A line from the field “When a pahadi says "thoda sa hi toh chalna hai," be ready for a full trek.”
Now that I have been living in Himachal, most often people ask me, “You must be travelling a lot and doing treks and things like that?” And my humble answer to that is no. I don’t like trekking. I only go to places where there’s road to the top. Park my bike and just enjoy the view. More often than not, my choice of spending my weekend depends on how much I will have to walk after parking my vehicle.
This time, the destination was Tunga Mata Temple, a small temple about 10 kms away from Parashar Temple. Having local companions meant that they knew the route and also how much time it would take. We thought we would leave early in the morning, about 7, but we could only start by 8. We left by 8 and were told that we would reach by 12, after a short 25–30 min hike.
Trust me when I say, don’t believe the distances that we pahadi’s tell you. A short 25 min hike means a full 2 hour trek. Take my word for it. To our surprise, this wasn’t just a 25 min or even a 2 hour trek. After starting our hike at around 11:00 am we reached the temple at 2. Yes, we walked for about 3 hours, and that too with small breaks in between. It took about 3 hours for us to reach there.
The obvious thing was that the views were worth the hike. It was on top of the mountain, as we started moving above. On the right we could see the Beas river, around the Takoli toll barriers, which was constantly visible almost through the whole trek. As we moved up we could see other peaks in the distance covered with snow. It was a trek through the jungle. It was a great place to be at.
At the end we reached Tunga Mata, and a few things were not allowed here. One thing that came as a surprise was chawal and daal – yes, you are not allowed to take these here. After visiting the temple, we sat down for a small lunch outside the temple premises.
There was water available here and thus we filled up our bottles and started heading back. On the way there were also boudies where water was available and also small boudies made in the rocks on the way to the temple, which was something I had not noticed before.
The temple was again another open-roof temple, similar to Shikari Devi temple. A lot of crows also came to the temple gates as we moved back from it. It was worth the view. In the morning it was said that a sheep was slowly sacrificed for the deity which was then served to all the people present in the village. This was again something that was associated with it.
It took about an hour for us to get down.
Since we came from Kullu, the road from Panarsa took about half an hour to do this 24 kilometers till Pub where we parked our bikes, but the locals also said that the road was also ahead from where the trek distance could be reduced. The road condition was not good, it was still under construction, only the last 1 km is good road.
While heading back, I almost slipped my bike but was fortunate not to fall over. It just skied for a few seconds but then the balance was taken over.
Overall the trek was really nice but just a lot tiring. If you are a beginner, this is a moderate trek for you, but if you are a seasoned trekker this won’t be a big problem to you. Apart from this, it’s also believed that the Mata does fulfill your wishes, so if you got anything, better have her blessings. The temple is a small complex, around which there are also other grah of the devi. The nearest village is also a little far from there.
From here, you can also see the Consolidation peak and other peaks covered in snow. Right next to the place, the Prashar top is visible which can again be seen from here.
The forest is full of deodar and pine trees. There are other small shrubs also which are good to see. But once you start walking, keep a stick in your hand. While coming down, the steepness might just take up your knees. In any case, the place is full of forest, and you will feel at times to stop but just keep walking to reach the top.
On one side are visible the mountains of Parvati and on the other side you can see the mountains of Sainjh-Banjar.
So yeah, overall, it was a tiring but beautiful experience. I may not be a trek lover, but sometimes these unplanned and underestimated trails end up becoming memorable. Tunga Mata Temple was one of those places. Quiet, peaceful, and worth the effort. If you ever plan to visit, just remember, when a pahadi says “thoda sa hi toh chalna hai,” be ready for a full trek. But in the end, the views and the vibe make it all worth it.
