Lakes in Himachal Pradesh

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These lakes are arranged in district wise way for your convenience.

Table of Contents

Kangra District

Name of the lake	Altitude	Additional Information
Dal Lake	1775 m	another name – Bhagsunag lake, fair on the day ‘Radhashtami‘, Temple dedicated to “Lord Driveshwar“
Kareri Lake	3048 m	the water of this falls into Layun river
Machhiyal Lake		Rishi Machhinder lived here
Pong Lake		formed in 1960 after the construction of Pong Dam

Lakes of Kangra District

Dal Lake

Altitude – 1775 m
Also known as ‘Bhagsunag Lake‘.
Located 11 kilometers from Dharamshala.
There is also a temple dedicated to ‘Lord Driveshwar‘ constructed by sage Agastya.
The fair of ‘Radhashtami‘ held after 15 days of Janmashtami.

Kareri Lake

Altitude – 1810 m
Green grassland, oak, and pine trees surrounded the Lake.
The water of the lake falls to the Layun river.

Machhiyal Lake (Kangra district)

This Lake is a great attraction to the people of a religious bent of mind.
It is situated 2 km from Nagrota Bagwan.
Two temples – Maa Santoshi Mandir and the ancient temple of Machhinder Mahadev are located near this lake.
According to the tradition, Rishi Machhinder lived here and practiced penance for a very long time.
As a reminder of Machhinder Rishi, the temple of Machhinder Mahadev was built.
The lake has hundreds of fish of different sizes.
The fish of the lakes are worshipped.

Pong Lake

It is located between Dehra and Pong dam.
A dam was constructed on the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh in 1960.
Length of the Lake – 42 km.
The dam emerged as a huge reservoir known as Pong lake. In 1983, it was declared a sanctuary.
The reservoir displaced 95 villages.
This lake is the only place after ‘Bharatpur'(RJ) where rare necked grebe has been found.
Every year roughly 30 to 50 thousand migratory birds of 54 species visit the lake.
This lake has a single permanent island.
Depending on the time of the year, the area of the water body varies from 18,000 to 30,000 hectares.

Chamba District

Name of the lake	Altitude	Additional Information
Ghadasaru Lake	3505 m	Temple of Kali on its bank
Khajjiar Lake	1951 m	Khajjiar is known as ‘Mini Switzerland’.
Lama Dal Lake	3962 m	The largest lake of all seven lakes
Manimahesh Lake	3950 m	most sacred lake in the Chamba district
Mahakali Lake	3657 m	this lake is dedicated to Goddess Kali
Chanderkup Lake	3450 m	this lake is known for floating ice blocks
Chamera lake		Hydro-Electric Project of 540 MW capacity

Lakes of Chamba District

Ghadasaru Lake

Altitude – 3505 m
The circumference of the lake is nearly 1 km.
On the bank of the lake, there is a temple of Kali temple.
Local people visit this lake to offer prayer at Kali temple.

Khajjiar Lake

Altitude – 1951 m
This lake is 1.5 km in length and 1 km in diameter.
This lake is a small lake known as Kund, which forms the focus of the attention of Khajjiar.
The temple nearby lake is devoted to Khajjiar Nag.
This place is also known as Mini Switzerland.
It is Swiss Envoy Willy P. Blazer who named this place “Mini Switzerland” on 7th July 1992.
This distance between Swiss Capital Berne and Khajjiar is 6194 km indicated by a signboard.
Khajjiar is a 160th tourist place in the world to be known as mini Switzerland.

Lama Dal Lake

Altitude – 3962 m
This lake is a group of seven lakes, Lama dal lake is the largest of all lakes.
The depth of this lake is unknown.
This lake is about 2 sq km in area.
On Janmashtami, the local Gaddi tribals visit the lake to offer prayers.

Manimahesh Lake

Altitude – 3950 m
This lake is the most sacred lake in the Chamba district.
According to the tradition, Goddess Kali blessed this lake and also protected by Lord Shiva.
In the month of August or September, a fair is held every year at the lake.

Mahakali Lake

Altitude – 3657 m
This lake is a little vast than Khajjiar and Manimahesh lake.
This lake is dedicated to Goddess Kali.

Chanderkup Lake

Altitude – 3450 m
This lake lies in the upper regions of Chamba.
Ice blocks keep floating in the lake during the summer season.
This lake is mostly covered by snow throughout the year.

Chamera lake

It is an artificial lake.
This lake is formed after the construction of the Chamera hydroelectric project on the Ravi river near the village Chamera in the Chamba district. The capacity of this project is 540 MW.
Bhalie temple is nearby this lake.

Mandi District

Name of the lake	Altitude	Additional Information
Kumarwah Lake	3150 m	People offered gold and silver ornaments here.
Rewalsar Lake	1360 m	important pilgrimage place for Hindu, Sikhs, and Buddhists.
Kunt- Bhayog Lake	1700 m	situated at the hilltop of Rewalsar town.
Kalasar Lake	1755 m	situated at the hilltop of Rewalsar town.
Sukhsar Lake	1760 m	situated at the hilltop of Rewalsar town.
Machhiyal Lake	850 m	sacred lake to local villages
Prashar Lake	2743 m	A Pagoda style temple of Rishi Prashar
Pandoh Lake		an artificial lake on the Beas river.

Lakes of Mandi District

Kumarwah Lake

Altitude – 3150 m
This lake is situated in Chachiyot tehsil of Mandi district.
A fair is held there every here.
The gold and silver offerings collected at a temple nearby are thrown in this lake.

Rewalsar Lake

Altitude – 1360 m
Rewalsar town is an important pilgrimage place for Hindu, Sikhs, and Buddhists.
Rewalsar lake is also famous for its floating island.
According to the legend, Princess Mandarva, the daughter of king ‘Arshadhara‘ of ‘Zahor‘ (name of Mandi in Tibetian). Princess Mandarva is of religious nature and bows to a Buddhist scholar – “Shantarakshita“(brother of Padmasambhava).
Later, Padmasambhava showed in person to give her instructions.
A rumor was spread by a cowherd. On the king’s order, the princess was put in a deep hole in the earth and Padmasambhava was tied to a wooden pyre – set on fire. One week later, it is said that the place had turned into a lake with Lotus in the center.
Later King offered him his kingdom and Mandarva was married to him.
This lake is also associated with Nag faith.
According to Hindu believe, ‘Lomas Rishi’ held his mortification in devotion to Lord Shiva.
For Sikh – Gurudwara in commemoration of Guru Govind Singh’s visit to this place.

Kunt Bhayog Lake

Altitude – 1700 m
This lake is situated at the hilltop of Rewalsar town.
The depth of this lake is 12 to 15 m at the center.

Kalasar Lake

Altitude – 1755 m
This lake is also situated at the hilltop of Rewalsar town.
In winter, this lake experiences snowfall.

Sukhsar Lake

Altitude – 1760 m
This lake is situated at the top of the Rewalsar town.

Machhiyal Lake (Mandi district)

Altitude – 850 m
This lake is located near Jogindernagar of Mandi district.
This lake is sacred to local villages. People come here to make their wish here.
Every year in the month of Vaisakh a fair is held at this place.
Wrestling (kushti) is also organized on the third day of the fair.

Prashar Lake

Altitude – 2743 m
A temple dedicated to sage Prashar is also there.
A three-storeyed Pagoda temple is one of the most beautiful temples in the western Himalayas.
Every year, in the month of June a fair is held at this place.
This lake is fed by small mountain streams.

Pandoh Lake

This lake is an artificial lake, formed after the construction of the Pandoh dam after diverting the Beas river water to Satluj at Slappar.
Two long tunnels of 13 km each under the hills carried the water.
The Pandoh lake is 14 kilometers from Mandi towards Aut on the Mandi-Kullu national highway no 21.

Bilaspur District

Govind Sagar

This lake is an artificial lake formed after the construction of the world-famous Bhakra Dam on the river Satluj, in district Bilaspur.
This lake is known as Govind Sagar.
This lake is famous for fishing and various water sports.
This dam is one of the highest gravity dam(226 m) in the world.
This dam is described as a “New Temple of Resurgent India” by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.
This lake exists between the Slappar and Bhakra villages on 88 km length.
The lake occupies an area of 168 sq km.
During the monsoons, millions of tonnes of silt enter the lake due to soil erosion in the upper areas in Kinnaur and Kol dam in Mandi district.
Also, the tributaries like the Seer, Gambhar, and Sukhad carry huge loads of Silt into the Govind Sagar.

Kullu District

Name of the lake	Altitude	Additional Information
Dashahr lake	4572 m	lake is believed to have curative powers
Bhrigu lake	4235 m	sacred lake for people of Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul valley.
Sareulsar Lake	3100 m	the lake is situated at the top of ‘Jalori pass’.
Shringtingu lake	4200 m
Mantilai Lake	4116 m	source of Parbati river

Lakes of Kullu District

Dashahr lake

Altitude – 4572 m(approx)
This lake is believed to have curative powers and will cure many illnesses.
The other names of the lake are Sheela Sar, Sarkund, and Dashir.

Bhrigu lake

Altitude – 4235 m
This lake is situated near Rohtang pass.
The depth of the lake is about 3 meters.
This lake is sacred for people of Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul valley.

Sareulsar Lake

Altitude – 3100 m
This lake is situated at the top of ‘Jalori pass‘.

Shringtingu lake

Altitude – 4200 m
To reach Shringtingu lake, one has to follow Gohru Nullah.

Mantilai Lake

Altitude – 4116 m
Parbati River is originated from this lake.

Shimla District

Name of the lake	Altitude	Important facts
Chandranahan Lake	4267 m	source of Pabbar river
Tanu Jubbal Lake	1901 m	temple of Nag devta beside the lake
Karali Lake	1520 m	most polluted lake of Himachal Pradesh

Lakes of Shimla District

Chandranahan Lake

Altitude – 4267 m
It lies in Rohru tehsil, on Chanshal peak.
This lake is a source of the Pabbar river.

Tanu Jubbal Lake

Altitude – 1901 m
This lake is situated near the Narkanda of Shimla district.
There is also a temple of Nag Devta beside the lake.

Karali Lake

Altitude – 1520 m
This lake is situated on the other side of the Shali peak i.e. on Chhota Shali hillock.
The water of this lake is dirty(due to polluted water), surrounded by hills from all sides.
It is located in Mashobra tehsil of Shimla district.

Kinnaur District

Name of the lake	Altitude	Important facts
Nako Lake	3662 m	lake is famous for skating
Sorang Lake

Lakes of Kinnaur District

Nako Lake

Altitude – 3662 m
This lake is famous for skating in winter.
This lake is near Nako village.

Sorang lake

Sorang Lake is another famous lake of Kinnaur district.

Sirmaur district

Name of the Lake	Altitude	Important facts
Renuka Lake	672 m	Largest natural lake of Himachal Pradesh, has the shape of a sleeping woman
Saketi Lake		the lake is located near Shivalik Fossil Park

Lakes of Sirmaur District

Renuka Lake

Altitude – 672 m `
This lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of Himachal Pradesh.
The water of this lake is crystal clear.
The shape of this lake is like a sleeping woman.
According to the legend, Lord Parshuram sacrificed his mother in obedience to his father sage Jamdagni.
The circumference of this lake 2.5 km.
To celebrate the immortality of goddess Renuka and Parshuram, a fair is held every year in the month of November.
At this place, various idols of Parshuram and local deities are found in the temple.
This lake is the largest natural lake, which is fed by a small stream in the lower Himalayan hills.
The water of this lake is hard water.

Saketi Lake

This lake is located near Shivalik Fossil Park in the Sirmaur district.
This lake is now filled with sand and stones from nearby hills.

Lahaul and Spiti District

*Name of the Lake*	*Altitude*	*Important facts*
Suraj Tal	4800 m	source of the Bhaga river
Chandra Tal	4270 m	source of the Chandra river, called as Lohitya Sarover by Hiuen Tsang
Unam-so Lake