Dodi Tal - Hanuman Chatti Trekking

High up in the mountains is the Dodi tal lake- mysterious, alluring, and simply beautiful ! The serene, tranquil surroundings, gurgling streams, crystal clear water, and dense alpine forests make for an ideal retreat. The trek from Dodital to Yamnotri takes you through high altitude grasslands and dense virgin forests. The scenery en-route is really astounding !

The trek for Dodi Tal commences from Uttarkashi or Kalyani, which can be approached by motor. Kalyani to Agoda is a gradual climb through woods, fields and villages along. a mule track. The trek from Agoda to Dodi Tal is steep and through thick forests. Dodital is a high altitude lake at a height of 3307 mts/10847 ft. Situated amidst pine forests with the backdrop of Darwa Bugyal, a high altitude meadow; Dodital has a serene effect on the mind and body. Dodital gets its name from Dodi, the local name for trout, which are found in large numbers in the lake. Like most of the high altitude Tals, Dodital also has a legend associated with it.

Rajaji National Park is named after the great C. Rajagopalachari who was popularly known as Rajaji. He served as a prominent leader of the Freedom Struggle. This great freedom fighter was also the second and last Governor-General of independent India.

Tourist Season at Rajaji National Park starts from 15th November and ends by the 15th of June. Spending your vacations here would be great as the facilities available here are tailor made for every kind of traveler. Several hotels and lodges are there for your stay. You can eat out at the Chilla Tourist Lodge that offers best of Dining facilities. Other facilities near the park include Banks at Dehradun and Medical facilities available at Haridwar and Dehradun.

Rajaji National Park is popular for its big-name wild animal species like Asian Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Indian Hare, Sloth Bear, Goral, Indian langur, Civets, Indian Porcupine, Monitor lizard, Python, Himalayan yellow throated marten, Himalayan Black Bear, Nilgai, King Cobra, Jackal Barking Deer, Sambhar, Wild boar, Common Krait, Indian Cobra and Rhesus macaque.

This National Park is also known for housing beautiful avian species that counts over three hundred in number. This wide diversity in the species is due to the open grassland location of the Rajaji Park. Some of the birds worth watching here include White-naped Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Black-bellied Tern, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Greater Scaup, Great Pied Hornbill, Himalayan Pied Kingfisher, fire tailed sunbird, Northern Goshawk, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Scaly Thrush, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rusty-flanked Tree-creeper, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Black-necked Stork, Tytler's Leaf Warbler, Reed Bunting, and Green Avadavat. Migratory birds from far west add to the number of the already found species.

The flora or the vegetation of the Rajaji Park stands spectacular and donate towards the eco-sysytem of the park. Several of the great plant species are found here. Some species to name are Terminalia, Shorea, Mallotus, Phoebe, Drypetes, Dalbergia, Acacia, Adina, Bridelia, Syzygium, and many more!

Thickly covered by the Sal Forest, the main forest types of Rajaji National Park include Western Gangetic Moist, Northern dry Deciduous and Khair-Sissoo forests. Savannah Woodlands cover the drier southern borders of the park. It is also very interesting to know that the reason behind the fertile landscapes of the reserve is the flow of River Ganga through the park. The river flow stretches around 24 km and contributes towards the greenery of the park. Nature lovers will find the captivating landscape and wildlife of the Rajaji Park to be tempting and irresistible.