Charkanya Shikhar locally famous as ‘Charekh Danda’ was once the heavenly abode of the great sage, Maharishi Charak. It was here that Maharishi Charak compiled the granth or book called ‘Nighut’ which possessed valuable information about the medicinal plants that were indigenous to the Himalayas.
To honour Maharishi Charak who gave the gift of Ayurveda to humanity, the place came to be known as Charekh Parvat now hailed as Charekh Danda. Surprisingly, the height of this mountain is equal to that of Lansdowne i.e. 6,661 feet.
To the north of Charek Danda, one can admire a spellbinding view of the snow clad Himalayan peaks including Chaukhamba Peak. At night one can see the dwindling lights of the nearby plain areas and villages. To the north of Charekh Danda’s slope, one can see the origin of Malini River. The entire area is besieged by thick foliage of nature and lofty rhododendron trees can be seen in abundance. Some of the places to visit from here are Charakanya Shikhar, 5000 years old Baanjh tree, Sidha Baba Temple, the 5000 years old Rishi Charak ki Kharal.
Charek Danda about 5.5 km from Aeta is located near Kotdwar city of Pauri Garhwal district. It is about 35 km from main Kotdwar city. A road before siddhbali temple after a small bridge wich goes to upward villages will lead you to this destination. Local buses to Kotdwar operate from the nearest cities like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Pauri etc. The nearest railhead to Charekh Danda is located in Kotdwar. Jolly Grant airport at Dehradun is the closest air connectivity to Charekh Danda. Direct buses from Delhi to Kotdwara are also available.
Charekh Danda is popular place for following activities/ interests - Village Tourism.
