Joshimath is a town in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand which is also a major hill station of Uttarakhand. Joshimath is often known as the starting point of the tourist Auli Ropeway. Joshimath comes from the Sanskrit word Jyotirmath. Joshimath is one of the four major Peethas established by Adi Shankaracharya. The other three peeths are in Sringeri, Puri and Dwarka.
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Joshimath is famous as a hill station and a city of religious importance. Tourists come from far off parts of the country to visit Shankaracharya Peeth, Badri Temple, Narsingh Temple and other temples established in Joshimath. Auli, just 15 kilometers from Joshimath, is a ski resort where thousands of tourists come every year in winters to ski and enjoy the snow.
Joshimath is also known as the gateway of Badrinath Yatra. Apart from this, Nanda Devi, Trishul Parvat, Hathi Parvat and many other famous peaks of the Himalayas can be seen from here.
Tourist Attractions of Joshimath
As tourism is becoming popular in India, the number of tourists coming to Uttarakhand is also increasing every year. Many such hill stations of Uttarakhand which were earlier not easily accessible to tourists, now tourists can reach there very easily. Main tourist places of Joshimath.
Auli Ropeway
The most popular tourist point of Joshimath is Auli Ropeway. This 4 kilometer long ropeway offers tourists a 22-minute Gondola/Udan Khatola ride. This 22-minute ropeway ride is an experience not to be forgotten for a lifetime. In this ride, the experience of going in the air from Joshimath via Auli is unique. During this, everyone likes the view of the way.
The view of the valley during the ropeway depends a lot on the weather there. One can see the snow covered valley in winters and greenery in summers. In whatever season you visit Joshimath, this ride is a must do. Because this ride is so popular, it is a bit difficult to get tickets for it. If you want to book Auli ropeway ride after reaching Joshimath, then tourists start queuing up at the ropeway ticket window from 6 in the morning. Due to the short days in winter, the gondola ride is less but in the summer due to the longer days, the gondola ride is also longer.
You can also book tickets for Auli Ropeway Ride online. For this, tickets can be bought on the website of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (GMVNL) https://heliservices.uk.gov.in/auliropeway.aspx.
Auli
Auli is famous as the ski resort of India. It is also known as Auli Bugyal in Garhwali, meaning "grassland". If you are interested in snow sports and are looking for snow sports destination in India, then Auli which is just 15 kms away from Joshimath must be included in this trip. Auli is a perfect location for those interested in adventure sports, especially for trekkers, bikers, campers and adventure sports lovers.
There is Auli Ropeway to reach Auli, but if for some reason you are unable to come by Auli Ropeway, then you can also take a taxi from Joshimath to Auli. After reaching Auli, there is also a chair lift to take you to the ski slope which is a short ropeway ride. Apart from this, the artificial lake made in Auli is also popular. In winter, this lake freezes with ice. The water of this lake is used to maintain the ski slopes of Auli. This lake surrounded by mountains is a very beautiful location in summer.
The Hanuman temple of Auli is also very special. It is said that at the place where this temple is situated, Hanuman ji, who had gone out to collect Sanjeevani Booti, sat and rested for a while and found Sanjeevani Booti from here. The snow-capped peak of Nanda Devi is also visible from this temple.
Nanda Devi National Park
Nanda Devi National Park is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The flora and fauna found in this part of the Himalayas are preserved in this national park. Many such species of flowers can be seen in this park which are not seen anywhere else. This National Park is famous for its Flora and Fauna.
Shaildhar Tapovan
Shaildhar Tapovan is a famous tourist spot at a distance of 13 km from Joshimath, which is known for its natural hot spring. The water of this spring gets very hot. Shaildhar Tapovan is a small village near Joshimath. At some distance from the busy tourist places of Joshimath, this village gives visitors an opportunity to spend some time in the beautiful and serene environment of nature.
Sleeping Beauty Mountain view
This is a mountain view which looks as if a woman is sleeping. The peaks of the mountains give such an impression. This is a photography point for the tourists coming here.
Ghanghariya / Govind Dham
It is a small village situated in the lap of nature at a distance of about 15 km from Joshimath. If you are interested in trekking then you can join trekking from Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers. This village is also the base for pilgrims going to Hemkund.
Gorson Bugyal Trek
Gerson Bugyal trek is an easy trek in summer season which is 3 kms from Auli. You can also see apple orchards on this track. This track passes through the deodar forest. In winter, this trek is very difficult due to snow. Some tourists also do camping there after reaching Gorso Bugyal.
Chaitra Kund
Chaitra Kund, at a distance of 1 kilometer from Gurson Bugyal, is a popular destination among trekkers. This sweet water lake is a quiet place and not many tourists come here.
Kwari Bugyal Trek
It is a long track that extends from Gurson Bugyal to Kwari Bugyal. This track is very popular during the summer season and reaching here to see the snow-capped Himalayan mountains is an experience.
Chinab Lake Trek
Chenab Lake is a man made lake and can be reached by trekking. It is a difficult track as it is a rocky road. Bike or car cannot go on this track. Due to the difficult track, not many tourists come here.
Joshimath Temple, Tourist Attractions
Jyotirmath Badrikashram
Jyotirmath Badrikashram, situated in the Himalayas, is an astrological Peeth established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya. This Math is one of the Maths established by Shankaracharya in the four corners of India. The other three Jyotirmaths are at Puri in the east, Sringeri in the south and Dwarka in the west. This Jyotirmath, established in the 8th century, is an important place for the followers of Hinduism.
The name of this city is Joshimath after the name of this monastery, which was known by the name of Jyotirmath in history.
Kalpvriksh
This Kalpavriksha, about 1200 years old, is valid as a pilgrimage. It is said that Adi Guru Shankaracharya did penance sitting under this Kalpavriksha. The temple of Jyoteshwar Mahadev is established under this Kalpavriksha which is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Narsing Temple
The Narasimha Temple is an ancient temple established in Joshimath dedicated to the Narasimha avatar of the Lord. Lord Narasimha's body was half lion and half human, hence he is called as Narasimha. It is said about this temple that due to a natural calamity coming in the future, this temple will be submerged and the way to reach Badrinath from here will not be there.
Bhavishya Badri Temple
The Bhavishya Mandir is situated at a distance of about 15 kilometers from Joshimath. Bhavishya Badri Temple is a temple of special importance. This temple is related to the Narasimha temple of Joshimath. It is said that after the sinking of the Narasimha temple at Joshimath due to a natural calamity, the right hand of the idol of Lord Narasimha will be attached to the idol in this temple and Lord Narasimha will reside in this temple. Then this temple itself will be Badrinath temple. Because this is a future event, that is why it is called Bhavishya Badri Temple.
Bhavishya Kedar Temple
This temple of Joshimath is known as Bhavishya Kedar Temple. The way it is said about the Narasimha temple, in the same way it is also said about Kedarnath Dham. It is said that this temple will be Kedarnath temple in future.
Vriddh Badri Temple
Vriddha Badri Temple is about 7 kms from Joshimath. This is a temple dedicated to the old form of Lord Vishnu. It is said that Narad Muni did penance here and Lord Vishnu appeared to him in the form of an old man.
Vishnuprayag
Vishnuprayag is located at a distance of 12 kilometers from Joshimath, which is the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga. Apart from being a place of religious importance, Vishnuprayag is also an attraction for tourists interested in adventure sports.
How to reach Joshimath
By Flight
Dehradun airport is the nearest airport to Joshimath. The distance from Dehradun to Joshimath is approximately 290 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 bus or taxi to reach Joshimath by road.
By train
Joshimath is a small hill station which is not connected to the train network. One can reach Dehradun or Rishikesh by train and from there one can go to Joshimath by road.
By Road to Joshimath
Many tourists who are interested in motor biking also come by bike ride till Joshimath.
If you are traveling by your car then you can easily reach Joshimath. However, to go beyond this to Auli, it is not allowed to take a car in winters as the roads are covered with snow.
Shopping in Joshimath
If you want to do shopping then you can go to Joshimath market for that. You can buy woolen clothes, shawls and snow boots from here. Apart from this, you can also buy some craft items from here.
Food in Joshimath
There are many restaurants serving Garhwali food in Joshimath where you can enjoy both veg and non-veg food. Bal sweets of Garhwal are quite famous. Kachmouli in non-veg is a famous dish here.
Stay in Joshimath
It takes 2 to 3 days to visit Joshimath and its surrounding 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, that's why it is better to book in advance. Hotels will be found in every budget to stay here. For hotel booking, you can book hotels online. Homestay in Joshimath is also a good option to stay.
Best time to visit Joshimath
The best season to visit Joshimath is from October to March. The temperature here remains cool throughout the year.
The weather here is very pleasant in summers and it gets cold in monsoons. Land slides often happen in the monsoons, that's why not many tourists come here in the rains.
It is very cold here in winter. From December 20 onwards, there is a large number of tourists coming for ski activity in Auli.
If you want to come for trekking, then the season from March to June is the best because at that time you can see the valleys full of flowers here.
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