According to Hindu mythology Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati both reside in the Himalayas: Lord Shiva resides at Mount Kailash. Parvati is also called Shail Putri which means 'daughter of hills'.
The Tunganath myth is indelibly linked to the origin of the Panch Kedar temples built by the Pandavas. The legend states that sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own relatives (Kauravas, their cousins) during the Mahabharata war or Kurukshetra war, their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva. Consequently, the Pandavas went in search of Shiva who was avoiding them since he was convinced of the guilt of Pandavas. In order to keep away from them, Shiva took the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where Pandavas chased him. But later Shiva’s body in the form of bull’s body parts rematerialized at five different locations that represent the “Panch Kedar” where Pandavas built temples of Lord Shiva at each location, to worship and venerate, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each one is identified with a part of his body; Tungnath is identified as the place where the bahu (hands) were seen: hump was seen at Kedarnath; head appeared at Rudranath; his navel and stomach surfaced at Madhyamaheshwar; and his jata (hair or locks) at Kalpeshwar.

A beautiful trek with difficulty level rated as easy to moderate, the Chopta Chandrashila Trek brings many captivations to all. One of the popular Garhwal Himalaya treks amongst the Indian trekking enthusiasts, a trek of 5 km to the peak is the spot that brings much capacitive beauty all around the valleys. Make a very energetic start from Ukhimath and pass through Deoriatal, Chopta and Tungnath to reach the summit of Chandrashila to bring the captivating view of the Himalayas.
At Tungnath, you can find the highest Shiva Temple in the world. And believe us once you are at the maximum altitude of 3950 m at Chandrashila summit, you will explore many surprises all around the valleys including a protected sanctuary for musk deer along with rich flora and fauna.
It will be really a fantastic experience to enjoy camping at Deoriatal, which is a pristine lake circled with dense forest. And what next! You can simply find one of the most prominent views of the inspiring Chaukhamba peaks that can be followed by an exciting camping in the meadows of Chopta and then finally at Tungnath. Each camp site would offer excellent views to the Himalayan peaks.
Beyond Tungnath, explore the Chandrashila summit, a beautiful vintage point to extract the Himalayan beauty in a wide spectrum. One would perceive the entire range in almost 270 degrees of visibility, with peaks like Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Nanda Devi and Trishul among the most prominent ones.
Be prepared, you are going for a winter trek
To have a safe and enjoyable trekking at Chopta Chandrashila it is advisable to keep some essential items along with you and that explicitly are torch light, warm clothes, inner fleece, body warmers, comfortable shoes suitable for hikes/treks, windproof jackets, warm headgear/balaclava, gloves, trekking pole, cameras, first aid box for personal medication if required etc. All clothing/luggage should be kept in rucksack/soft bags so that they can be easily carried on ponies.