virgin peaks in the Indian Himalayan region. Mani Mahesh trek starts from Hadsar and ends at Manimahesh via Dancho which is situated at an altitude of 2280 m above sea level. Manimahesh trek takes you to the Pir Panjal ranges in Himachal Pradesh.

 

 

Here at Manimahesh lake, a popular Hindu pilgrimage site is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is believed that the mighty peak is the abode of the Hindu deity. This sacred trail undertaken by thousands of pilgrims from all over India on the day of the popular Hindu festival that is Janamshtami and ends on Radha Asthami.

 

Considered as one of the oldest holy shrines in India where lacs of devotees from country and world visit every month, Mata Vaishno Devi trek is sacred adobe of Mata Vaishno Devi situated on serene hills of Trikuta Mountains.

 

Perched at an altitude of 5200 feet, it involves a trek of nearly 12 km from the base camp at Katra. Despite this arduous journey, it is estimated that the shrine gets over one crore visitors annually, and more so during the Navratras.

 

 

Considered a religious place by the Hindus, it is believed to house the cave where Lord Shiva narrated Amar Katha, the secret of life and eternity, to Goddess Parvati. Amarnath Trek is one of the most famous pilgrimage destinations as well as one of the most difficult treks in India. This trek is organised every year by the government in collaboration with the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

 

 

The main cave is situated at a height of 12,756 ft from the sea level, and it remains covered with snow during most part of the year, thereby offering one just a small window to trek, i.e., during summer. However, the unpredictable weather further makes this trek more adventurous. and wanted to keep it a secret.

 

 

Tapovan is a Sanskrit word that comes from the two root words, ‘Tapas’ meaning severe meditation or penance and 'Vana' meaning forest. Traditionally in India, the places where the great sages and ascetics engaged in spiritual awakening came to be known as Tapovan. The most well known Tapovan in India is the area above Gangotri glacier which is the primary source of the river Ganges in Uttarakhand.

Many people explore the area lying at the foot of Shivling Peak which serves as the seasonal home to the sage and hermits living in the caves and huts. Tapovan is also the base camp for several mountaineering expeditions to Shivling Peak, Bhagirathi Peak, and many other.

 

 

Yamunotri Dham is the first temple in the series of char Dham circuit, Hindu pilgrims throughout the world come here for temple darshan and to take the blessing of Yamuna Mata at Yamunotri temple. Large numbers of devotees visit this shrine during the months of May to October.



According to legend, Yamunotri finds special mention in Hindu epics which was the home of an ancient sage, Asit Muni. The route of Yamunotri also has a small trekking distance. The trek to Yamunotri Temple begins with Jankichatti. Yamunotri is 6 km from Jankichatti.