Prashar Lake (also spelled Parashar Lake) is a freshwater lake located at an altitude of in the

Mandi district Mandi district is one of the central districts of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. The town of Mandi is the headquarters of the district. The main native language is Mandeali. As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of H ...

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 ...

, India. It lies east of the town of

Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...

, and has a three storied

pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar situated on its bank. It contains a

floating island A floating island is a mass of floating aquatic plants, mud, and peat ranging in thickness from several centimeters to a few meters. Floating islands are a common natural phenomenon that are found in many parts of the world. They exist less co ...

inside it.

History

The lake is considered sacred to the sage Parashara, who meditated here back then. The temple was built in the 13th century by Raja Ban Sen of Mandi in honor of the sage and thus, considering the Himachali architecture, the lake was named after him.

Details

The lake is located at a height of above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is held sacred to the sage Parashar 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 from

or from Bajaura in

Kullu Valley Kullu Valley is a broad open valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, formed by the Beas River between Manali and Larji. This valley is famous for its temples, beauty and its majestic hills covered with pine and deodar forest and sprawling apple orc ...

. Both routes are . There is a round, floating island in 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 island moves in all directions in the lake. The floating land covers 7% of the area of the lake. Prashar Lake,Mandi ,Himachal Pardesh

The temple was built in the thirteenth century and legend has it was built by a baby from a single tree. Until now no one has determined the depth of Prashar Lake. It is said that a diver is not able to determine its depth.

Mythology

It is believed that Sage Prashar meditated on the banks of this lake, hence it is named Prashar Lake.

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...

, one of the Pandava brothers, had created the lake, the story says. After the Kurukshetra / Mahabharat war, the Pandavas were returning with Lord Kamrunag. When they reached this place, Kamrunag loved the tranquil surroundings and decided to live here forever. So, Bheem (the strongest of the lot) rammed his elbow on one of the mountains and created a big dent in the land. This dent became Prashar Lake.

Geography

Prashar Lake is approximately by road from the town of

. The maximum depth of the lake remains unknown.

Gallery

Views of Prashar Lake, Temple and surroundings

File:PrasharLake.jpg, Prashar Lake and temple, Jan '21 File:Prashar Lake, HP.jpg, Dry winter view of Prashar Lake and temple File:Parashar Lake-Mandi-Himachal Pradesh-India.jpeg, Prashar Lake frozen and snow-covered, Feb '14. File:Prashar_Approach_Aerial_Snow_Feb18_DSC04841.jpg, Aerial view, lake in centre, approach road from lower right corner, Feb '18 File:Prashar_Aerial_Snow_Feb18_DSC04841.jpg, Aerial view, lake and temple in centre, Feb '18 File:Prashar Lake Mandi Himachal Nov20 D72 19097.jpg, Prashar Lake and temple, Nov. '20

Flora of Prashar Lake

File:Thistle full Prashar Himachal Aug20 D72 17094.jpg, Thistle plant (Cirsium wallichii) File:Thistle florets Prashar Himachal Aug20 D72 17090.jpg, Florets of Thistle (Cirsium wallichii)

Notes

References

External links

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department
{{Lakes of Himachal Pradesh Lakes of Himachal Pradesh Geography of Mandi district Sacred lakes of India