Chandak Hill

A forested hill about 7 km from town at an altitude of around 2,000 metres, Chandak offers some of the best accessible Himalayan viewpoints around Pithoragarh. The summit has a temple dedicated to Chandak Devi and a wide clearing from which the Panchachuli peaks — five snow summits that local legend identifies with the five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata — are visible on clear mornings. A paved road goes most of the way up; the final stretch is a short walk.

The forests around Chandak are good for birdwatching — pheasants, barbets, and various Himalayan finches are common. Rhododendrons bloom here in March and April, making the hillside red and pink before the summer heat arrives. A popular spot for local picnics on weekends.

things to do sight
A story
Chandak is considered sacred because of the Chandak Devi temple at the summit, dedicated to a form of the goddess Durga. Local tradition holds that pilgrims who climb here before sunrise on auspicious days receive the goddess's blessings — and on a clear winter morning, the views of Panchachuli and Nanda Devi from the summit are genuinely as magnificent as any divine vision.