Shrikhand Mahadev is a Hindu pilgrimage site in

Kullu Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, considered to be an abode of

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and his consort

Goddess Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...

. It is considered to be one of the toughest treks in India. The 75 feet

Shivalingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...

at the top of the mountain is at a height of 18,570 feet. Lord ShivaShankara

There are various spots that pilgrims take before reaching Jaon, some of them include (in decreasing order of their distance from the peak),

Shimla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...

, Nirmand, Jaon. It is a 32 km (from one side) trek from base village Jaon to the Shrikhand top which is approximately 18,570 ft above the

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. From Jaon the journey begins, and after 3 km of walking reaches Singhaad, the first Base camp where

Langar Langar may refer to: Community eating *Langar (Sikhism) * Langar (Sufism) Places Afghanistan *Langar, Badakhshan, Afghanistan * Langar, Bamyan, Afghanistan * Langar, Faryab, Afghanistan * Langar, Herat, Afghanistan * Langar, Wardak, Afghanis ...

(free meal for the pilgrims) is available alongside some paid food services. After that there is a 12 km straight uphill stretch to Thaachru, also known as 'Dandi-Dhaar' (roughly translating to Stick-Height), because of the stretch being a very steep slope with an

elevation angle In mathematics, a spherical coordinate system is a coordinate system for three-dimensional space where the position of a point is specified by three numbers: the ''radial distance'' of that point from a fixed origin, its ''polar angle'' measu ...

of approximately 70 degrees. One gets to see lush green Deodar trees and streams while heading towards Thaachru. After the long 15 km trek, there is a recommended halt with tent lodging in Thaachru. Thaachru is another base camp, surrounded by lush green Deodar trees and streams, where meals and tents are available. The journey begins with a 3 km uphill trek to Kali Ghati, which is supposed to be abode of the Goddess

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

. The Shiva-Linga can be seen from this point, given the weather is clear. From Kali Ghati, there is a 1 km downhill stretch towards Bheem Talai. Departing from Bheem Talai, there is a 3 km stretch to Kunsa Valley, a green valley with Himalayan flowers surrounding it. After another 3 km stretch from here, there is the next base camp, Bheem Dawaar, having all the usual services. Just 2 km ahead is another base camp,

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...

Bagh (Parvati's garden), supposedly a garden planted by Hindu Goddess Parvati. The garden has flowers like Brahma Kamal, also known as ''

Saussurea obvallata ''Saussurea obvallata'' is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae. It is native to the Alpine meadows of the Himalayas, in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and southwest China at altitudes of 3,700 to 4,600 m. Description ''Saussurea obval ...

,'' which supposedly was used by the Hindu deity

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

to plant an elephant's head on

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...

, the god of New Beginnings. 2 km from there, is the next spot ''Nain Saravor (''meaning'', Eye's Lake''), and revered to be a

holy lake Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, spring (hydrosphere), springs, Water reservoir, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with t ...

, and numerous people reporting physical healing of old diseases, and impairments after dipping in the lake. After this, is the final stretch of approximately 3 km to the peak, through rocky terrains, to the peak, where the lingam is situated. The peak, alongside having

's lingam also has a mountain for Lord Kartikeya, behind the main Shiva mountain.

References

{{Commons category, Shrikhand Mahadev Mountains of Himachal Pradesh Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Geography of Kullu district