Mukteshwar, a surreal beauty of Kumaoni District, Uttrakhand is the best place to explore on the weekend. Those resides in Delhi-NCR, can plan a trip to Mukteshwar during weekends, as the distance from Delhi is approximately 350 kms.
Mukteshwar is situated at a height of 7500 feet, the weather is almost cool with greenery, you may face dry waterfalls in summer. I will advice you to explore the small villages which is not attraction point, but the real beauty of Mukteshwar are the villages and their people.
Places to Visit in Mukteshwar
Reserve Forest
Let’s begin the journey to Mukteshwar by crossing the Reserve Forest, where you are not allowed to stop vehicles for safety reasons. I would advice to make a video of your journey at reserve forest, rather than clicking photographs. There is a check post at entry and exit point, where you have to register yourself. The check posts are made to know how much time people spent in the Reserve Forest.
The reserve forest is covered by pine and deodar trees with narrow roads. During your journey to Mukteshwar’s Reserve Forest, you will release we are in the zone of nature and animals, and to explore this permission is necessary. Respect Nature…..
Mukteshwar Temple
If you are coming from your own vehicle, parking is available at Temple. From Parking Gate, there is a walk of 300 meters towards the temple. In hilly areas, walking is bit difficult, it will take around 20 minutes’ walk. Visit temple in the morning, take a walk to temple and seek divine blessings of Lord Shiva. While on your visit, you will find canteens for refreshment.
When you enter the temple gate, you will find 3 temples of Mukteshwari Devi, Lord Hanuman and Mukteshwar Mahadev Mandir. The temple is situated in between the forest and from here the view of kumaoni hills are mazing. The temple is so peaceful, you can spend sometimes here.
Chauli ki Jali/Suicide point
Our next destination is Chauli ki Jali which is also known as Suicide Point is near to the temple, which means in a walking distance. After darshan you can taste organic Pahadi fruits which are delicious and healthy. At Mukteshwar plump, peach, apricots, pears and lemon, though we can’t eat it, but the size of Pahadi lemon is so big and looks different from normal lemons.
There is big stone, like a cliff where you can take photographs, but be careful as the ditch are too deep. There are various ancient stories and beliefs related to Chauli ki Jali, like when Lord Shiva was going with the Baratis to marry Devi Parvati, there was no way for Baba Gorakhnath, so with the help of his Chimta (utensil) he makes the hole. The other one is if any women face difficulty in conceiving, if she crosses the hole in Mahashivratri, then she will be blessed with child. It is also believed that there are lots of fossils beneath Chauli ki Jali, in the form of rock elephants, birds etc.
Things to do in Mukteshwar, Chauli ki Jali
- Ropeway
- Zip Line
- The Ropes installed and removed on daily basis for safety reasons.
Bhalugad Waterfall
The next destination is Bhaludag Waterfall which is situated in the middle of dense forest. As I said at the beginning of blog post, if you are planning a trip in summers, then you may not enjoy the view of waterfall. But locals utilized this place very well by installing cafes, and vibrant arrangements.
To reach the waterfall, you have to trek for 900 meters and the price ticket of Bhalugad Waterfall is only Rs.30/-. The timings of Bhalugad Waterfall are 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. After enjoying the activities below, you can easily spend 1 to 2 hours at Mukteshwar’s Bhalugad Waterdall.
Things to do in Mukteshwar, Bhalugad Waterfall
- Zipline which cost Rs. 400/- per person
- Camping amid Pine trees
- Rope climbing
- Pond: The waterfall create a pond where you can enjoying the swimming by wearing life jacket which cost Rs. 100/- per person (Rental). The pond is deep down to 40 meters.
Explore Mukteshwar Village
The real beauty of Uttrakhand’s Mukteshwar are the villagers and the beauty of village. While on return from waterfall, there is small village with the name of Sundkya Dadima, 14kms away from Mukteshwar and enroute to Dhara Resort.
The village gives beautiful views of Kumaoni Hills, gardens of plum, peach, apricot, apple, lemons, and dry fruits. The people of this village were very kind and if you ask them for a tour, they are happy to take around. They grow kidney beans also, and once they grow fully, they serve it to lord – Kuldevi/Kuldevta. They had grown Marijuana too, and the process was very difficult.
Mukteshwar Weather
If you want to witness snowfall, then October to February is the best season to explore Mukteshwar. In the end of December, the weather of Mukteshwar is too cold and you may experience heavy snowfall.
The best season to explore Mukteshwar is in summer from March to June, the weather is pleasant, clear sky and cold in night. You can enjoy the Monsoon also, but Mukteshwar is prone to landslides, so it would be better to avoid.
Resort/Hotel at Mukteshwar, Uttrakhand
Resorts are good with beautiful views, you can book Dhara Resort which gives you 360-degree view, and you can get a beautiful view of sunrise and sunset from your cottage. The cottages are prepared in a distance, so you can get personal space.
If you are planning a trip with family or friends, then try the family suite of resort which is amazing. The rooms are spacious with a huge washroom. The best part of family suites is you can enjoy stargazing from your room, the roofs are designed in luxurious manner.
How to Reach Mukteshwar
- By Air: There are two airports which share equivalent distance to Mukteshwar, Pantnagar and Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun. Taxis are available for Mukteshwar.
- By Train: Kathgodam Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Mukteshwar which is connected to the major cities, like Delhi, Lucknow and others. The taxis and buses are available for Mukteshwar.
- By Road: The distance from the nearest major cities are mentioned below, you can take volvo buses or can easily commute with your own vehicle. If you are plying with buses from Delhi, then it takes around 8hrs. to reach Mukteshwar. If you are planning from your own vehicle then take NH 24, NH 87 and State Highway to Bhaowali and then via Ramgarh you will reach Mukteshwar.
Distance from Delhi to Mukteshwar: 353 km.
Distance from Nanital to Mukteshwar: 51 km.
Final Thought
In this blog post I have tried to explain the beauty of Mukteshwar and shared a planned trip. You could explore through this blog post, if I missed any place, then I would be happy to get more information.
Pack your back and explore the unexplored places with Hema……………
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