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Uttarakhand

Hanol (Mahasu Devta)

Ninth century Huna-style stone temple on the Tons river

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Best time to visit Hanol (Mahasu Devta)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: April to May and October to November
  • Shoulder: March, June, September and December, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: July to August

Planning a specific month? AprilMayOctoberNovember

Hanol (Mahasu Devta) season by season

Winter December to February Shoulder

Dec to Feb the Tons gorge runs 2 to 14 C, but the road up from Tyuni stays open and the deodar temple courtyard is yours alone.

Summer March to May Prime time

April and May are the pick: 18 to 28 C, deep deodar shade, the Tons still clear and Jaunsari villages busy with the wheat harvest.

Monsoon June to September Shoulder

July and August cut the Chakrata to Tyuni road with slides for days at a stretch; June and September are green and usually passable.

Autumn October to November Prime time

Oct and Nov put clean light on the wooden village roofs and give the coldest, clearest river of the year, with almost no visitors.

What Hanol (Mahasu Devta) is actually like

One temple guest house, a dharamshala and two tea shops; you eat what the temple kitchen cooks and sleep to the river

Getting to Hanol (Mahasu Devta)

Dehradun to Tyuni by bus 7 h via Chakrata, then 8 km shared jeep to Hanol; the last jeep goes by mid afternoon

Practical ways in: trainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
2 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
1064 m
State
Uttarakhand
Coordinates
30.9708, 77.9277

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Hanol (Mahasu Devta)?

April to May and October to November is peak season in Hanol (Mahasu Devta). March, June, September and December is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid July to August. April and May are the pick: 18 to 28 C, deep deodar shade, the Tons still clear and Jaunsari villages busy with the wheat harvest.

How many days do you need in Hanol (Mahasu Devta)?

2 days is the usual stay. One temple guest house, a dharamshala and two tea shops; you eat what the temple kitchen cooks and sleep to the river.

How do you get to Hanol (Mahasu Devta)?

Dehradun to Tyuni by bus 7 h via Chakrata, then 8 km shared jeep to Hanol; the last jeep goes by mid afternoon. Practical ways in: train and road.

Is Hanol (Mahasu Devta) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.

Is there a festival in Hanol (Mahasu Devta)?

Aug/Sep: Jagra, a night of drums for Mahasu Devta. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.

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