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Wular Lake

Wular Lake

Jammu & Kashmir

State
Jammu & Kashmir
Type
Other

Wular Lake, fed by the Jhelum River, is one of South Asia's largest freshwater lakes, with size varying seasonally from 30 to 189 square km, a maximum depth of 14 metres, and elevation of 1,580 metres. It lies in the Bandipora area of the Kashmir Valley.

Wular Lake is known for

Asia's largest freshwater lake claimZaina Lank artificial islandRamsar wetland sitefishing economytectonic-origin basin

A short history

Ancient Sanskrit texts including the Nilamata Purana refer to the lake as "Mahapadmasar" or "Mahapadmasaras." Its current name likely derives from the Sanskrit "Ullola" ("stormy, high-rising waves"), corrupted to "Wular" over centuries, though an alternate theory links it to the Kashmiri "Wul" (gap or fissure), reflecting its tectonic origin. In 1444, Kashmiri Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin ordered the artificial island Zaina Lank built at its centre, reportedly financed by gold idols recovered from the lakebed. It was designated a Ramsar site in 1990 and a Wetland of National Importance in 1986. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wular_Lake]

Why Wular Lake matters

As one of South Asia's largest freshwater lakes and a Ramsar site, Wular is central to Kashmir's fishing economy, supporting over 8,000 fishermen and about 60% of the region's total fish yield.

When to go

March to September, before winter water-level drop

How to reach

Located near Bandipora and Sopore, roughly 60 km from Srinagar, reachable by road via the Srinagar-Bandipora highway.

Wular Lake guide & itineraries

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Vaishno Devi (Katra)

Vaishno Devi (Katra)

The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi stands at 1,585 metres in the Trikuta Mountains of Jammu. Katra is the base town, and from there millions of pilgrims walk 12 km uphill on a well-built mountain path to reach the cave temple, the Bhawan. Inside the natural rock cave there is no idol. The goddess is worshipped as three natural rock Pindis — Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati, the creating, sustaining and transforming aspects of Shakti. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) runs the whole operation around the clock, with automated crowd-tracking lanes and shelters along the route.

Srinagar (Dal Lake)

Srinagar (Dal Lake)

Srinagar is a lake city, and the difference between a good stay and a mediocre one is which part of the lake you sleep on. Take a houseboat, but ask where it is moored. The boats near the Boulevard are convenient and noisy with traffic; the ones further out towards Nagin lake are quieter and give you the mornings the place is famous for. Shikara rides are priced by the hour and by negotiation — agree the route and the price before you get in, or you will be taken to a floating handicraft shop instead. The Mughal gardens — Shalimar, Nishat, Chashme Shahi — are terraced up the eastern hillside and are best in the first hour after opening. The vegetable market on the water at dawn is the real thing, and it means being up before five. Papier-mâché and Kashmiri walnut wood are genuine crafts here and worth buying properly rather than roadside. Check current advisories before you book, and do that close to your travel date rather than months out. April and May for the blossom, and June to August is the season most Indians come. Winter is cold, beautiful and quiet.

Amarnath

Amarnath

Mahamaya is the name the Goddess carries here, and Trisandhyeshwar is the Bhairava who guards her. The cave opens for only a few weeks around Shravan, in July and August, and you will need a registration and a medical certificate before you set out — from Pahalgam it is three or four days in, while Baltal is fourteen kilometres and very steep. Neither way in is a stroll.

Dal Lake

Dal Lake

Dal Lake is an urban lake in Srinagar covering about 18 square kilometres (21.2 sq km including floating gardens), with a maximum depth of 6 metres and average depth of 1.42 metres, at an elevation of 1,583 metres. Known as the "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir," it is ringed by Mughal gardens and houseboats.

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