Overview
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 Yamunotri takes you through high-altitude grasslands and dense virgin forests. The scenery en route is astounding! The trek for Dodi Tal commences from
Dodital TrekUttarkashi or Kalyani, which can be approached by the 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 meters/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.
The Legend, another name for this lake is Dhundital. Dhundital means Ganesh – ka – tal. In Sanskrit, Dhundi is synonymous with Lord Ganesha. There is a temple that is devoted to lord Ganesha. The legend has it that Ganesha selected this place as his abode. The story goes that this is the place where Ganesha was born. Shiva is known to keep away from home for extended periods and it is during one of these long periods of absence that Ganesha was born. One day Parvati, Ganesha’s mother, was having a bath in the lake. She had instructed Ganesha to guard the entrance to the lake. Just then Shiva returned from one of his long trips and was stopped by Ganesha. Enraged, Shiva cut off Ganesha’s head. When Parvati came to know about this, she was livid and demanded that Shiva restore Ganesha’s life. In the interest of domestic harmony, Shiva set out in search of Ganesha’s head. The first animal that Shiva came across was an elephant and Shiva restored Ganesha’s life by replacing his head with an elephant’s head. A book in the Dhundiraj temple relates this tale in English!