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30 Himalayan High Altitude Lakes (Part-01)

30 Himalayan High Altitude Lakes (Part-01)

March 2019 · 17 min read

I first saw the Himalayas in 2008 and since then I'm in love with it. This love has been completed 11 years today and still the Himalaya's addiction is not decreasing. In the last few years, I am roaming into the Indian Himalayan range and on every step, this mountain range has shown me every scene completely different and new. The wind, the stone, the plant, the birds, the moon-stars, the sun, the rain, the mud-sludge gives a glimpse of beauty on every breath. I have some responsibility towards the Himalayas and my duty is to keep those places in front of the whole world where I have gone. This post is about the Himalayan lakes where I have visited in the past. Let's go on the holy lakes tour.

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The Epic Pangong Lake

1. Roopkund Lake

It was October 2014 and it was the first snowfall in the entire Himalayan range. On the arrival of winters, I have decided to visit this mysterious lake that too solo. Due to the falling temperature, the lake's water was frozen, the good thing was that after so much snow, I had reached here.

Roopkund (locally known as Mystery Lake, Human Skeletons Lake) is a high altitude glacial lake in the Village Wan, Debal, Chamoli, Uttarakhand state of India. It lies in the lap of mount Trishul peak massif and is famous for the hundreds of human skeletons found at the edge of the lake. The area is uninhabited, in the Himalayas at an altitude of 5,029 meters (16,499 feet). Surrounded by rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains, the lake is a popular trekking destination.

Roopkund is a picturesque tourist destination and one of the important places for trekking in Chamoli District, Himalayas, near the base of two Himalayan peaks: Trisul (7,120 m) and Nanda Ghunti (6,310 m). The Lake is flanked by a rock face named Junargali to the North and a peak named Chandania Kot to the East. A religious festival is held at the alpine meadow of Bedni Bugyal every autumn with nearby villages participating. A larger celebration, the Nanda Devi Raj Jat, takes place once every twelve years at Roopkund, during which Goddess Nanda is worshiped. Roopkund lake is covered with ice for most of the year.

A shallow lake, having a depth of about two meters, Roopkund has attracted attention because of the human skeletal remains that are visible at its bottom when the snow melts Researchers have concluded that the skeletons are the remains of people killed in a sudden, violent hailstorm in the 9th century. Because of the human remains, the lake has been called Skeleton Lake in recent times.

Skeletons were rediscovered in 1942 by a Nanda Devi game reserve ranger Hari Kishan Madhwal, although there are reports about these bones from the late-19th century. At first, British authorities feared that the skeletons represented casualties of a hidden Japanese invasion force, but it was found that the skeletons were far too old to be Japanese soldiers. The skeletons are visible in the clear water of the shallow lake during a one-month period when the ice melts. Along with the skeletons, wooden artifacts, iron spearheads, leather slippers, and rings were also found. When a team from National Geographic magazine retrieved about 30 skeletons, flesh was still attached to some of them. Geneticists Niraj Rai and Manvendra Singh at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hyderabad conducted DNA tests on a hundred samples from the lake and compared them to the current Indian population. Results indicated that 70 percent of them had an affinity with Iran, while the remaining ones belonged to the local population. It is hypothesized that the Iran group took the help of local porters to seek new land for settlement. Later studies placed the time of mass death around the 9th century CE (1,200 years old).

Local legend says that the King of Kanauj, Raja Jasdhaval, with his pregnant wife, Rani Balampa, their servants, a dance troupe and others went on a pilgrimage to Nanda Devi shrine, and the group faced a storm with large hailstones, from which the entire party perished near Roopkund Lake.

Remnants belonging to more than 300 people have been found. Radiocarbon dating of the bones at Oxford University's Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit determined the time period to be 850 CE ±30 years. The Anthropological Survey of India conducted a study of the skeletons during the 1950s and some samples are displayed at the Anthropological Survey of India Museum, Dehradun.

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Roopkund Lake

2. Prashar Lake

This is the only lake where I have gone many times. First went here in August 2014 and after that every time I visited there by a new mode or transportation. I have been visited this lake by trekking, by car and by bicycle in winter.
Prashar Lake lies 49 km north of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India, with a three storied pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar. The lake is located at a height of 2730 m above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is held sacred to the sage Prashar and he is regarded to have meditated there. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and looking down on the fast-flowing river Beas, the lake can be approached via Darang village. There is a round, floating island inside the lake, which is a common natural phenomenon found all around the world. It is composed of plant matter in various stages of decomposition, and is held aloft by the oxygen in its plants' roots. The floating land moves in all directions in the lake. The floating land covers 7% of area of lake whereas water is with 93%.

The temple was built in the thirteenth century and legend has it was built by a baby from a single tree. The lake has a floating island in it and it is said to be unclear how deep it is, with a diver not being able to determine its depth.
It is believed that Sage Prashar meditated on the banks of this lake, hence it is named as Prashar Lake. Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers, had created the lake. The story says, after the Kurukshetra / Mahabharat war, Pandavas were returning with Lord Kamrunag. When they reached this place, Kamrunag loves the tranquil surroundings and decides to live here forever. So, Bheem (the strongest of the lot) rams his elbow on one of the mountains and creates a big dent in the land. This dent became Prashar Lake. Till now no one has been able to find out the depth of Prashar Lake.

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Prashar Lake

3. Serolsar Lake

Winters in the Himalayas are very dangerous due to avalanche and heavy snowfall. It was January 2016 when I made plans to go to this lake along with my friend. This year, there was very little snowfall in the entire Himalayas, so we could visit the lake without much trouble.

Serolsar Lake (also spelled Sirolsar Lake or Serol Sar Lake, Hindi: सेरोल्सर लेक) is a high altitude lake in the Seraj Valley of the Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India. The lake is about 3,100 meters (10,171 ft) above the sea level and is surrounded by thick forest cover. Seruvalsar Lake is accessible via Jalori pass.
Locals associate the lake with Buddhi Nagin (Hindi: बूढी नागिन, goddess of snakes and ghee and mother of all nag deities) and claim the lake's water possess medicinal properties. A small temple to Buddhi Nagin overlooks the lake from its North side. It is said that the lake is very deep and that Budhi Nagin herself lived in a golden palace at the bottom of the lake.

At a distance of 78 km from Kullu, 84 km from Mandi, 25 km from Banjar and 10 km from Shoja, Serolsar Lake is a beautiful lake situated at a distance of around 5 km from the Jalori pass. This lake can be reached by a trek from Shoja or Jalori Pass. The Lake has a narrow walking track lined up with thick tall trees on the outer side.

It is surrounded by thick vegetation of alpine forests. There is a myth that even if a small leaf falls into the Lake the birds around takes them out of the lake and keeps the water crystal clear. The water of the lake is believed to have medicinal properties.

The trek from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake is a 5 km one way and takes about 2 hrs. The trek starts from just below the temple atop Jalori pass.

In winter, Serolsar experience snowfall up to 5-8 ft. The place is best to visit during summers. People visiting this place are advised to come with their own food and necessary woolen clothing. Now, small rest houses have also been built to provide accommodation to the visitors. This place can be visited as a one-day trip from Kullu if started early in the morning.

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Serolsar Lake

4. Bedni Lake

It was August 2014 when I was going to Roopkund. Bedni Kund comes only on the path of Roopkund.
Bedini Bugyal is a Himalayan Alpine meadow, situated at an elevation of 3,354 meters (11,004 ft) in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state of India. Bedini Bugyal falls on the way to Roopkund near Wan village. Trisul and Nanda Ghunti are clearly visible from here. This lush green meadow is adorned with blooms in a wide range of varieties. There is a small lake named Vaitarani (Bedini Kund), situated amidst the meadow. The rich flora of the area includes 'Brahm Kamal' or Saussurea obvallata.

Bedni Kund sprawls over 20 square km in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The lake is adjacent to Ali Bugyal and is considered as one of the largest grasslands in Asia. The nearby cities are Nainisain, Kandara, Khatyari, Simli and Kausani. Bedni Kund is a popular pilgrim site for the Hindus. It serves as a sacred pilgrim place where Ma Nanda and Shiva are worshiped by the devotees. The pilgrims carry the palanquin of Ma Nanda from Bedni Kund to Roopkund during the famous Nanda Devi Raj Jaat which happens once in twelve years.

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Bedni Lake

5. Suraj tal

Cycling on Manali-Leh Highway was not a joke; I was alone, but I trusted myself and had gone out in June 2014 with my bicycle. On this trip, I saw 2 high altitude lakes, the first was Suraj Tal and the other Deepak Taal.
Suraj Tal or Suraj Tal Lake also called Surya taal, is a sacred body of water, literally means the Lake of the Sun God, and lies just below the Bara-lacha-la pass (4890m) (8 km (5.0 mi) in length) in the Lahaul and Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh state in India and is the third highest lake in India, and the 21st-highest in the world. Suraj Tal Lake is the source of Bhaga River which joins the Chandra River downstream at Tandi to form the Chandrabhaga River in Himachal Pradesh territory, and as it enters Jammu and Kashmir it is renamed as the Chenab River.The Bhaga River (a tributary of the Chandrabhaga or Chenab) originates from Surya taal. The other major tributary of the Chandrabhaga, the Chandra originates from the glacier close to the Chandra Taal lake in the Spiti district.

Suraj Tal is 65 km (40.4 mi) from Keylong, the district headquarters of the Lahaul Spiti district, a frontier district of India which is approachable by road by the National Highway NH 21, also known as the Leh-Manali Highway. The NH 21 is the vital road link for the people living in the Lahaul Spiti district. The road skirts the Suraj Tal and is just 3 km (1.9 mi) short of the Bara-lacha-la pass. It is sometimes falsely claimed to be the highest mountain road in the world (probably the true highest road is the Semo La in Tibet) but it remains inaccessible from Rohtang Pass to Leh during winter months of November to April since the pass becomes totally snowbound during this period. The Lake's geology is represented by the Bara-lacha-la Pass, which is reported to be an early rifting event on the northern Indian passive margin and that the Basalts which are emplaced along the trans–tensional faults indicate that.

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Suraj Lake

6. Deepak tal

It's a small lake called "Deepak Taal" (3750 m) is about 50 kms from Keylong along with Leh- Manali highway (NH-21).
The lake comes in between the way to Rohtang Pass to Keylong.The lake gives you many splendid capture of the lake with such magnificent perspective of mountains of Himalayas surrounding. One might feel the lake is like a beautiful blue sapphire. While driving to Leh the lake come by the side of such delightful lake which rejuvenates the minds.

Perhaps a nice stoppage and soak in the charming scenario and the nature gulfing the whole atmosphere with such contrasting colors. The water seems like a filtrated water clean and blue. The reflection of the towering mountain surrounding spiced the place with its enchanting contrast. A clear sunny day make the sight much more beautiful probably one can sum up it as a piece of heaven with its serenity and tranquility. The place is certainly a great piece of all such nature lovers; a great escape from those of the glimpsing urban lifestyle. It is definitely one of the such places that make the journey much more memorable.

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Deepak Tal

7. Deoria tal

Deoria Tal (also ‘Devaria' or 'Deoriya) is a lake about 3 km (1.9 mi) from the villages of Mastura and Sari on the Ukhimath-Chopta road in Uttarakhand. At an altitude of 2,438 meters (7,999 ft), it has heavily wooded, lush green surroundings with snow-covered mountains (Chaukhamba is one of them) in the backdrop. Jeeps are available from Ukhimath to reach Sari, a nearby village, via Mastura village. For return journey, one can go down trekking to Mastura to get a shared jeep.

Alternately, one can trek 7 km (4.3 mi) to Deoria Tal from Ukhimath. Even though, trekkers are no longer allowed to camp at the famous Deoriatal, there are options of jungle trekking, videography, etc. There are a couple of shops that sell tea and snacks, but these close at sundown. Trekkers usually combine this trek with the nearby trek to Tungnath (the highest Hindu shrine devoted to Lord Shiva) and Chandrashila, which are approached from Chopta. The lake is known for its wide 300° panorama. Mountains like Chaukhamba, Nilkantha, Bandarpunch, Kedar Range, and Kalanag can be viewed from here. There exists another route from Deoria Tal to Tungnath, which is mainly used for night camping, jungle trekking, etc.Hindu faith states that the Devas bathed in this lake, hence the name.

The lake is also believed to be the "Indra Sarovar" referred to in the Puranas by wandering Hindu mendicants, Sadhus. It is also believed that it was the place from where the mighty Pandavas were asked queries by Yaksha. According to the locals it was also said that this lake was built by Bheem, who was strongest among the Pandavas, to appease his thirst, and Yudhister, who was the wisest, suggested Bheem to build his own lake.

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Deoria Lake

8-9. Bale Pokhari & Doodh Pokhari

It was two years back when I was doing my advance mountaineering course from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which is situated in Darjeeling (1925m), East India.
The course was 28 days long. After completing Rock craft training entire batch has moved to Advance base camp which is in Rathong Glacier. We spent 21 days on Glacier to learn Snow craft and Ice craft.
Two days before descending all the trainees went to High Gain to Camp-01 of Kabru Dome (6400m) peak, then I clicked this image of two Hidden Lakes from Sikkim.

No information is available on Google about both. We use to take water from one of the lakes for cooking and drinking. As per the locals the named them, the big one is Bhale Pokhari and small one with green water is Doodh Pokhari. Both the lakes have situated on same contour line and on same elevation 4730 meters.

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Bhale Pokhari in aqua and to right Doodh Pokhari in green

10. Manimahesh Lake

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Manimahesh is one of the five Kailash and this place is dedicated to Hindu Lord Shiva. I have been here two times, first time in 2014 and for the second time with my friend Naveen in 2015. Here is the details about lake.
Manimahesh Lake (also known as Dal Lake, Manimahesh) is a high-altitude lake (elevation 4,080 meters (13,390 ft)) situated close to the Manimahesh Kailash Peak in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The religious significance of this lake is next to that of the Lake Manasarovar in Tibet.

The lake is the venue of a highly revered pilgrimage trek undertaken during the month of August/September corresponding to the month of Bhadon according to Hindu calendar, on the eighth day of the New Moon period. It is known as the ‘Manimahesh Yatra’. The Government of Himachal Pradesh has declared it as a state-level pilgrimage.
There are two trekking routes to the lake. One is from Hadsar village that is mostly frequented by pilgrims and trekkers. This route is easier and have adequate arrangement for basic food and accommodation during the pilgrimage season.

The other one is from village Holi, which is for the more adventurous ones. This route climbs up further and then descends to the lake, providing a beautiful view. There is no other habitation, except for a small village on this route. According to one popular legend, it is believed that Lord Shiva created Manimahesh after he married Goddess Parvati, who is worshipped as Mata Girija. There are many legends narrated linking Lord Shiva and his show of displeasure through acts of avalanches and blizzards that occur in the region.

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Manimahesh Lake and in distance Unclimbed Manimahesh Kailash Peak

11. Chandratal lake

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It was August 2016, the winter was coming, and so far, the first snow in the Himalayas has not fallen. Looking at the time and the weather, my friend and I did a very long trek. In this trip we have trekked 300 km in 14 days. We trekked more than 5 high altitude lakes and crossed 12 mountain passes.

Chandra Taal (meaning the Lake of the Moon), or Chandra Tal is a lake situated in the Spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh (India). Chandra Taal lake is situated on the Samudra Tapu plateau, which overlooks the Chandra River. The name of the lake originates from its crescent shape. It is situated at an altitude of about 4,300 meters (14,100 ft) in the Himalayas. Mountains of scree overlook the lake on one side, and a cirque encloses it on the other.

Chandra Taal is a tourist destination for trekkers and campers. The lake is accessible on foot from Batal as well as from Kunzum Pass from late May to early October. There is also a motor road accessible as far as a parking lot 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) from the lake. The route from Kunzum Pass was accessible only on foot before, but now motorcycles and 4x4 cars do travel this distance where you take a right cut from a T-point, the road to left leads to Bataal. It takes approx 2 hours from Kunzum Pass to Chandra Taal. Chandra Taal is also accessible from Suraj Tal, 30 km (19 mi) away. Accommodation is available 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from the lake. Vast meadows on the banks of the lake are used as camping sites. During springtime, these meadows are carpeted with hundreds of varieties of wildflowers. The lake is one of two high-altitude wetlands of India which have been designated as Ramsar sites.

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Chandratal lake

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