Table of Contents

Introduction

The Nanda Devi Badi Jat or Raj Jat is a famous three-week-long pilgrimage and cultural festival of Uttarakhand, India. It is often called the “Himalayan Mahakumbh” and is traditionally organised once every 12 years in Chamoli district.

At the heart of this pilgrimage is a simple but deeply emotional idea—the departure of a daughter from her maternal home as in Hindu culture.

The journey represents Goddess Nanda Devi, regarded as the daughter of the Himalayas, leaving her maternal home (Mait) and returning to her husband’s home (Sauraas) at Mount Kailash.

The pilgrimage begins simultaneously from two different places—Kurud (Nandanagar) and Kansuwa (Chandpur). The two routes come together at Nandakeshari and Wan, after which the pilgrimage continues towards Homkund through Bedni Bugyal, Junargali and Roopkund.

The name of the pilgrimage is not completely uniform. In 2026, the Nanda Devi Siddhapeeth Kurud temple committee used the name Nanda Ki Badi Jat for its proposed pilgrimage, while the Nanda Raj Jat Committee at Nauti continued to use the name Nanda Devi Raj Jat.

The Emotional Meaning Behind the Raj Jat

A Daughter Leaving Her Maternal Home

Marriage is an important ritual in every culture and religion. It marks the coming together of two people through different customs and sacred traditions.

In many traditional cultures, a woman leaves her maternal home after marriage and becomes part of her husband’s household. This departure carries a deep emotional meaning.

The Nanda Devi Raj Jat turns this familiar human experience into a large pilgrimage through the high Himalayas.

The journey of Nanda Devi reflects the emotions connected with a daughter leaving her parents’ home and travelling to her husband’s home.

Leaving Home and the Cycle of Life

For centuries, leaving one’s childhood home has carried a strong emotional meaning. A person leaves behind familiar places, memories and family connections and begins a new chapter of life.

In the mountains, this idea can also be seen in modern life. Today, both men and women often have to leave their villages for jobs, education and economic survival. Families may become separated as people move towards the plains and other places.

Although the reasons may change, the emotional experience of leaving home remains.

This movement also becomes part of the cycle of life, where people move away so that families, traditions and future generations can continue.

The Sacred Story of Goddess Nanda

Nanda Devi and Her Maternal Home

In the Central Himalayas, this human emotion is reflected in the story of Goddess Nanda.

According to local tradition, Goddess Nanda was the daughter of Himalayan King Himwant and Queen Maina Devi. For the people of the mountains, she is not seen as a distant goddess. She is regarded as a daughter and a sister.

Her journey to her maternal home, or Mait, is celebrated with the same happiness and sadness that people feel when a daughter returns to her parents’ home and later has to leave again.

Nanda Devi and Lord Shiva

Goddess Nanda was married to Lord Shiva at the sacred Trijuginarayan Temple in Chamoli district, Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

After her marriage, she went with Lord Shiva to Mount Kailash, her husband’s home or Sauraas.

According to the story, twelve years passed before Nanda could visit her parents. Missing her maternal home, she expressed her wish to Shiva.

Shiva allowed her to return to the valleys and meet her family. After spending some time with them, however, the time came for her to return to the high mountains of Kailash.

Why the Journey Takes Place Every Twelve Years

The Raj Jat represents Nanda Devi’s journey back to her husband’s home after spending time at her maternal home.

This twelve-year cycle is connected with the tradition of holding the grand Raj Jat once every twelve years.

For the people of the region, the pilgrimage is a way to welcome, honour and care for Nanda Devi as their beloved daughter before finally giving her farewell.

Spiritual and Theological Origins

The worship of Nanda Devi is deeply connected with ancient Vedic and Puranic literature.

Connection to Durga Saptashati

Nanda Devi is identified with the supreme goddess mentioned in the Devi Mahatmya, also known as the Durga Saptashati.

In the Murti Rahasya section of the text, Nanda is described as the foundational energy of the universe.

It is believed that Goddess Nanda was born in the house of Nanda Baba, the foster father of Krishna, as the daughter of Yashoda. She is believed to have served as the power that helped in the destruction of the demon Kansa.

In Uttarakhand, this connection is celebrated through the Raj Jat, where Nanda Devi is treated as a beloved daughter of the mountain land returning to the peaks of Kailash.

The Royal History Behind the Raj Jat

King Shalipal and Chandpur Garhi

The historical foundations of the modern pilgrimage are linked to King Shalipal of Chandpur Garhi and are described as going back to the 7th century.

Chandpur Garhi was one of the important and powerful fortresses (garhs) of ancient Chamoli.

Later, the 37th ruler, King Ajay Pal, brought the region together and moved his capital to Devalgarh.

After this, the royal responsibilities connected with the pilgrimage were redistributed. King Ajay Pal gave his younger brother, a royal prince or Kunwar, the responsibility of preserving and continuing this sacred pilgrimage tradition.

The Kunwars of Kansuwa

The descendants of the younger prince later settled in Kansuwa village.

Since then, generations of the Kunwar family have continued the responsibilities given to their ancestors. They formed a dedicated committee to oversee the organisation and execution of the yatra.

Royal Gurus and the Organisation of the Yatra

The Nautiyal Priests

The Nautiyal Brahmins of Nauti village are the hereditary Rajpurohits (Royal Priests) and Kul-Gurus (family preceptors) of the Kunwars of Kansuwa, who are the royal descendants.

The Gaur Brahmins of Kurur are the priests of Goddess Nanda Devi at the Sidhpeeth of Goddess Nanda in Kurur.

Shri Yantra at Nauti

The pilgrimage officially begins at Nauti because King Kanak Pal established the sacred Shri Yantra of the Goddess there in the 9th century.

The Nautiyals are the permanent custodians of this Yantra and are responsible for the rituals needed to begin the three-week journey.

Deciding the Date of the Yatra

The exact auspicious date for beginning the pilgrimage is decided during Basant Panchami in the designated year.

The date is selected by carefully matching the astrological charts (kundali) of the head of the Kunwar family with the divine alignment of Goddess Nanda Devi.

Managing the Procession

Along with the royal family, the Kunwar of Kansuwa leads the twelve chief Brahmin families, known as Barathogi-Baman, and fourteen Sayanas.

The Sayanas manage the religious schedule and the order of the hundreds of dolis (palanquins) that take part in the procession.

The Chausingha Khadu

The Four-Horned Ram

An important part of the Raj Jat is the birth of a unique four-horned ram, locally known as the Chausingha Khadu, in or around the villages near Nauti.

According to local belief, the birth of this unusual animal is a divine sign that the time for the sacred pilgrimage has arrived.

The Symbol of Lord Shiva

Local belief considers the four-horned ram to be an earthly form of Lord Shiva.

According to this belief, Shiva appears in the valley in this form to accompany Nanda Devi on her journey back to the high mountains of Kailash.

Shri Nanda Devi Sidhpeeth Kurur

Maa Nanda Sidhpeeth Kurur

Maa Nanda Sidhpeeth Kurur, located in Nandanagar, Chamoli, is one of the major shrines of Goddess Nanda in the Himalayan region.

The shrine is located in Kurur Village, where Maa Nanda is believed to have appeared in the form of a Swayambhu Shilamurti.

The Gaur Brahmins are the chief priests of this shrine.

How to Reach Kurur

To reach the shrine, one has to travel from Nanda Nagar (Ghat), which is about 30 kilometres from Nandprayag on NH 07.

From Nanda Nagar Ghat, Kurud village is approximately 10 kilometres further along Ramni Road.

Kurud and the Beginning of the Procession

The Badijaat or Rajjat begins at the same time from two different places.

From one side, the doli of Maa Nanda Badhaan, Dasholi, Band and Laata Nanda leaves from Kurur and Laata Village.

From the other side, the Raaj Chatoli leaves from Kansuwa.

The two processions later come together at Nandakeshari and Wan.

Chhoti Jat and Badi Jat

The Kurud tradition makes a distinction between the annual Chhoti Jat, also called Lok Jat, and the larger Badi Jat.

The Badi Jat is traditionally connected with a twelve-year cycle.

Nanda Ki Badi Jat or Ghenti Jat in 2026

In 2026, representatives and devotees connected with Siddhpeeth Kurud formed a committee to organise a Nanda Devi Badi Jat.

The organisers said that the pilgrimage would formally begin from the Kurud temple. They used the name Nanda Ki Badi Jat or Ghenti Jat to distinguish it from the Nauti-based Nanda Devi Raj Jat tradition.

This difference became a subject of discussion in 2026, when the Kurud committee and other regional committees had different views about the organisation and timing of Nanda Devi pilgrimages.

Maa Nanda Devi of Laata

The Goddess of Lata Village

Maa Nanda Devi is the presiding deity of Lata Village in the Joshimath region of Chamoli district.

She is regarded as the daughter of the Himalayas and the soul of the Nanda Raj Jaat.

Maa Nanda Devi is regarded as a form of Goddess Parvati and is worshipped in the sacred village of Lata.

The temple is situated among the snow-covered peaks of Nanda Devi National Park.

Two Temples of Nanda Devi

There are two temples dedicated to Mata Nanda Devi in Lata.

During summer, the Goddess stays in the upper temple.

During winter, she is worshipped in the temple located in the centre of the village.

The 280-Kilometre Sacred Journey

From Nauti to Kulsari

The Nanda Devi Raj Jat covers approximately 280 kilometres on foot.

It is a difficult journey, with the altitude changing from around 4,000 feet to 17,500 feet at the highest passes.

The journey passes through a chain of important villages:

Nauti → Ida Badhani → Kansuwa → Chandpur Garhi → Sem → Koti → Kulsari

From Kulsari to Wan

From Kulsari, the procession continues through:

Tharali → Nand Kesari → Faldiya → Mundoli → Lohajang → Wan.

In Kansuwa, the royal history of the pilgrimage can be seen in the local temple, which is housed directly within the traditional residence of the royal descendants.

The complete journey takes around 19 to 20 days to reach its final destination.

The journey must be carefully planned so that the procession reaches Kulsari on the night of the new moon (Amavasya). The midnight prayers are connected with this lunar phase, making the position of the moon an important part of the journey’s timing.

The Journey Beyond Wan

Wan: The Last Human Settlement

Wan village is an important point in the journey.

It is the last human settlement on the trail. Beyond Wan, the landscape becomes part of the core Himalayan wilderness.

After observations during the 2014 pilgrimage, ecologists and regional authorities recommended strict restrictions on the number of people travelling beyond this point.

The aim was to protect the fragile alpine meadows from excessive human activity. Only people directly involved in the core rituals and those managing the sacred ram are encouraged to enter the deeper wilderness.

The Route to Roopkund and Homkund

From Wan to Roopkund

After Wan, the trail continues through the high Himalayan landscape.

The procession passes through Bedni Bugyal, Patar Nachoniya and Bagwabasa before reaching Roopkund.

Roopkund is widely known as “Skeleton Lake” because of the ancient human remains found preserved in its icy depths.

The area also highlights the fragile nature of the Himalayan environment and the effects that excessive human activity can have on these high-altitude areas.

From Roopkund to Homkund

The final part of the journey follows the route:

Wan → Bedni Bugyal → Roopkund → Homkund

Homkund is the final destination of the pilgrimage.

The Final Vidai at Homkund

The Last Farewell

At Homkund, surrounded by high and icy mountain peaks, the final Vidai, or farewell, takes place.

The four-horned Khadu, which has led the procession from Nauti, is freed from the offerings it has carried.

At Homkund, the ram is set free.

According to regional belief, the animal then leaves human company and travels towards the peaks of Kailash as the companion of Lord Shiva.

It can also be seen simply as the moment when the animal returns to the natural high-altitude wilderness and finds its own place there.

Special Traditions of Maa Nanda Devi

Several special traditions are followed during the worship of Maa Nanda Devi.

Ritual Traditions

• The priest covers his face with a cloth during the rituals.
• The general public is not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha).
• During worship, the Goddess is associated with a sword (khadga), symbolising the removal of negative forces.
• In the past, a tradition involving 64 animal sacrifices was followed, but this practice has now been discontinued.

The Goddess continues to be worshipped as one who accepts the prayers of devotees offered with sincere faith and devotion.

It is also believed that the idol of Mata Nanda looks so lifelike that devotees feel as if the Goddess herself is communicating with them.

The Meaning of the Nanda Devi Raj Jat

The Nanda Devi Raj Jat is more than a long journey through the mountains. It brings together faith, family, royal traditions, village customs and the emotional bond between a daughter and her home.

The pilgrimage begins in the inhabited valleys and slowly moves towards the high Himalayan wilderness.

At the end, Nanda Devi is given her final farewell at Homkund.

The valleys become quiet again, the pilgrims return to their homes, and the region begins another long wait for the return of its beloved daughter.

After another twelve years, the journey begins once again.

This combined version keeps the historical, spiritual, emotional, royal, route and Kurud/Laata information from both documents, but presents it in much simpler English and removes unnecessary repetition.

Understanding Uttarakhand

At Uttarakhandpedia, our aim is to showcase Uttarakhand beyond its popular tourist destinations. We want to share the state’s history, culture, traditions, spirituality, food, people, and the landscapes that make it unique, while bringing lesser-known stories and places to a wider audience. Through Uttarakhandpedia, we hope to help people discover, understand, and appreciate the many layers of Uttarakhand and its rich Himalayan heritage.

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Watch: Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra