Explore Uttarakhand

Kedarnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and a highlight of the Char Dham Yatra, stands at the head of the Mandakini valley beneath the towering Kedarnath range. The final approach is a pilgrim trek from Gaurikund, and the sight of the temple against the snow wall at dawn is one of the Himalaya's most moving experiences.

Badrinath, the seat of Lord Vishnu on the banks of the Alaknanda, sits in a dramatic ampitheatre between the Nar and Narayan peaks. Pilgrims take a dip at Tapt Kund before darshan, and the town's painted facades glow at sunrise.

Gangotri, the winter home of the Goddess Ganga, sits beside the icy Bhagirathi where it emerges from the Gangotri glacier region. The white temple, deodar forests and boulder-strewn river make it one of the most scenic of the Char Dham stops.

Yamunotri, source shrine of the Yamuna, marks the traditional first dham of the Char Dham circuit. Pilgrims cook rice in the hot springs beside the temple and walk through steep Garhwali valleys to reach the shrine.

Hemkund Sahib is a high-altitude gurudwara beside a glacial lake ringed by seven snow peaks — one of the most revered Sikh pilgrimage sites. The valley below, pushed wildflowers every monsoon, is also the gateway to the Valley of Flowers.

Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the Himalaya, crowns a emerald meadow ridge above Chopta. The short but steep climb passes through rhododendron forest and ends with a 360° panorama of the Garhwal peaks.

Chandrashila, the 'moon rock' summit above Tungnath, offers arguably the finest 360° Himalayan panorama in Uttarakhand — Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and the Gangotri group all line up on a clear morning.

Triyuginarayan is believed to be where Shiva and Parvati were wed, with a sacred fire said to have burned since that day. Couples from across India come here for weddings beside the eternal flame and the Brahma Shovrat kund.

Dhari Devi, guardian goddess of the Garhwal hills, stands on a rock in the middle of the Alaknanda — the idol was famously repositioned during dam construction, an event many link to the 2013 Kedarnath floods. It's a powerful, living shrine on the Badrinath highway.

Neelkanth Mahadev, set in dense forest above Rishikesh, marks the spot where Shiva is said to have consumed the poison of the ocean churning. The temple's vibrant gopuram, jungle drive and river gorges make it a favourite half-day pilgrimage from Rishikesh.

Jageshwar Dham is a grove of over a hundred 9th–13th century stone temples beneath ancient deodars — one of the great Jyotirlinga sites of the Himalaya. Moss-covered shikhara towers, ringing bells and quiet lanes make it Kumaon's most atmospheric heritage shrine.

Baijnath's 12th-century Katyuri temples stand on the banks of the Gomti, guarded by stone idols and a pair of tame fish in the temple pond. It was once the capital of the Katyuri kings, and the riverside ruins are wonderfully photogenic.

Katarmal's 9th-century Sun Temple is India's second-most important sun temple after Konark — a hilltop complex of the main Burhadita shrine and dozens of small satellite temples overlooking terraced Kumaon valleys.

Surkanda Devi crowns a forested ridge near Dhanaulti, where Sati's head is said to have fallen. The short climb is rewarded with a close-up panorama of the Bandarpunch and the Doon valley far below.

Chitai is the temple of Golu Devta, the god of justice of Kumaon, where thousands of bells and handwritten petitions hang from every beam — devotees file 'court cases' to the deity and return with a bell when their wish is granted.

Purnagiri, one of the 108 Shakti Peethas, looks out over the Nepal frontier from a ridgeline above Tanakpur. Navratri turns the trail into a river of pilgrims climbing to the summit shrine.

Kainchi Dham is the riverside ashram of Neem Karoli Baba, the sage who inspired seekers from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg to visit the Kumaon hills. The quiet temple bridges two hillsides above the Kosi stream.

Mansa Devi crowns Bilwa hill above Haridwar, one of the city's three Shakti Peethas. The ropeway rides over the ghats and the Ganga gives a bird's-eye finish to any Haridwar visit.

Chandi Devi sits on Neel Parvat at the edge of Haridwar, said to have been established by Adi Shankaracharya. The ropeway climbs over the Chandi Ghat wilderness to a shrine with sweeping views of the Ganga plains.

Maya Devi, from which Haridwar takes its old name Mayapur, is one of the city's ancient Siddha Peethas. The goddess's navel and heart are said to have fallen here, and the temple anchors the old lanes above the ghats.

Joshimath, the winter seat of Badrinath, is the great staging town of the Alaknanda — gateway to Auli, the Valley of Flowers and the Niti routes. Ancient Kalpavriksha and Shankaracharya math traditions run deep here.

Ukhimath is the winter home of the Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar idols and the ancestral town of the old Garhwal royalty. Wooden temples and valley terraces make it a gentle cultural stop near Chopta.

The Hemkund glacial lake sits in a bowl of seven peaks, its water mirror-flat and freezing even in July. Pilgrims and trekkers share the shoreline with Brahma Kamal blooms.

Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a living limestone temple-cave below Chaukori — a marvel of stalactite formations said to hold the gods' own geography inside, described in the Manas Khand of the Skanda Purana.

A steep, soulful climb from Ghangaria to a glacial bowl at ~4,600 m (approx.) where the gurudwara mirrors in a lake of seven peaks.

The best short Himalayan trek in Uttarakhand — from the meadows of Chopta to the highest Shiva temple, doable in a morning and unforgettable at sunrise.

The trek to Gaumukh, the 'cow's mouth' snout of the Gangotri glacier where the Ganga is born — a walk up the source valley through bhojpatra forest to the ice wall itself.

The five Shiva temples of Garhwal — Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar — linked by high trails and legend: one of the Himalaya's great pilgrimage circuits.

Har Ki Pauri is the beating heart of Haridwar — the ghat where the Ganga leaves the mountains and the evening aarti pours light across the water. Thousands of diyas float downstream every night.

Lakshman Jhula, the iron suspension bridge of legend, hangs above the Ganga where Lakshman is said to have crossed on a jute rope. Tera Manzil temple, bazaars and beach cafés crowd both banks.

Triveni Ghat is Rishikesh's great bathing and aarti ghat, where the evening lamp ceremony turns the river to gold. Faith, music and river mist mix in one of India's most beautiful rituals.

Devprayag is where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet and the Ganga is truly born — a green-and-brown confluence beneath the great Raghunath temple, visible from the ridge road above.

Rudraprayag, where the Mandakini meets the Alaknanda, is a tight gorge town of prayer flags and river roar — named for Shiva's Rudra form and the gateway to Kedarnath.

Karnaprayag, the confluence of the Alaknanda and Pindar, is named for Karna of the Mahabharata — a valley town on the road to Badrinath and the Pindari side.

Nandaprayag, where the Nandakini joins the Alaknanda, is named for Nanda the foster father of Krishna — a calm confluence town under terraced slopes.

Vishnuprayag, the Dhauliganga–Alaknanda confluence below Joshimath, roars in a deep gorge beside Vishnu's stepped temple — the last prayag before Badrinath.

Vashishta Gufa, a quiet riverside cave an hour up the Ganga from Rishikesh, is where sage Vashishta is said to have meditated — today a deep-silence spot for long sits by the river.