The Krishansar Lake is an alpine high elevation
oligotrophic lake
The Trophic State Index (TSI) is a classification system designed to rate water bodies based on the amount of biological productivity they sustain. Although the term "trophic index" is commonly applied to lakes, any surface water body may be inde ...
situated near
Sonamarg
Sonamarg () or Sonmarg (), known as Sonamarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 Kilometers from Ganderbal Town and northeast of the capital city, Srina ...
, in the
Ganderbal district
The Ganderbal district, or more formally District Ganderdal, is a district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Ganderbal town is administrative headquarters of district. It was formed in 2007 and has 6 subdistricts (tehsils): ...
of
Jammu and Kashmir in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
at an elevation of . It is located less than one kilometer northwest of
Vishansar Lake
The Vishansar Lake is an alpine high-elevation oligotrophic lake, situated near Sonamarg in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, at an elevation of . It has a maximum length of 1 km, and maximum width of 0.6 km.
Etymolo ...
, and has a maximum length of 0.95 km and maximum width of 0.6 km.
Etymology, geography
Krishansar in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and
Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to:
* People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir
* Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley
* Kashmiri language, their language
People with the name
* Kashmiri Saikia Baruah ...
means ''the lake of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
.'' It is home to many types of fishes among of which is the
brown trout. It freezes during winter, and is inaccessible during this season due to heavy snowfall. It is surrounded by green lush meadows and attracts local shepherds who graze their flocks of sheep and goat during summer. The Krishansar Lake is adjacent to
Vishansar Lake
The Vishansar Lake is an alpine high-elevation oligotrophic lake, situated near Sonamarg in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, at an elevation of . It has a maximum length of 1 km, and maximum width of 0.6 km.
Etymolo ...
, at its back are the mountains standing covered with snow in which lies the Gadsar Pass, a mountain pass which leads to the
Gadsar Lake
The Gadsar Lake, also called ''the valley of flowers'', is a picturesque, alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake is close to Sonamarg & Ganderbal town in Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India at an elevation of . It ...
. The lake is a famous trekking site just north of the
Kashmir Valley. It is mostly fed by melting of snow and
glaciers. It drains out through a small stream which falls into the
Vishansar Lake
The Vishansar Lake is an alpine high-elevation oligotrophic lake, situated near Sonamarg in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, at an elevation of . It has a maximum length of 1 km, and maximum width of 0.6 km.
Etymolo ...
and gives rise to
Neelum River
The Neelum River, or Kishanganga River, is a river in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan. It originates in Bandipora district of northern Jammu and Kashmir in India, flows through the Neelam District of Pakistan's Azad Kashmir and then m ...
.
Access
The Krishansar Lake is situated 115 km. northeast from
Srinagar and 35 km from Shitkadi
Sonamarg
Sonamarg () or Sonmarg (), known as Sonamarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 Kilometers from Ganderbal Town and northeast of the capital city, Srina ...
. It can be accessed from Srinagar or
Srinagar Airport 80 km by road
NH 1D
National Highway 1 (NH 1) in India runs between the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It comprises parts of old NH1A and NH1D. The number 1 indicates, under the new numbering system, that it is the northernmost East-Wes ...
up to village Shitkadi from which ponies can be hired to cover an alpine trek of 35 km to reach the Krishansar Lake, which takes a complete day of trekking passing Nichnai Pass of 4100 meters above sea level. The
Gadsar Lake
The Gadsar Lake, also called ''the valley of flowers'', is a picturesque, alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake is close to Sonamarg & Ganderbal town in Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India at an elevation of . It ...
is some 9 kilometers in the north westwards. The best time to visit the lake is from the month of June to September.
Gallery
File:Krishansar10.jpg,
File:Krishansar11.jpg,
File:Krishansar12.jpg,
File:Krishansar13.jpg,
References
{{Hydrography of Jammu and Kashmir
Lakes of Jammu and Kashmir
Geography of Ganderbal district
Tourist attractions in Ganderbal district