On a rainy morning of 4th October, we started our journey from Ukhimath to Madmaheshwar. Haridwar to Ukhimath is nearly 207kms by road or If you avail flight then you have to depart on Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun from there you have to take a cab for Ukhimath. It is considered a holy place of Hindus as it is a part of the Panch-Kedar. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is believed that the second Brother of Pandavas, Bhima build this temple and start to worship Lord Shiva here. This was the place where we stayed the night before, traveling from Haridwar to Ukhimath. The trek actually starts from Ransi and also the best trek routes of India. A small village situated on the banks of the Madhuganga river. Trek Distance is nearly around 16kms which will take 3 days.
The actual trek starts from a nondescript road. There are no signs at all. It’s almost 21 km on a long winding mountain trail that passes through thick vegetation and is very steep. The day we started it was drizzling already. But the locals said that it would stop. The first 7kms is mostly downhill. And you can see some beautiful waterfalls. But then the steep climb starts. It had started raining quite heavily with no end to the road in sight. By the time we reached the sun had already set. Altitude is around 3490mts from the sea level. It was a dark road passing through a forest area, and we were drenched to the skin. It was scary and thrilling at the same time. And a scare of life gives you a strong adrenaline rush so the last few kilometers we almost ran searching for the population. Actually, the last sign on population is almost 5 kilometers from Madmaheswar. And the number of tourists visiting is very less, added to that it was raining so no humans were in sight. We reached the temple around 6 pm. The night was spent at a hut that served as a dormitory. The next morning we climbed up to Buddha Madmaheshwar, another 2 km. This place was magical. Surrounded by peaks of the Himalayas Kailash range. There two small lakes that reflect the images of these peaks. And we were lucky as the sky was clear the next morning so we could see the view. The temple itself is built on the same architectural lines as the Kedarnath temple. And after praying at this temple of Lord Shiva, we trekked back to Ukhimath.
- Favorable Time to Trek: May, June, July, August, September, October, November
- Trek Distance- 16Kms
- Trek Grade- Easy
- Alt- 3490mts
- Trek Duration- 3Days
- Nearest Railway Station- Haridwar
- Airport – Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun