A  perfect trek for Religious + Nature's Lover in Jaipur

I am here with another exhilarating trek, which starts from Garh Ganesh and ends at Charan Mandir and it passes through the lush green valley of Nahargarh hills. This trek will be one of the best combinations of religious and adventurous treks you can have in Jaipur. 

So if you are a nature lover, and in search of such ravishing and unique treks in and around Jaipur, then this is your next place to visit. I will provide you all the details, trekking routes, and necessary information required for this trekking.

Let's begin with knowing something about Garh Ganesh Temple and Charan Mandir - 

About Garh Ganesh Temple

Garh Ganesh is one of the most famous and historic temples in Jaipur. Situated at the top of Kadamb Dungri, Nahargarh hill, exactly at the North -East corner of the city, the temple overlooks Jaipur city on one side and the Nahargarh Fort on the other side. 

Garh Ganesh is the only temple in India where Lord Ganesh is worshipped in his young avatar which is the human look, also known by the name Purushakriti. That means Ganesh's idol without a Trunk. 

The temple was built by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II, who performed a Yagna called Ashwamedha Yagna before establishing Jaipur city. The temple was constructed and placed in such a manner, with the idea that it will protect and keep auspicious eyes on Jaipur city. 

The temple was built at the top of a hill as a small fort. Fort in Hindi means Garh, hence the name Garh Ganesh was kept as in "Ganesh in the Fort".

Interesting Fact: It is said that the Raja Sawai Jai Singh II used to take a glimpse of Ganesha's idol from his Palace using binoculars every morning.

Gorgeous view of Garh Ganesh Temple from trekking route

About Charan Mandir

Charan Mandir is the ancient Lord Krishna Temple where the footprint of Lord Krisha is worshiped and is very famous in Jaipur. The temple is located close to the Nahargarh Fort. The temple was built long back, even before the establishment of Jaipur city by Mirza Raja Man Singh I in the 16th century. 

It is believed that he was a great devotee of Lord Krisha and Lord Krishna came to his dream and expressed his footprint hidden in the forest of Amer (Ambika forest then). Later, Raja found the footprint in the forest and then constructed this temple.

Mythological Story behind the Charan Mandir

In Shri Bhagwat Gita, the holy book of Hindus, one of the chapters mentions the footprints of Lord Krishna. 

According to the book, the son of Indra God, Sudarshan once made fun of saint Angira and as a result, he was cursed to become a Python.

During Dvapara Yug, Lord Krishna was passing by the forest Ambika along with Nand Baba on his way from Dwarika to Vrindavan. On the way, Nand Baba was caught by the Sudarshan Python due to which he called Krishna for help. After hearing the voice of Nand Baba, Krishna touched the Python with his foot and as a result, Sudarshan became free from the curse after the holy touch of Lord Krishna. 

The sacred foot of Lord Krishna melted the rock and the shape of his foot emerged in that area. That's how the foot of Lord Krishna along with his cows marked permanently in that spot. As a result, the site has become so precious and faithful for the devotees of Lord Krishna.

Beautiful Charan Mandir located in Nahargarh Hills

What are the Trekking Details?

Start Point: The trek starts from Gaitor Ki Chhatriyan, which is located at the base of Garh Ganesh Temple, and from there you need to climb up to Garh Ganesh Temple.

Trek Completion Time: Total trekking time is 2-3 hours (round way).

Distance: Trek is 2-3 kilometers Approx.

Difficulty Level: The trek level is easy.

What is the Trekking Route?

The complete trek can be divided into two parts. The first part is to reach Garh Ganesh Temple and the second part, which is the main trek is from Garh Ganesh Temple to Charan Mandir. 

Trekking route map from Garh Ganesh to Charan Mandir

What is the Route to Reach Garh Ganesh Temple?

The Garh Ganesh Temple is situated at the center of the city. You can reach Gaitor ki Chhatriyan by your vehicle or by using public transport. There is a parking area to park your vehicle at the foot of the hill.

You will find the stairs to reach the top of the hill where the temple is situated. You can use the stairs to reach the top. There are 365 stairs to climb, believing each stair for a day to reach to Ganesha temple.

Another way is to go by trekking following the trails, which cross the exquisite green nature and stunning landscape. 

What is the Trekking route from Garh Ganesh to Charan Mandir?

You will find the temple in the left direction of the trail. But to start the trek to Charan Mandir, you need to keep walking straight through the same trail.

The trekking trails are clear with very gorgeous green surroundings. Keep walking for around half an hour and you will find a divergent, one going in the right direction and one going straight.

Keep walking straight and you will reach a location where one side is bordered by the metal net. Keep following the trail straight along with the net.

You will finally reach the Doordarshan Office. After crossing this office you will easily find the main road. Your destination, the Charan Mandir, will be just in front of you once you cross the main road.

Captured trek route path on our enroute to Charan Mandir from Garh Ganesh Temple

What is the Best Time to trek from Garh Ganesh to Charan Mandir?

You can plan this trek throughout the year. This is an all-season trek but try to plan in the early morning so that you can enjoy it the most.

Monsoon Season: The best time to enjoy this trek to the fullest is the monsoon season. The complete trekking trails would be covered with stunning green vegetation, the climate would be fantastic and the surroundings will be just marvelous. You will definitely enjoy this trek during the monsoon season.

Winter Season: Winter season is also a great time to plan this trek. If you start in the early morning, you can witness the fog and dew everywhere while trekking up the hill, offering the most beautiful view. 

Summer Season: You can plan this trek in the summer season as well, provided you must start in the early morning. As summer in Jaipur is incredibly hot and you may not enjoy the trek.

My Experience of Garh Ganesh to Charan Mandir Trek

Both Garh Ganesh and Charan Mandir Temples are extremely famous in Jaipur hence, I was quite eager to plan this trek to get a religious vibe in my series of trekking. I and my brother decided to go on this trek on one of the weekends.

So as planned, we started in the early morning from our home at around 5 and reached Gaitor ki Chatriyan, the base point of Garh Ganesh temple around 5.45. We parked our car in the parking area and surprisingly there were many visitors and trekkers already. 

Trek starting point where one can park their vehicle in front of Gaitore ki Chhatriyan

We started climbing up the stairs. After climbing around 50 stairs we found a divergence from where there were two options to reach the temple. One option is by climbing the stairs and the second option is the trekking route which we opted for, as the trails were beautiful and full of greenery.

We started our trekking to reach Garh Ganesh temple. The route was so stunning, the trail was full of vegetation and greenery everywhere. While climbing up the trail, we witnessed the remarkable beauty of Gaitore ki Chhatriyan. I was so impressed and engraved by catching such scenery. 

Gaitore ki Chhatariyan looks spectacular from the top of Garh Ganesh Temple

We walked straight and crossed the steep ascent, and finally reached the Garh Ganesh temple, which is in the left direction of the trekking path. There were many visitors, even families, and trekking groups already in and near the temple.

We took a pause for some time there and clicked some photographs. Although photography is not allowed inside the Garh Ganesh temple, we took pictures from outside and proceed further in our trek to Charan Mandir.

Captured the beautiful view of Jal Mahal peeking out from the bushes from trek view point

We followed the same trekking route and continue our trekking from that point. The routes were quite clear and easier as compared to other treks that I did earlier in Jaipur. We kept walking for around half an hour and reached a spot where there was a divergent path, we kept walking straight instead of turning anywhere and found the iron net hooked on one side of the land. We kept walking along with the iron net and reached the Doordarshan office center.

From there, we walked straight and got to the main road. Once we crossed the main road we found Charan Mandir straight in front of us.

We entered the Charan Mandir and spent some time there. The temple was crowded as it was a weekend. After spending some time, we started our return journey and reached back to our starting point.

The trek was beautiful and very lively. I enjoyed the trails and the beauty along my way. My overall experience was awesome. In simple words, I can say that the trek was simple and beautiful. Even you can plan with your family. I will be planning this trek again with my family.

Key Points to Keep in Mind