Deep blue mystery

Nestled in the oak woods near Nainital is Naukuchiyatal. Legend has it that if you spot its nine corners, you go on to become a millionaire. But, says RANJIT LAL, it has other attractions ...

THE name means "nine-cornered lake", and guess what? According to legend, if you can tick off all the nine corners of this 175 feet deep lake, nestling in the Kumaon hills, you will go on to become a millionaire. (So much for cramming in general knowledge for "KBC".) Even if you cannot spot all its nine corners, it does not matter because the lake itself is considered to be auspicious as the Pandavas are supposed to have bathed in it.

And sure, for swimming and bathing, (no soap please.) the lake, just 26 km from Nainital, is beautifully laid out, surrounded by thickly forested hills that leave its waters glinting a deep emerald. For those who like to keep their feet firmly on the ground, there is much to be discovered in these oak wooded forests. They quiver and teem with bird life - 135 species of birds and 12 of animals have been recorded - and for the nature lover, it is a paradise waiting to be explored. You can just walk in the woods and right around the lake itself. If you are downright lazy, you can spend your day angling (after having got a permit) for mahseer and silver carp. You can go boating on the lake: either being rowed by a boatman, or paddling yourself in brightly coloured swan shaped pedal boats.

If you are adventurous, you can go paragliding - riding in tandem with an experienced pilot who will ensure that you do not land in the lake. Flights up to 10 minutes in duration will cost Rs. 650, so you had better stop screaming and make the most of the view once you are aloft. Paragliding has in fact, become Naukuchiyatal's big selling point though naturally, there is a limit to the number of flights you can take at that rate.

So, keep the big thrill for last perhaps and enjoy the other perks on offer. This is a great place to get an introduction to the loony birds of the hills, for instance. The dawn chorus at Naukuchiyatal can sometimes sound like a madhouse gone truly ballistic. The great barbets will mewl and shriek right across the range of hills and mountains; gangs of white throated laughing thrushes emit blood-curdling shrieks and cackles that make you think more in terms of packs of malevolent werewolves than of birds, and if the blue whistling thrush has a family, it will warn all comers with harsh and grating calls. But yes, if you visit at the beginning of the breeding season, before the monsoons, you probably will hear these crazy-spirited birds of the mountains at their mellifluous best.

It is a little difficult and frustrating to spot the birds in the shadowy green canopy of the forest, and the sensible thing to do is to sit quietly on the lawns of your hotel or guest-house and watch the comings and goings of the birds. Better still, find a tree or bush that is heavy with drupes or berries (or flowers) and be entertained by the mobs of wild-eyed black bulbuls and jungle mynas engaging in feeding frenzies.

Naukuchiyatal is also well located as a base for excursions to the nearby hill stations. Nainital is just 26 km away, but frankly, to be avoided like the plague. The 65 km drive to Ranikhet is far more picturesque as is the hill station itself. Almora too is 65 km from Naukuchiyatal.

At just 1,350 metres above sea level, Naukuchiyatal does not impart that champagne authentic hill station feel. Even so, the clouds may still come a-visiting and woollens are required between September and March. Accommodation is available at the Lake Resort (phone: 0592-47183/4) and the Tourist Rest House, Lake Side run by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (phone: 0592- 47061). From Delhi, the 320 km journey by road, via Hapur, Moradabad, Rampur, Bilaspur, Rudrapur, Ranibagh and Bhimtal, takes around seven hours. There are direct trains from Old Delhi, Calcutta, Agra and Lucknow to Kathgodam which is just 20 km from Naukuchiyatal.

Of late, Naukuchiyatal has been gaining in popularity, so if you do plan a visit, the time to do so is as soon as possible. Hopefully this quiet and peaceful lake and its surroundings will not be ruined by unbridled and rampant tourism, which has been the fate of so many beautiful places in the mountains.

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