Chopta is a hill station located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Chopta is quite popular for the holy Tungnath Temple and trekking, as well as it is one of the hill stations in Uttarakhand where tourists like to go for adventure sports and camping. Situated at an altitude of 2900 meters above sea level, Chopta is known for the lofty peaks of the Himalayas and the lush green valleys.
The very beautiful and serene environment of Chopta is very special for nature lovers. The Tungnath Temple located here is known as the highest Shiva temple in India. Chopta is also often called the "Switzerland of India".
Tourist Attractions of Chopta
Uttarakhand, situated in the lap of the Himalayas, not only attracts devotees but for the growing tourism for adventure sports in India, it attracts young age tourists from all over the country and world. The weather in Chopta is cool throughout the year and summers are very pleasant. During summer season a big number of tourists come here to beat the heat of the planes of North India. Chopta is known for its surrounding scenic views, trekking routes, temples and lakes.
Tungnath Temple, Chopta
It is said that after killing their own relatives in the Mahabharata war, the Pandavas were filled with remorse and wanted to meet Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was also angry with the Pandavas and did not want to meet them at all. When the Pandavas reached Kashi in search of him, Shiva came from there to Guptkashi. The Pandavas, looking for him, also reached there and saw a bull. The Pandavas understood that this is Lord Shiva and is here in the form of a bull. They reached to meet him but Lord Shiva destroyed his bull form into five pieces. A piece of those fell here and it was considered a pilgrimage in the form of Tungnath temple.
To reach Tungnath temple one has to trek for about 3 kms. It is an easy track. The path of this track is straight and uphill. Snow is also found on the way in winter. If needed to go on this track, special shoes for trekking can be hired from Chopta itself. Chandrashila track is ahead of Tungnath temple.
Chandrashila Peak and Chandrashila Trek
The path from Tungnath temple to Chandrashila peak is about 2 km long. This track is a bit difficult from the Tungnath track as there is no paved road here. By reaching the top of Chandrashila, one gets a 360 degree view of the Himalayas. You can stay here and spend some time. Sometimes this track is also closed due to heavy snowfall.
Sari Village
About 20 kilometers from Chopta, Sari village is a quiet and non-touristy village. This village is a beautiful village situated in the lap of nature, where you can see the living conditions of the people of the villages of Uttarakhand. The main occupation of the people here is agriculture. If you want to stay here for a day or two, then some homestay options are available.
Devariya Taal / Pond
Deoria Tal can be reached by trekking 2 km from Sari village. Deoria Tal is also known as Indra Tal. Deoria Tal means the pond of the gods. The trek from Sari Gaon to Deoria Tal is an easy trek. Some people also reach here by riding a mule. Deoria Tal is a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains.
Camping activities are also organized on the banks of this lake but it depends a lot on the weather.
Omkaar Ratneshwar Temple
Omkar Ratneshwar Temple is situated about 1 kilometer from Sari village. This temple is on the track from Sari village to Deoria Tal. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is a small temple where devotees visiting Tungnath visit on their trip.
Trekking in Chopta
Chopta is quite popular for its natural tracks. Often, tourists who prefer places away from the crowd, like to come to Chopta. Small treks like Tungnath Temple Track, Chandrashila Track can be done from Chopta and if you want to go on long trek then you can go on long trek with any trekking group by contacting tour operators. Tourists also trek from Chopta to Deoria Tal.
Camping in Chopta
Camping is also a major attraction in Chopta. Depending on the season, camping can be done here. For this, you can plan by talking to tour operators. Camping is also done in the green meadows at Rohini Bugyal on the track from Deoria Tal to Chandrashila.
How to reach Chopta
By flight to Chopta
Dehradun airport is the nearest airport to Chopta. The distance from Dehradun to Chopta is about 200 kms. Flights or connecting flights are available from all the major airports of the country for Dehradun airport of Uttarakhand. Once you reach Dehradun airport, you can take a bus or taxi to reach Chopta by road.
By train
Chopta is a small hill station which is not connected to the train network. One can reach Haridwar or Rishikesh by train and from there one can go to Chopta by road.
By Road to Chopta
There is no direct bus from Haridwar to Chopta. From Haridwar one can reach Rudraprayag or Ukhimath by bus and further by taxi till Chopta. Some tourists also come to Chopta by motor biking when the weather is good.
If you are traveling by your car then you can easily reach Chopta.
There are 2 Choptas in Uttarakhand. If you enter the direction for Tungnath Temple in Google Map, then you will see the right way to Chopta.
Food in Chopta
Chopta is a very small town. There are not many hotels here, but there are some small hotels which have restaurants serving Garhwali food where you can enjoy both veg and non-veg food. Apart from this, dishes of lentils and paneer are also available in almost all hotels.
Stay in Chopta
1 to 2 days is enough time to visit Chopta and its surroundings and see all the tourist spots. Apart from this, the weather and calm atmosphere here is special in itself. Tourists keep coming here almost throughout the year.
Here some home stays and some small hotels will be found. There is no arrangement of light in the homestays and hotels here during whole day. Electricity is available only in the evening. Here electricity is available only from solar power, that's why there is limited availability of electricity . Same is the case with water also. Water is available throughout the day only in very few hotels or homestays. It is good to know about the electricity and water arrangements before you book a hotel or homestay.
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