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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.

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Vaishno Devi (Katra)

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Srinagar (Dal Lake)

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