Tungnath

Temple and sacred site (tirtha) in the
Garhwal region of the Himalayas in the
valley between the Mandakini and the
Alakananda Rivers, fourteen miles by
footpath north of the village of
Ukhimath. The temple’s presiding deity
is the god Shiva in his manifestation
as the “Lofty Lord.” Tungnath is one of
the Panchkedar, a network of five
sacred sites spread throughout the
Garhwal region; the other four are
Kedarnath, Kalpeshvar, Rudranath,
and Madmaheshvar. This network of
five sites is seen as a symbolic representation of Shiva’s body, understandably
so, since Shiva is believed to dwell in the
Himalayas. Of these five, Tungnath is
believed to be Shiva’s arm.