The Birthplace of Ganesh

(Text below written by Usha Alexander in May 06. For more pictures click here.)

 

 

Dodi Tal, considered the birthplace of Lord Ganesh, is a lake in Garhwal, western Uttaranchal. We hiked 44 km in 3 days, going up and down from about 5,000 ft to 11,000 ft, where we camped near the lake. Unfortunately, it was drizzly or overcast the whole time, so we couldn't view the snowy peaks all around. Still, the walk was incredibly beautiful, through the luminously green, high mountain woodlands of the early rainy-season, the cliffs punctuated by streams of clear water gushing from the rocks, with breathtaking drops falling away on one side of the path.

 

We had asked for two people to accompany us: a guide/cook and a porter, but when they turned up on the first morning, there were five of them! It seemed like overkill for only the two of us, but they all had large packs stuffed with provisions for our trip and we figured we couldn't turn any of them away, denying them their day's wages [Rs 225/$5]. So, we hiked up with an entourage of five men—a bit silly, but we had fun; and, as it turned out, their knowledge and assistance was invaluable to us lowlanders. The cook made hot breakfast and dinner each day; lunch was cobbled together in sporadic and makeshift chai stalls; one night they cooked a local wild veggie that tasted like asparagus.

  

They were all friendly, kind men, aged 15 to 55, all refugees/illegal workers who had crossed the border from Nepal years ago. All but the kid were incredibly competent guides with years of experience leading trekkers through the perilous high Himalayas for their livelihood (the kid was on summer vacation, working for the summer with his dad so he could earn some money to finish his education in Nepal; a sharp kid from a dirt poor family, he dreams of being a doctor; this was his first time trekking). The men told us all kinds of chilling stories of glacier crossings with tourists, of deaths they had witnessed, of people trapped in crevasses, frozen in icy waters. eesh! And they themselves can rarely afford anything but the shoddiest of equipment, footwear, and woolens, risking their lives much more than the tourists. Fortunately, we weren't crossing any glaciers. Instead, we walked through tiny little mountain villages; lower down, they grow wheat; higher up, they are shepherds, living in very basic wooden and piled-stone houses.

 

We met Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest (1984) and something of an Indian cultural icon; she just happened to be staying at the same campground as us that day, leading a group of young men on a trek arranged annually by the TATA Adventure Foundation, where she works (she said she was happy with her job and her employer, who had created a whole new department for her to lead). She seemed like a very sweet and gentle woman, also a native Garhwali who grew up in a village not far from here.

 

The people of Garhwal are an interesting ethnic blend. They speak Garhwali, closely related to Hindi (Nepali is a dialect of Garhwali); their religion is Hinduism. In appearance, they cover the map, ranging from light-skinned, brown haired (I even saw a couple of redheads), with European features (Eastern Europeans, in particular) to light-skinned, brown-haired, with more Tibetan/ East Asian features, to "red" skinned, to brown-skinned, and black haired, with or without varying degrees of the epicanthic fold. And all these different looks, that in the US might pass for different "races," were intermixed as the same people, in the same communities. We saw a demonstration of traditional Garhwali folk dance and I was surprised to see that it was nearly identical to Eastern European folk dance, and distinctly different from folk dance styles from other parts of India. It made me wonder about the population migrations and mixtures across the region in the centuries past. But so far, I haven't found anything informative on the subject.

 

(See more pictures from this trek. Read more by Usha Alexander: City of Joy?)

Comments

[Bill]

I read your article well, I'd like to say that that this article is very interesting.
Bill from New York, my site is http://mysitehere.atspace.com/

[Chandra Mohan Nautiyal]

Interesting. I am a Garhwali myself though lived in plains. The residents of Garhwal came from all over India, especially when it became too hot for them during a moghal emperor's time. So it's not surprising that they appear to be a mix of populations.

I plan to visit these lakes next month in April- 2009 and will later share notes. Meanwhile, I shall appreciate tips.

(Dr.) CM Nautiyal

[Ganesan]

Hi , I'm from singapore and i'm interested in this place . Could you please give more infos about this place , perhaps how to get there , the nearest airport and so on .we are a group of Vinayaga devotees , definately we would plan to come to this place .thank u .

[Chandra Mohan Nautiyal]

I visited nachiketa Tal and Mardunga Taal in Uttarkashi distt. of Garhwal area (Uttarakhand)in Aprilfor sediment sample collection. The area is beautiful, even in April though Sep- October would be the best period.

The route will be like this:
1. N Delhi- Rishikesh- Uttarkashi ( about 5 + 6 = 11 hrs by road)
2. Uttarkashi- Chowrangi Khal (Drive for 29 kms)
3. Chowrangi Khal to Nachiketa Lake tracking for about 4 kms

For Mardunga/ Saat Taal

1. Upto Uttarkashi, the same route. Then
2. Uttarkashi- Bhatwari- Harsil- Dharali (about 7 hrs by road)
3. About 3-4 kms trekking to the lakes

The nearest airport for going to Uttarkashi is DEHRADUN. There are 2 Kingfisher flights from Delhi to Dehra Dun(costing about Rs. 6 K each way )From there one can drive to Uttarkashi via Rishikesh which will take about 7 hrs.

A number for local guidance in Uttarkashi: Mr. V Jagudi: 09412077688, Mr. Utish: 09897301683. Mr. Jagudi is a hotelier and son of a very famous poet while Mr. Utish is a professionally in arranging trekking tours.

(Dr) CM Nautiyal

cmnautiyal@yahoo.co.uk

[Tushar]

Interesting. I trekked up to Dodital myself in June 2008. The locals had come up to the lake to celebrate Ganga Dussera. According to local legend the spirits of ancient warriors come down from heaven on this day and transmigrate into human beings....Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, and many of the pandavas and Kauravas.

The locals believe that by going upto the lake they can take the souls of these great warriors into themselves. They then clutch weapons in their hands and act like they are possessed, running, feigning, emoting, theatrics and many more delightful things. Even the women are 'possessed'.

It is a chance for women to shed their inhibitions in public for a day in what is a conservative society. This practice by women of using cultural motifs to upend rigid social norms in public spaces is something I have encountered in other parts of India (Tamil Nadu for instance, Hazrat Nizammudin's dargah in Delhi where Muslim women go into a sufi like trance). The cultural context is different in each case, but the result is the same.

Sometimes it is a wild eyed woman leading a pack of cheering men into what is obviously the culmination of a possession ritual (Tamil Nadu), or it is women dancing and acting out rehearsed roles in a gentle way, (Dodital).

Tushar Dhara
Hyderbad