The stunning Ukhimath is one of the perfect destinations in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It beautifully flaunts its serene nature and spiritual aura. This small hamlet is at an elevation fo 1311m and is renowned as one of the popular Hindu pilgrimage sites as it is the abode of idols of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar in winters. The major attraction here is that the deities from Kedarnath are brought here after the festival of Diwali and from Madyamaheshwar in the November months and by the end of May month they are taken back to their original places.
The beautiful Ukhimath is the base for the pilgrims visiting tourism destinations like- Tungnath, Deoria and Madhyamaheswar. Visit this place for some outstanding places from where one can cherish the mesmerizing views of the peaks of Kedarnath, Neelkanth, Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Mana Parbat. Apart from the sacred Omkareshwar temple, the fantabulous Ukhimath also houses several temples that are devoted to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Mandhata, Usha and Aniruddha.
Places To Visit In Ukhimath
1. Sari Village
The beautiful Sari Village is nestled at an elevation of 2000m. sari Village is a picturesque hamlet located at a distance of around 20kms before Chopta hill station. This stunning village is enclosed by oak and rhododendron trees and beautifully resides in the lap of the Himalayas. This village is the base camp for the serene lake- Deorial Tal that is just 2.5kms away from here.
At the time of snowfall sometimes the hotels in Chopta gets closed then one can get hotels and homestays in the Sari region. Just make sure to plan your next trip to Sari village and explore the rustic charm of Sari village and experience the culture of this pretty hamlet. One can even enjoy some activities here like hiking, trekking, and camping. There are a lot of treks from Sari Village like- Deoriatal, Rohini Bugyal, Chopta trek and Bisuri Tal trek.
2. Omkar Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple
The sacred Omkar Ratneshwar Mahadev temple is devoted to Nag Devta and can be reached by trekking just 1kms uphill from Saari village towards the pristine DevariyaTal. The architecture of this beautiful temple resembles the other famous temples in Uttarakhand like Kedarnath and Tungnath in terms of the mandap and GarbhGriha. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, one can find a lingam with a copper coiled around it that resembles a Naag.
One of the major attraction of this temple is that when the water is poured over the lingam it drips down in the wave-form resembling a snake. The face of this temple is towards the Tungnath temple. Visit this temple between Jan to June and from September to December.
3. Mandakini River
The pristine Mandakini river emerges from Chorabari Glacier near Kedarnath in the state of Uttarakhand. Mandakini river is a tributary of the AlaknandaRiver and is fed by the Vasukiganga river at Sonprayag. The river merges with Kaliganga near the holy Kalimath temple and with Madhyamaheswar Ganga near Ukhimath. The pristine Mandakini river is considered to be pious for the Hindus as it is associated with Bhagwat Geeta- a Hindu mythology. Mandakini rivers flow in divinity near KedarnathDham and offer spiritual bliss to numerous devotees.
Itturns violent during the monsoon season causing havoc in the nearby villages. The flash floods in the year 2013 in Kedar valley was caused by this river only. The turbulent waters of this tranquil river offer grade III rapids, a few grades and Grade V rapids that is pretty much ideal for white river rafting and kayaking.
4. Kalimath
Kalimath is a religious place that is nestled on the banks of the river Saraswati in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state. It is located at a good height of 1800m. this place is one of the 108 shakti Peeths in India. Kalimath is lying on the lap of nature and offers a pleasant and divine environment. One can find Goddess Kali temple in Kalimath. As per the mythology after killing the devil Raktbeej, Goddess Kali went underneath the ground at this very place. There is a silver plate that is covering a point where Goddess Kali entered the earth and is thus worshipped by the devotees.
A Kali Mata temple was constructed around the silver plate. This silver plate is never opened except on the eighth day of Navratri when the silver plate is taken out of the temple and only the priest performs puja at midnight. There is a belief that the lower part of the goddess Kali is worshipped in the Kalimath temple and the upper part in Dhari Devi temple near Srinagar. One can find a Lakshmi Mata temple that is located near the Kalimath temple. Kalimath is situated near the route of KedarnathDham.. it is just 20kms from Ukhimath and one can reach Kalimath by taxi from Rudraprayag. Visit this place between Jan to June and September to December.
5. Omkareshwar Peeth
OmkareshwarPeethas the sacred temple and is one of the oldest in Inda. It has the deities of Lord Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar during the winter months. The deities are brought here from Kedarnath after the Diwali festival and from Madhyamaheswaron November end. These deities are taken back in a procession to their original temples in May month.
6. Guptkashi
Guptkashi is located around 13kms from Ukhimath. It is situated on the mountain facing Ukhimath. One can witness the Himalayan peaks from Guptkashi. This stunning place has two ancient temples- Vishwanath temple, devoted to Lord Shiva and Ardhnareshwar temple. Manikarnika is yet another popular destination here in Guptkashi. With itspleasant weather, lush green forests and amazing views of the Chaukhamba range along with its rich past and heritage, the fantabulous Guptkashi is indeed the most beautiful location to spend your holidays. Apart from all the scenic places indulge in trekking that starts from Guptakashi to Hemkund sahib and Valley of flowers.
How to Reach
By Air
The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun located at a distance of around 197kms away from Ukhimath. After reaching the airport one can hire cabs to reach the beautiful Ukhimath
By Train
The nearest railway station is the Haridwar and Rishikesh railway station that is located almost 201kms and 179kms away from Ukhimath respectively. After reaching the railway station one can easily avail cab or board bus till Rudraprayag that is located at a very short distance away from Ukhimath.
By Road
The beautiful Ukhimath is well-connected with numerous places in the state of Uttarakhand and to a few cities of North India via Rudraprayag. One can board buses that are available from Haridwar and Srinagar Garhwal that drops one at Rudrapryaga and from here one can hire a cab to reach Ukhimath.
One can also hire a cab directly from numerous destinations in Uttrakhand state including Haridwar, Rishikesh, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Gaurikund, Srinagar, Gopeshwar and Dehradun to reach Ukhimath.
Best Time To Visit
The aptest time to visit the stunning Ukhimath is in the summer season that is from March to June when the weather is pleasant and one can easily explore the pretty places. The temperature during the summers season ranges from 20 to 36-degree Celcius. One can even visit Ukhimath in the winter season as the village becomes home to the idols of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar.
Visit this place between October to February when the temperature ranges between 15 to 0-degree Celcius. Avoid visiting Ukhimathfrom July to September when the temperature ranges between 27 to 21 degree Celcius. It is advised to check the weather forecast before planning a vacation in Ukhimath in the monsoon.
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