Moila Top / Moila Bugyal is a high meadow near Chakrata, usually reached by a trek from Lokhandi. The top opens into a wide grassland ringed by deodar and oak forest, with views of rolling hills and distant snowy peaks. In summer it’s a green carpet with wildflowers; in winter it often wears a clean snow layer, making it popular for easy snow trekking and camping. Just below the meadow lie the Budher Caves, a long limestone cave system with narrow passages and stalactite–stalagmite formations, adding adventure to the scenic bugyal.
About this place
History & highlights
Moila Top and Budher Caves sit inside the traditional territory of the Jaunsar–Bawar people, where high meadows are used as summer pastures for village herds. For generations shepherds and woodcutters knew the cave as a deep, mysterious hole; local legends say the Pandavas dug these caves while wandering in the Himalayas, which is why many people also call them “Pandav Gufa”. There is no archaeological proof, but the story is strong in oral tradition. Modern geology explains them as natural limestone caves shaped over thousands of years by water. As tourism around Chakrata grew, guides began taking visitors to Moila Top for day treks and overnight camps, turning a once purely pastoral landscape into a shared space of grazing, myth and trekking tourism.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Click “Write a Review” above to share your experience.