Kanatal, located at an altitude of 2600 meters, was once home to a lake, which dried up over time. This is the reason why it is called “Kanatal”. Its main attraction is the Kauriya Forest. When you go from Dhanolti to Chamba via Kaddukhal, there is a place called Kanatal on the way. These three places are located in the same mountain range of the Central Himalayas. There used to be a lake in Kanatal in the past. But with time this lake dried up. That is why it was named Kanatal. Now a settlement can be seen here. Situated at an altitude of about 2600 meters, this place is famous for the Kauriya Forest found here.
The forest department has developed an eco park here under ecotourism. In which many trails i.e. nature trails have been made. But the most special thing here is the jungle safari. Probably there is no jungle safari like Corbett or Rajaji Tiger Reserve in our hilly areas. Because the geographical structure here is different. The mountain ranges of the Greater Himalayas and the views of sunrise and sunset are the most beautiful scenes here. Mountain ranges like Himachal, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Tungnath, Badrinath and Nanda Devi etc. appear flat at 180 degrees from here. That is why the then king of Tehri also called Kauria Forest as the umbrella of the Himalayas. Even before independence, the kings of the then Tehri princely state built a path through the dense forests of Kauria to travel from the capital Tehri to Mussoorie-Dehradun and the forest department started jungle safari on this path.
In Uttarakhand, usually the road traffic goes through the pine forests. Due to which outsiders are not able to get acquainted with the mixed forests of oak. In this jungle safari of about 16 km, you will get a chance to come face to face with the real botanical diversity of the mountain. Three types of forests are found here – deodar forests, mixed forests like oak, moru, rhododendron, ayanar, bhamor, khagsi, creepers etc. and pine forests. On the other hand, a rich variety of moss, ferns and lichens etc. can be seen on trees, plants and rocks. The branches of the huge deodar trees are eager to get sunlight in the direction of the slope. On the ground, small herbaceous plants are spread. Which have spread greenery all around in these forests.
Most of the footpaths and cycle trails go through these deodar forests only. The mixed forests are so dense that not even a single ray of the sun can reach the ground. Similar density is seen in the rain forests of Annamalai Tiger Reserve and Silent Valley National Park located in the Western Ghats of South India. Here you will find sky-touching oak trees and also huge rhododendron trees. It is said that during the spring season, the rhododendron spreads its redness all around. The beauty of nature is also reflected in the songs of folk singer Narendra Singh Negi.
When he says, ‘Banj ayanru ka bon, phulyu buransh kanu, haari sari ma biloj laal pariyun ho janu’, that is, while personifying nature, he says that the rhododendron has bloomed in the forests of Banj and Ayanr in such a way as if nature has worn a red rhododendron blouse in a green sari. Many animals and birds are found here. While walking on the road, you will easily see quails here and your idiom ‘chasing a wild quail’ will also come true. The climate is quite cold. And in such a cold climate, the presence of a cobra snake was also seen here some time ago.
There are many sources of water here which supply water to the wildlife and 15-20 villages situated in the valley below and the remaining water is poured into the Bhagirathi river by these forests. Nowadays, during the rainy season, there is a lot of moisture here and there is heavy snowfall in the months of January-February.
In the middle of the forest, one can experience the chirping and beautiful songs of the birds, the supernatural beauty and peace of nature. And this sentence of John Moore also comes true that, ‘And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.’