Uttarakhand’s ancient Tungnath temple to be declared a national monument

Source: The post is based on the article “Uttarakhand’s ancient Tungnath temple to be declared a national monument” published in Indian Express on 9th May 2023

What is the News?

The central government has issued a notification declaring the ancient temple of Tungnath as a monument of national importance.

What is Tungnath Temple?

Located in: Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand

It is the only ancient ‘Shivalaya‘ of its kind located at the highest point above sea level in Asia. 

It is one of the Panch Kedars and is believed to have belonged to an ancient era almost 1000 years old. 

It was built in the North Indian style of architecture and has a dozen shrines of other Gods surrounding the temple. 

It is believed to have been discovered by Adi Sankacharya.

What are Panch Kedars?

Panch Kedar refers to a group of five sacred shrines of Lord Shiva located in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand.

They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

The five temples are Kedarnath Temple, Tungnath Temple, Rudranath Temple, Madhyamaheshwar Temple or Madmaheshwar and the Kalpeshwar Temple.