the road to the highest temple on Earth

I left Rishikesh alone on a rented motorbike with one destination: Tungnath - the highest Shiva temple in the world, sitting at 3,680 meters in the Indian Himalayas.

What was supposed to be a simple three-day ride turned into something I didn't expect. Snowy mountain passes, cliff-edge roads with no guardrails, a tiny village called Chopta where the road ends... and then a climb on foot to a temple that's been standing for over a thousand years - all in summer shoes.

At the top, I sat down and meditated - and for the first time, I understood why Shiva matters to me. This is the story of that ride.

This is Part 2 of my India travel series. Part 1 (Rishikesh) is in the Playlist "Adventures".
Part 3: temples of southern India - is coming soon.

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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Cold open
0:28 Leaving Rishikesh on a motorbike
1:56 The road opens up
2:47 Flat tire in the middle of nowhere
5:14 Why riding a motorbike feels like freedom
6:06 Halfway there — lunch stop
6:30 Arriving in Chopta (no electricity, no heat)
8:10 Day 2: hiking to the temple
9:44 Reaching the highest Shiva temple in the world
10:03 Stopped by snow in summer shoes
10:30 Why I care about Shiva (personal story)
13:02 Coming back down
14:04 Offered drugs three times on a mountain
14:21 Last evening in the Himalayas
14:40 What the Himalayas taught me
15:08 What's next: temples of southern India

🎬 ABOUT THIS VIDEO:
After spending a week in Rishikesh, I rented a motorbike and rode solo into the Himalayas — three days through some of the most intense mountain roads I've ever seen. The destination was the village Chopta and Tungnath, a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at 3,680 meters above sea level, believed to be the highest Shiva temple on the planet and over 1,000 years old.

The ride itself was an experience — narrow roads carved into cliffs, snow appearing out of nowhere, trucks passing inches away. But the real moment came on day two, when I hiked up to the temple and sat alone with the mountains around me.

In this video, I share why I've become drawn to Shiva and Hindu philosophy, what meditation means to me in a place like this, and what happens when you strip away all distractions and just sit with yourself at 3,680 meters.

I'm Tom — a meditation teacher with 15+ years of practice, currently based in Bali. My teaching is rooted in Kashmir Shaivism and non-dualistic tantra. I believe meditation isn't about escaping life — it's about preparing for it. This solo ride into the Himalayas was part of that practice.

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🏷️ TAGS / KEYWORDS
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Видео the road to the highest temple on Earth канала Ether Tom