Dal Lake is a small mid-altitude
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
(1,775 m above sea level) near the village of Tota Rani in
Kangra district
Kangra is the most populous district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala is the administrative headquarters of the district.
History
Kangra is known for having the oldest serving Royal Dynasty in the world, the Katoch. In 1758 ...
of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
state in northern India.
The word ''Dal'' means 'lake' in several languages of the
western Himalayas
The Western Himalayas refers to the western half of the Himalayas, in northern Pakistan and northwestern India. It is also known as the Punjab Himalayas. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab (Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, and Ravi) r ...
. The lake is surrounded by
deodar trees and is considered to be a sacred spot as there is small
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
mandir
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...
(shrine) on its bank. There are different kinds of fish that live in this lake. The lake has greenish water. This lake is situated near Rikkarmar on Balan Dhar. There is also a temple dedicated to 'Lord Driveshwar' built by sage Agastya. This is also known as "Bhagsunag Lake".
Location
*Distance from
Dharamshala: 11 km
See also
*
Battle of Sirhind, 1758
References
External links
Himachal Pradesh Tourism DepartmentDal lake Dharamshala
Lakes of Himachal Pradesh
Geography of Kangra district
Dharamshala
Sacred lakes of India
{{HimachalPradesh-geo-stub