“Beware, my dear child! This Lake belongs to me, and you
shall not touch the water before you answer my questions”, said the Yaksha.
Looking out of my bus window, I could see the dim evening sky
giving way to the subdued glow of the moon. Once again, I was headed to the
mountains and this time, to a place which has its mention in one of the ancient
Hindu epics, Mahabharata. Deoria Taal, which means ‘The Lake of Gods’, is an alpine
lake sitting snug between the two ridges deeper in the heights of Garhwal
Himalaya region of Uttarakhand. Perched at an altitude of approximately 9,000
ft. above sea level, the lake is primarily fed by rain water during summer and
melting ice during throughout winter. I had been planning to trek to this lake
for long time, partially because of the folklores woven around it and partially
because of the majestic landscape the trek bestows upon you.
The Trek
Trek to the lake starts from a sleepy hamlet called ‘Saari’
in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. An easy gradient trek, the 3 kms
long trail to the lake winds up through the Rhododendron forest, which in full
bloom, is covered with red and pink flowers, full of nectar and medicinal
value. The initial steep ascend takes you on top of a ridge which imparts the
grand view of the Saari village and the lesser peaks of Garhwal Himalaya. A lot
of people attempt this lake as a part of the Tungnath temple-Chandrashila peak
trek circuit. They take a road trip till Saari, trek to the lake and descend
back the same day and head to Chopta, the base camp for Tungnath temple trek
which is only 14 kms away. If one has
enough time, a beautiful two day jungle trek from Deoria Taal to Tungnath-Chandrashila
peak can be attempted. The trail leads you to Chandrashila peak via Jhandidhar,
Martauli Bugyal and Tungnath temple.
Once you reach the lake, breathtaking view of the mighty
peaks of greater Himalaya welcomes you. On a clear day, one can see the
Chaukhamba, Janhukot, Mandani, Yeonbuk,
Kharchakund, Kedarnath, Kedar Dome and other peaks of the Garhwal Himalaya. If
you are lucky and if the light is right, the mirror image of the above
mentioned peaks on the lake’s surface is something that would forever be etched
in your memories. The beautiful meadow by the lake serves as a great campsite.
Since the lake falls within the boundaries of Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary,
there is a Forest department post by the lake, where you can pay a small amount
of money in order to pitch your tent in the area. Littering and lighting fire
is strictly prohibited around the lake and a forest ranger is always present at
the post to make sure that the rules and regulations are observed by the locals
and tourists alike.
The Legend
of Deoria Taal
It is believed that during the 12th year of their exile,
the Pandavas, while chasing an antler in the forest became thirsty. When the
youngest of the brothers, Nakula set out to look for water, he came across a
beautiful crystal clear lake. Right when he was about to touch the water, he
heard a voice of warning from a Yaksha to not drink the lake water because it
belonged to him. Yakshas are mythical creatures, who are nature spirits and
caretakers of the Earth’s natural treasures. He said Nakula will have to answer
his questions if he wants to drink the water from the lake. Ignoring him,
Nakula drank the water and fell dead instantaneously. And like this, one by one
all the Pandavas died, even the brave Arjuna and mighty Bhima did, but not
Yudhisthira. Finally, when he was able to answer all the questions by the
Yaksha, he promised to bring only one of his brothers back to life. When
Yudhisthira asked for the resurrection of Nakula, brother from his step mother
Madri. Yaksha impressed with his wisdom and sense of dharma, gave back lives to
all his brothers.
How to
reach
The total distance to Saari village from Delhi is
approximately 425 kms. If travelling by public transport, one can take a bus to
Rudraprayag from Rishikesh and a shared jeep/bus further till Ukhimath or Saari
Village. The availability of public transport after Ukhimath till Saari village
greatly depends on the weather condition and time of the day. Alternatively,
taxis or jeeps are always available at Ukhimath.
Attractions
on the way to and around Deoria Taal
Devprayag: Enroute to Saari village, one can visit the holy confluence of rivers Bhagirathi
and Alaknanda at Devprayag. It is here that these two rivers meet and form the
river Ganga.
Rudraprayag: After
Devprayag, the next confluence is that of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini at
Rudraprayag. There is a temple right at the confluence, which was greatly
damaged during the great flood during 2013.
Chopta: Also called
the mini-Switzerland of India, this place turns into white heaven during winter
and is a big tourist attraction during summer. ‘The red mountains of Chopta’ is
what I call the phenomenon when the mountain forests are full of red and pink Rhododenron
flowers during spring. The Dalkhudi meadow here serves as the campsite for
Tungnath temple-Chandrashila peak trek.
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