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Nanda Devi Raj Jat: Uttarakhand's twelve-year pilgrimage
The hills walk their goddess-daughter to her husband's home beyond the snows
The Nanda Devi Raj Jat is a walking pilgrimage in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, held about once in twelve years: villages escort the goddess Nanda about 280 km over three weeks, from Nauti near Karnaprayag to the high lake of Homkund, sending her off to her husband's home. The Nauti committee announces the year and programme on Vasant Panchami of the yatra year. The last section climbs above 4,800 m and is a serious Himalayan trek.
The Nauti Raj Jat committee issues the day-by-day programme on Vasant Panchami of the yatra year, expected on 11 February 2027; the Chamoli district administration then plans the route.
The legend
To the hills of Garhwal and Kumaon, the goddess Nanda is their own daughter, the daughter of the Himalayas, married to Shiva on distant Kailash.
Legend says she once came home to her parents and for twelve years could not go back to her husband.
Then she was seen off to her husband's home with honour, with jewellery, clothes and sweets, the way a bride is sent off.
The rains during the procession, it is said, are her tears at leaving her father's house.
Ever since, once every twelve years, the villages of Chamoli see their daughter off again, from Nauti to Homkund.
Meaning
Hill women
Local women believe the mist over Nanda Kot peak is smoke from the goddess's kitchen, and at the send-off they weep as if for their own daughter.
Kansuwa Kunwars
Descendants of the Garhwal kings from Kansuwa village lead the procession, and their hereditary priests, the Nautiyals of Nauti, begin the rites.
Kumaon
Nanda is revered in Kumaon too: at Nandkeshari, groups from Kumaon join the procession with their own sacred umbrellas.
Customs
The ringal umbrella
Nanda's golden image rides on a chhantoli, a sacred umbrella of ringal mountain bamboo, and villages along the way join with their own.
The four-horned ram
At the head walks the chausingya khadu, a four-horned ram, the procession's sacred companion: at night it sleeps by the goddess's image, and at Homkund it goes on alone towards the snows.
Between two homes
Bhagoti is the last halt in Nanda's home country; from Kulsari on, the land is her husband's.
Homkund
At Homkund lake, between the Nanda Ghunti and Trishul peaks, the last rite is held and all the chhantolis are laid in the water.
What people eat
Arsa
a rice and jaggery sweet, given in Garhwal as kaleu
Dahi-bhaat
rice with curd; legend says Parvati was served it at Badhani
Words of the festival
राजजात
Raj Jat
'the royal pilgrimage', led by descendants of the Garhwal kings
ससुराल
sasural
the husband's family home: Kailash, where Nanda is sent
जागर
jagar
'awakening', a drum-led ballad sung to wake the gods
बुग्याल
bugyal
an alpine meadow of Uttarakhand; the procession camps on Bedni Bugyal
kaleu
a gift of food given at Garhwali weddings, and offered to Nanda too
True or myth
❌ Myth. The great procession comes once in twelve years; a smaller yatra each year ends at Bedni Kund.
❌ Myth. Processions set out both from the Nauti side and from Kurur, and meet at Nandkeshari and Wan.
✅ True. Latu is Nanda's adopted brother; the shrine is believed to hold the serpent king with a shining jewel, so the priest covers his eyes, nose and mouth.
Where to celebrate
Nauti
Worth the trip
Every twelve years Chamoli's villages walk the goddess Nanda from Nauti to Homkund, about 280 km over three weeks, sending her off to her husband's home; the next Raj Jat is set for 2027.
The route, from village to snow line
The Raj Jat walks about 280 km in roughly three weeks, with about twenty traditional halts. It is really two journeys: a village procession through the middle hills, and a high-altitude trek at the end.
- Nauti, about 24 km by road from Karnaprayag, is the goddess's maternal village. The procession sets out from its Nanda Devi temple. Its hereditary priests, the Nautiyals, begin the rites, and the Kunwars of nearby Kansuwa, descendants of the Garhwal kings, lead the pilgrimage.
- Through the middle section each village receives the goddess with its own doli (palanquin) and chhantoli (sacred umbrella). At Nandkeshari the processions from Kurur and groups from Kumaon join.
- Wan is the last village, with the temple of Latu Devta. Above it the procession camps on the alpine meadow of Bedni Bugyal.
- The high section crosses Junargali and passes Roopkund to Homkund, climbing above 4,800 m. At Homkund the last rite is held and the four-horned ram goes on alone.
The rhythm of the last full Raj Jat from Nauti, in 2014, is a guide: it left on 18 August and reached Homkund on 3 September, on Nanda Ashtami.
How the dates are set
The Raj Jat comes about once in twelve years, in late August and September, and is timed to reach Homkund on Nanda Ashtami, the eighth lunar day of the bright half of Bhadrapada. The Nauti Raj Jat committee fixes the year and announces it on Vasant Panchami of that year, when the Kunwar of Kansuwa takes the vow at the Nanda Devi temple in Nauti; the day-by-day programme, the din patta, follows. The Chamoli district administration then plans the route.
The cycle is not mechanical. The committee has postponed a planned yatra by a year before, because the high section was expected to be in hail, snow and cold at the auspicious dates and facilities on the uninhabited stretch were not ready. The Kurur temple committee also holds its own Badi Jat, and the two committees have differed over timing. The dates on this page update when the committee announces them; until then, do not book anything non-refundable.
A smaller jat is held every year and ends at Bedni Kund. For the annual Nanda festival in town, see the Nanda Devi Mela in Almora.
Safety on a high Himalayan route
The high section is a serious Himalayan trek, not a walk, and it falls in the monsoon. Official advice from the UK FCDO:
- Hazards when trekking exist all year, especially above 3,000 m: altitude sickness, sudden weather changes including thunderstorms, avalanches and snow drifts, landslides, flooding and rock falls. Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of India.
- Travel in groups, use reputable local guides and stay on established routes.
- Make sure your insurance covers altitudes over 2,400 m and mountain rescue and helicopter costs.
- Expect no phone signal in the mountains. Leave your route and return date with your accommodation.
- The monsoon usually runs from June to November. Rain can bring flash floods and landslides with limited warning and cut off villages. Tremors along the Himalaya can also cause landslides.
The Raj Jat committee itself has cited hail, snow, rain and cold on the high section as a reason to move the dates. Follow the instructions of the committee and the Chamoli district administration on the route. More on health in our health guide.
Joining part of the Raj Jat
Most visitors join a section rather than the whole route. The procession is a religious event: you walk with it, not ahead of it.
- Choose a section
Free to watch: the departure from Nauti, the procession passing through the villages of the middle section, and Wan, where it gathers before the climb to Bedni Bugyal. Only the fit and well prepared should go higher.
- Arrive early
Be in Nauti the day before the procession leaves, a little over two weeks before the Homkund day. Three nights cover the departure; about a week lets you follow part of the route.
- Book months ahead
Book about four months ahead: hotels in Karnaprayag and the few guesthouses near the route go early. Villages along the way put walkers up; above Wan it is camping only.
- Getting there
FAQ
Is the Nanda Devi Raj Jat held every year?
No. The great Raj Jat comes about once in twelve years. A smaller jat is held every year and ends at Bedni Kund.
How many days does the Raj Jat take?
About three weeks to cover roughly 280 km. In 2014 the procession left Nauti on 18 August and reached Homkund on 3 September.
Where does the Raj Jat start and end?
It starts from Nauti village near Karnaprayag in Chamoli district and ends at Homkund, a high lake between the Nanda Ghunti and Trishul peaks, via Wan, Bedni Bugyal and Roopkund.
When is the next Nanda Devi Raj Jat?
The Nauti committee announces the year and programme on Vasant Panchami of the yatra year, and has postponed the yatra before. The dates on this page update when it does.
Do I need to be fit to join?
For the high section, yes: it climbs above 4,800 m and is a serious Himalayan trek. FCDO advises groups, reputable local guides and insurance that covers altitude and mountain rescue.
What is the story behind the Nanda Devi Raj Jat?
In the hills of Garhwal and Kumaon, Nanda is a daughter of the Himalaya married to Shiva on Kailash. Legend says she once stayed with her parents for twelve years, and the villages of Chamoli now see her off to her husband's home once in twelve years.
Sources (6)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.