Sunrise at Deoria Tal Lake at 8000 feet

Deoria Tal is a lake at an altitude of 2438 meters or 8000 feet in the Gharwal region of Uttaranchal. I camped here as part of a 5 day trek during which we covered Deoria Tal, Tunganath and Chandrashila. Tunganath is the highest Shiva temple in the world at around 12,000 feet and Chandrashila is a summit above Tunganath at 13000 feet.

The trek from the village of Sari to Deoria Tal takes 2 to 3 hours and is completely uphill via a well paved path. Sari is the last village accessible by road. Deoria Tal offers plenty of camping opportunities.  Locals operate dhabbas during the season, so you are never too far away from food and drink. A two night stay at Deoria Tal will give you a chance to explore the heavily wooded jungles of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. This area is a paradise for bird lovers.

Deoria Tal offers splendid views of the Kedaranath peak and Chaukambha peak. Towards the evening, the waters become still and mirror the beautiful surroundings. It stays this way till the morning. I shot this photograph during a cold winter sunrise. The aforementioned peaks are only partially visible due to cloud cover. Deoria Tal offered an excellent start to the next 3 nights we spent in the jungle.