Tungnath Temple, Uttarakhand

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Honouring Shiva. Maha Shivaratri

Today is Maha Shivaratri, a festival marked by fasting, meditation and an all-night vigil in honour of Lord Shiva. Celebrated between February and March, it falls on the fourteenth night of the waning moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna. But what makes this festival truly special? It marks the union of Shiva and Parvati and the powerful Tandava dance performed by Shiva. What would be a better place to experience the divine presence of Shiva than Tungnath, featured here? One of the highest Shiva temples in the world, Tungnath is perched high in the Himalayas at 3,680 metres. This sacred site, in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, is the loftiest of the five Panch Kedar temples, and sits just below the majestic Chandrashila peak.