Sattal

Sattal Lake | Nainital

Sattal is one of the major tourist attractions of Uttarakhand, located in Nainital. In Hindi, the term Sattal means “seven lakes”. The place is so called because it is an interconnected group of seven freshwater lakes, namely ‘Panna or Garud Tal’, ‘Nal-Damyanti Tal‘, ‘Purna Tal’, ‘Sita Tal’, ‘Ram Tal’, ‘Laxman Tal’, and ‘Sukha Tal or Khurdariya’. Sattal Lake is located in the lower range of the Himalayas, just 23 kilometres away from Nainital. At an altitude of approximately 4,000 feet, surrounded by dense oak and pine forests, it boasts of pristine beauty. With most of its flora and fauna left undisturbed, Sattal Lake offers visitors a wonderful rendezvous with nature. Apart from natural serenity, the rugged mountains of Sattal also offer adventure seekers a wide range of opportunities like trekking, biking, abseiling, mountain biking, rock climbing, night-trekking, nature trails, backpacking, angling, kayaking, rafting, river-crossing, jungle safari and night-camping. Boating and fishing can also be enjoyed at Sattal. The unique biodiversity of this lake includes 500 species of natural and migratory birds which makes for amazing bird-watching. This is enhanced by the 525 varieties of butterflies that flutter in the vicinity.

A popular legend holds a lot of faith regarding the origins of the Sattal. Itis believed that King Nala drowned in the water of one of the seven lakes of Sattal with his wife Damayanti, during his fourteen years long exile given by his brother. Hence, the lake came to be known as Nal Damyanti Tal. The names of the other six lakes are Purna Tal, Laxman Tal, Sita Tal (named after the lead characters of Ramayana), Sukha Tal and Garud Tal (named after the phoenix-like creature that carries the chariot of Lord Vishnu).

Sattal can be visited anytime of the year. The weather during summer is alluring and pleasant. One can seek the glorious greenery of the region during monsoon months at Sattal. Sattal is at its picturesque best during monsoon months. It is highly recommended to carry heavy woolens with you if planning a visit to Sattal during winters as the temperature can fall as low as freezing point.

How To Reach Sattal/Sattal Lake :-

Sattal is well connected by trains to nearest destinations Kathgodam from New Delhi and other major cities & connected by motorable roads to nearest destinations Nainital, Bhowali, Haldwani. The State transport buses are also available from Nainital, Bhowali, Haldwani. Private taxi cab fare is anywhere between 700-1200 Rs for one way journey from Kathgodam to Sattal. Sattal is 25 Km from Nainital and 32 KM from Kathgodam