Kanatal: The lost one-eyed Lake

Quick Facts

State: Uttrakhand
District: Tehri Garhwal
Language: Garhwali, Hindi
Best Season To Visit: Throughout the year
Summer Temperature: 25-38°C
Winter Temperature: 01-15°C
Altitude: 8497 ft

The scenic town of Kanatal is located in the state of Uttrakhand at an altitude of 1814m. Being situated amongst the mountains and rivers makes it a beautiful and a quiet destination. As it is not much popular among tourists it has a low population and dense forest. For those who wish to spend a few days away from the crowd can find solace here. 

If we break the name 'Kanatal' it literally means Kana: One-eyed and Tal: Lake, therefore One-Eyed Lake. According to the locals a few decades ago there was a lake named Kanatal. But now since the lake has dried up nobody knows where it was situated exactly. 

Kanatal is mainly for those who wish to go camping. There are not many hotels and camp service is also provided by a limited people. It serves as a perfect weekend getaway. The dense forest of Kodia Jungle surrounds the town just a kilometer away, here you can spot natural springs also.

It was the month of June and me and my family made a plan to visit a not-so-popular place this time. Hailing from the state of Uttrakhand it took less time for us to decide where we need to go. 

Enroute to Kanatal

My Journey started from Jolly Grant, Dehradun Airport. There are two routes to reach Kanatal. One being through Mussoorie and the other one is via Rishikesh. Since we wanted to avoid the crowd of Mussoorie where most of the people we chose to take the other one.

 The start was smooth from there to Rishikesh. The road from Jolly Grant to Rishikesh is surrounded with forest on each side. And the curvy road sets the mood perfectly. The road to Kanatal was in good shape and the weather was bearable. With each altitude, the weather was becoming pleasant. 

On the way, we visited the Kunjapuri Temple. The temple is famous for sunrise and sunset.  It is located at the top of a hill with an altitude of 1676m. Being just 15 km away from Rishikesh. Here one has to climb an endless number of stairs to reach the top hill where the temple is. On reaching the top I realized it was worth all the struggle.

I got a mesmerizing view from the Himalayan peak. Here you can shoot photographs along with enjoying the surrounding beauty.

After taking a short breakfast break at Narendra Nagar we were good to go to our ultimate destination.

Kanatal is a small town with less population amongst the forest a destination which has no markets and less population. From here we could get a view of the beautiful valley. You can spot a few Eco camps and even fewer hotels. We had not booked any camp and were lucky enough to find one as most people had booked online. So my advice would be to book beforehand.

If your frame of mind is to get away from the maddening city crowd this is the place for you, my friend. 

Camps were well equipped and included a three-time meal.  So after refreshing and placing my bags in the camps, I went out of the camp to take a view of the surroundings and boy it was amazing.

It was lunch time and we were served with a variety of food. 
The camps did not have any fans which took me by surprise. But as the sun went down the breeze got cooler with each passing minute, all my doubts had gone.

As the sun went down it was pitch dark all around me with just the camp lights. I had to cover myself with a shawl as there was what we can call 'gulabi-thand'. Arrangements for a bonfire were also there. After snacks and dinner, I sat near the bonfire to keep myself from cold. And the night went singing and dancing under the starry sky. 

Next morning we went for a hike in the woods which were lush green with deodar trees all around. An eerie calmness surrounded the forest. Here I filled my lungs with as much oxygen as I could. As far as my eyes could go I could see the color green. 

While sitting under the trees, watching the freshly blossomed flowers, and inhaling the thick scented air. I realized at this moment I was at total peace. And this was the highlight of my journey. 

  Check out my other travelogue: Journey To Udaipur - The City Of Lakes  

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