Chandrashila Boys

Chandrashila is summit of the Tungnath. It literally means "Moon Rock". It is located at a height of about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level. This peak provides a spectacular view of Himalayas, especially Nandadevi, Trisul, Kedar Peak, Bandarpunch and Chaukhamba peaks. There are various legends associated with this place. According to one of the popular legend, this is the place where Lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon-king Ravana. Another legend says that moon-god Chandra spent time here in penance. It is an impressive vantage point that offers 360 degrees panoramic views of the mighty Himalayas. It was the chilly morning of 17th September, 2016 when a group of 40 students left the IITR campus to trek the Deorital- Chandrashila trail in Uttarakhand. It was a long and exhausting journey of approximately 11 hours and by 2pm the group reached the hotel in Chopta (Ukhimat). The hotel offered an enchanting view of the graduated terraced and step-farmed fields that were artistically carved out of every mountain dotting the landscape. After an hour stay in the hotel, the day begun leisurely since the first day of the trek involved a short hike of 2.3kms to Deorital. As everyone started the gentle ascend, the first stop was Nagraja Ratneshwar Temple. Students took off their shoes and entered the temple area. The temple Sadhu welcomed all and offered his blessings. He then gave everyone a small introduction about the temples history explaining the intricacies of its existence. An hour into the climb the Chandrashila peak could be seen, peeking out from the clouds. The trail is a paved pathway which goes up the mountain. Beyond the top on the other side lies Deoria Tal. One final pit-stop before the lake reveals itself, the group come across few dhabas. Everyone revived themselves with some hot maggi and fresh lime juice. Spending around a half an hour there, the group made their way back to the hotel, where after being served with the dinner, everyone drifted to sleep. The next day was the summit day. Everyone was full with vigour and enthusiasm for the trek to Chandrashila peak. On the way up, the air was getting thinner but the views got better and soon the group reached the Tungnath temple. It felt serene and at the top of the world. Tungnath, (3680 mts), is the highest Shiva temple in the world and is also one of the five and the highest Paanch Kedar temples located in the state of Uttarakhand. After having spent a considerable amount of time there, the group returned to the hotel and by 12 p.m. everyone boarded the bus to make their way back to IIT Roorkee. Chandrashila peak behind the temple rose like a pointed end of Gandalfs hat and seemed to be calling out to everyone. A final push to the summit to reach well before sunrise was totally worth it. The panoramic views left everyone spellbound, feeling like the top of the world. After having spent a considerable amount of time there, the group returned to the hotel and by 12 p.m. Everyone boarded the bus to make their way back to IIT Roorkee. The trek had indeed left us with memories that lasted with us forever.