Munsyari also known as “a place of snow” is a hidden gem of Uttrakhand. Being an offbeat place in Uttrakhand and less travelled by tourists, it has retained its beauty with unique flora and fauna. This is an ideal place for all travellers who wish to spend time in the lap of the Himalayas.
At an altitude of 2200 meters, the majestic view makes it ideal for explorers. The view of Panchachuli, Trishul and other Himalayan peaks makes your morning and evening beautiful.
The destination, Munsyari, offers great views indeed, while the majestic views throughout the journey make it even more exceptional. In my view, it is one the best road trips in India. People always praise the exceptional beauty of Ladakh, Spiti Valley and Chitkul. However, after completing the circuit I can certainly say that it offers everything a traveler craves. On our trip, we witnessed snow, terrace farming, snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, water crossings, offroading and small villages.
Below is a detailed brief about each pitstop we took and places that you could stay during your road trip to Munsyari. To know about the pitstop/ places click on the name and read in detail with images.
Brief Itinerary for your road trip to Munsyari
Traveling from Delhi to Munsyari is around 600 km which takes 14 hours. We took two pit stops to have a trip less strained and more centred on covering the major places during the trip. Here is how to plan a long weekend trip to Munsyari from Delhi.
Kasar Devi is a well-renowned place across the world as it is among the only few places in the world that has a Giant Geomagnetic field. Other places with strong magnetic fields are Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, Serbia, Ladakh and the North & South poles.
Apart from the scientific significance of Kasar Devi, spiritually the place has great relevance in the mythology. It is believed that Kasar Mata or the goddess Kasar Devi destroyed the demons here. The temple has a stone that is shaped like the lion’s face which is of the goddess.
In 1890, Swami Vivekananda also meditated here and found himself with great energy which directed him to help humanity.
The place has many homestays and hostels making it the ideal place to spend your first night on the trip. Kasar Devi from Delhi is around an 8-hour drive, which is moderately difficult.
- Golu Devta Temple
Golu Devta mandir in Uttrakhand is another place that you should visit while travelling to Munsyari. It is on the way after Kasar Devi. It is believed that Golu Devta offers justice to all the devotees and in return they offer ghanti (bells) as a thankful gesture to the god.
We visited the Gairar Golu Devta Temple and it was indeed covered with bells across the temple premises. The Golu Devta is also considered as the form of the god Bhairava.
- Baghnath Temple, Bageshwar Dham
Baghnath Temple is famous for its mythological belief in lord Shiva and Parvati. Lord Shiva took the form of a bagh (tiger), while goddess Parvati took the form of a cow to bless Rishi Markadeya who worshipped lord Shiva at this place. After which the temple was named Baghnath Temple.
It is the only ancient temple in the North which is facing the South. Situated at the confluence of rivers Saryu and Gomti. This is a scenic yet spiritual place to add to your itinerary.
- Chaukori Village
After travelling and making stops at the temples, Chaukori is the best place to spend the night as it is one of the places that offer the widest view of the Himalayan range. Chaukori is a small village on the route to Munsyari.
It takes roughly 1-1:30 hours to reach Bagheshwar Dham. With great views from the village, it makes the travellers about what Munsyari will offer.
- Birthi Waterfall
The way to Munsyari is scenic and beautiful from Chaukori Village, but Birthi Waterfall will leave you awestruck with its heavenly beauty that can be seen from miles away.
Birthi Waterfall is the biggest waterfall in Uttarakhand. So do not miss visiting this scenic beauty. To reach the waterfall, you will have to trek a small distance. With one place to rest and eat, you can enjoy Maggi and tea while enjoying the lap of nature.
The best time to visit Birthi Waterfall is during monsoon as the flow of water is at its peak. We visited during winters which is why the water flow was not as expected.
After all the places and pit stops, it is time to reach the final destination, a place of snow: Munsyari.
Congratulations on finally making it to heaven on earth for all travellers. I hope this blog helped map out the place to visit while travelling to Munsyari. If you want to know what places to visit while in Munsyari, then read the next blog about major attractions and places to travel in Munsyari.
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