Taimersain Mahadev is a Shiva cave temple located in the remote reaches of Niti valley at a distance of 91.5 kms from the nearest town of Joshimath. The first 90 kms is motorable up to the Nanda devi temple of Niti and from here one has to hike 1.5 kms to the Shiva cave temple.This temple gets flocked with devotees during the holy month of Shravan. This cave temple is also known as the “Amarnath” of Uttarakhand. During the winter months natural ice huge shiva lingam gets formed inside the cave resembling the ice lingam formed at Amarnath Shrine of J&k. This ice Lingam can be witnessed here from mid december to mid April. For rest of the year a natural stone lingam inside the cave is worshipped on which water from the ceiling of the cave falls in a constant rhythm. This cave deity is the revered deity of the people of Niti.
The nearest airport is in Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 291.7 kilometers (180 miles) away from joshimath, and the nearest railway station is in Rishikesh, 254.7 kilometers (159 miles) away from joshimath
Most part of the journey from Joshimath to Niti, we follow the river Dhauliganga. There are many settlements all along the route. The travellers halt at Tapovan hot water springs and take some pics. The next popular settlement enroute is Raini, a small settlement famous for its Raini Devi temple. In nav-ratras this temple is flocked with devotees. Its a beautiful temple on the banks of river Dhauliganga, at a distance of 800 mts downhill from motorable road.
The pleasant journey continues and gets more enchanting with the views of deodar forests, snow covered himalayan peaks, land forms and the meandering rapid waters of Dhauliganga. Crossing some hamlets and seasonal settlements we arrive at the Dronagiri peak view point alongside the highway. Great views of peaks, the lazy stretch of the river and clearly visible highway to a couple of kms spell a charm on your minds.
After travelling a few kms , we diverge from the highway and reach Jehlum also known as the fragrance valley. The air here is filled with a sweet fragrance which I personally think is from a green shrub found in abundance here. The folks use this shrub in incense making. Besides the great views of himalayan peaks, this tiny hamlet is famous for its royal delicious apple orchards and some rare edible herbs that are grown on rooftops here. yes, the roofs are filled with earth and used for growing these rare herbs.
We return to catch the highway and move towards Malari. Malari an old settlement in niti valley 60 kms from Joshimath. Though it has lost its old charm, the village has seen glorious days when the trade with Tibet was at its peak .. Its said that traders from this settlement had beautiful houses in Lahsa in those days. Malari is famous for its old lovely stone houses and the sacred Maa Heera Mani temple. Don’t forget to take with you a handful of earth from a quarry near the temple as this earth is used in many religious ceremonies and pujas in India.
From here we follow the road the road that leads us to Niti. The journey ahead passes through deodar forests , rapid streams and breath taking landscapes. Our next stop will be Bampa, a settlement perched on a hill top. Besides its great scenic views , the place is famous for its Panch Faila Naag temple. Few kms ahead is Damphudhar, the hill where Independence day is celebrated by this valley. Independence day witnessed here is once in a life time experience. Next comes Gamshali, a beautiful settlement. we will do some sight seeing here. The restricted inner line starts here. After verifying our permit and documents at check post we move to Niti village which is 5 kms from here. A four kms we halt for visit to the Nanda devi Temple. The 1.5 kms hike to Taimersain Mahadev Cave ( also known as Amarnath of Garhwal) starts from here. The phrase “pin drop silence ‘ makes sense here.
