Gopeshwar

The headquarters of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Gopeshwar is located at a height of 1300 meters above sea level. It is famous for its temples and natural beauty enhanced by its wonderful weather. According to some, the name Gopeshwar is linked with Lord Krishna.

The main attraction of Gopeshwar is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva. Hundreds and thousands of devotees come here to seek blessings and offer prayers to Lord Shiva. Gopeshwar is surrounded by four famous temples of Tunganath, Anasuya Devi, Rudranath and Badrinath. The Tunganath temple is located at an altitude of 3,680mts above sea level. It is the highest shrine of Lord Shiva among all the Panch Kedars. According to legend, it is said that the temple of Lord Shiva was built by the Pandavas to please Lord Shiva, who was angry by the massacre at Kurukshetra during the war with the Kauravas. Badrinath is one of the four dhams at an elevation of 3,133 mts above sea level. It is said that Lord Vishnu visited the place, called ‘Badri Van’, or the berry garden, to meditate after being rebuked by Narad.

According to Narad, Lord Vishnu was immersed in worldly pleasures and nothing else. The main deity at Badrinath is therefore that of a meditating Lord Vishnu. Other interesting places of interest in Gopeshwar are the Vaitarni Kund, a group of temples without idols and Oak view. To reach Gopeshwar the nearest station is Rishikesh while the nearest airport is Jolly Grant in Dehradun. Gopeshwar is also well connected to Almora, Rishikesh and Dehradun by road.