7 Backwaters in Himachal Pradesh

At a distance of 26 km from Dalhousie, the Chamera Lake is an artificial lake situated at Chourah village in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the scenic lakes in Himachal Pradesh and among the must-include places in Dalhousie packages.

The Chamera Lake is formed by the Chamera Dam on the Ravi River, which is positioned at an altitude of 1700 m. It is a major source of water supply for the villagers and is continuously fed by the Ravi River. The Chamera Hydel Electric Project, one of the main hydel projects of Himachal Pradesh, is situated nearby. It is one of the best Dalhousie tourist places.

Nestled in a valley amid pine forests, the lake is an excellent site for activities like fishing, angling, and boating. Himachal Pradesh Tourism department has built a boathouse adjacent to the lake near Taleru, which has facilities for water sports like river rafting, motor boating, canoeing, and kayaking. Other than the water sports, pedal boats and rowing boats are also available for tourists. The Bhandal Valley and the Bhalei temple are the other tourist spots near Chamera Lake.

Chamera Lake is well connected by roads making it easy to reach the place.

Boating Charges: Rs.300 for Adults and Rs.200 for Children for 30 minutes.

...read more

At a distance of 20 km from Chamba, and 21 km from Dalhousie, Khajjiar is a beautiful hill station located in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the scenic hill stations near Chandigarh, and among the must-include places in Dalhousie sightseeing packages.

Often known as the Switzerland of India, Khajjiar is situated at an altitude of 1,951 m in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary. Khajjiar was a part of the erstwhile state of the Rajput rulers of Chamba. It served as the capital of Chamba rulers. Thereafter, it was taken over by the Mughals, from which the rule passed over to various Sikh kingdoms. Subsequently, it was taken over by the British.

Khajjiar is a picturesque spot with an emerald saucer shaped meadow amidst a dense forest. Khajjiar Lake is a small lake covering an area of about 5000 sq. yards. On the lake, some clusters of grasses and weeds have grown that appear like a floating island. A little away from the lake is the temple of Khajji Nag belonging to the 12th century AD. This temple is dedicated to the Lord of Serpents. The Nag that is worshipped here has a human form. The stone idol has a mace in one hand and a khanda, a double dagger in the other. In the mandapa of the temple, one can see the images of the Pandavas and Kauravas near the ...

...read more

At a distance of 78 km from Kullu, 84 km from Mandi, 25 km from Banjar and 10 km from Shoja, Serolsar Lake is a beautiful lake situated at a distance of around 5 km from the Jalori pass. This lake can be reached by a trek from Shoja or Jalori Pass.

Serolsar Lake is located at an altitude of 3199 m. It is surrounded by thick vegetation of alpine forests. There is a myth that even if a small leaf falls into the Lake the birds around takes them out of the lake and keeps the water crystal clear. The water of the lake is believed to have medicinal properties.

The Lake has a narrow walking track lined up with thick tall trees on the outer side. On one side of the Lake is a small temple of Buddha Nagini. The devotees worship and offer ghee to the deity. It is said that the lake is very deep and that Budhi Nagin herself lived in a golden palace at the bottom of the lake.

The trek from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake is a 5 km one way and takes about 2 hrs. The trek starts from just below the temple atop Jalori pass.

In winter, Serolsar experience snowfall up to 5-8 ft. The place is best to visit during summers. People visiting this place are advised to come with their own food and necessary woolen clothing. Now, small rest houses have also been built to provide accommodation to the visitors. This place can be visited as a one day trip from Kullu if started early in the morning.

...read more

At a distance of 32 km from Dharamshala and 39 km from McLeod Ganj, Kareri Lake, also known as Kumarwah Lake, is a high altitude lake located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Trek to Kareri Lake is one of the top things to do in Dharamshala.

Kareri Lake is situated at an altitude of 3100 m and is a fresh water lake. Snow melting from the Dhauladhar range serves as the source of the lake and a stream, Nyund is the outflow. Since the source is fresh melting snow and the lake is shallow the lake bed can be seen clearly. It is one of the must-include places in Dharamshala holiday packages.

Kareri Lake is best known for being a trekking destination in the Dhauladhar range. The trek starts from Ghera village, which is about 22 km from McLeod Ganj. Ghera is accessed either by shared jeep from Dharamsala or on foot from Naddi. It has a few shops from where one can purchase few supplies. The trekking starts from Ghera village. A 9 km dirt road links Ghera to Kareri village which has a Forest Rest House for an overnight stay and continues the trek on next day. The 8 km trail from Kareri village leads to Kareri Lake. Most of this trail is along the Nyund stream right up to the Lake. The trek usually takes between 3-4 days.

The lake remains frozen from early December to early April. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva ...

...read more

At a distance of 51 km from Mandi, 65 km from Kullu, and 103 km from Manali, Prashar Lake, or Parashar Lake is a beautiful lake situated near Bagi village in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most stunning lakes in Himachal and among the must include places in Mandi sightseeing packages.

At an altitude of 2730 m, Prashar Lake is snuggled against the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. The oval-shaped lake has many tales associated with it. One legend says that after the battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas were returning with Lord Kamrunag. When they reached the mountains, Kamrunag loved the tranquility of the mountains and wanted to settle down there. So Bheem rammed his elbow on the ground and formed this crater, which later became the lake. Another story rooted in Himachali folklore claims that the lake was the site where Rishi Parashar have meditated.

Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and looking down on the fast-flowing Beas River, Prashar Lake has a perimeter of about 300 m and is fed by small mountain streams. An interesting thing about Parashar Lake is its floating circular island that keeps changing its position. Till now no one has been able to find out the depth of Prashar Lake. Traditionally, it is believed that the lake was formed as a result of a striking rod by Rishi Prashar and water came out and took shape of the lake. An ancient pagoda-style temple dedicated to the Rishi Prashar, ...

...read more

At a distance of 28 km from Manali Bus Stand and 15 km from Solang Valley, Beas Kund is a holy lake where Rishi Vyas took his daily bath. River Beas originates from here. The trek to Beas Kund is one of the best destinations for trekking in Manali and also among the best trekking Places to visit in Himachal state.

The Beas Kund is protected by an igloo like stone structure and is considered sacred by the Hindus. The site has attracts thousands of devotees every year. The current name Beas is formed from Sage Vyas who is the author of Mahabharata. The ancient Indians called the Beas River as Vipas or Arjiki while the ancient Greeks called it as Hyphasis.

This tiny lake of Beas Kund situated at higher and upper valley of Solang. Which is the heart of winter and summer games in Manali. On a clear day you can sight the magnificent Pir Pangal Range from Beas Kund.

Beas Kund trek is one of the most popular and beautiful treks in Kullu Valley. It is an ideal base camp for climbing nearby peaks Shitidhar and Ladakhi peak. The West side of Beas Kund is magnificent peak of Hanuman Tibba at an altitude of 5990 m, which access through tiny pass of above this lake.

The Beas Kund trek starts at Solang, 13 km from Manali and winds through Solang Valley. On this trek you will experience amazing views of lush green meadows, glaciers and snow-capped mountain peaks. The trail goes ...

...read more

At a distance of 36 kms from Manali Bus Stand, Bhrigu Lake also known as 'Pool of the Gods' is a picturesque lake situated at an altitude of about 4240 m. The Bhrigu Lake is lying east of the Rohtang Pass. Bhrigu Lake Trek is one of the best Manali trekking destinations and among the prime place to visit on a Manali trip.

According to the legend, Rishi Bhrigu a renowned sage of the Hindu religion meditated at this place and that many local gods of the Kullu Valley visit to take a dip in its sacred water. This lake is considered sacred by the Hindus and many devotees visit this site.

The trek to Bhrigu Lake starts from Gulaba which is about 22 km from Manali. Actually there is no settlement in Gulaba and is actually an area of the Pir Pangal mountain range. The trek routes passes through Rola Kholi (7 km from Gulaba), Bhrigu Lake (7 Kms from Rola Kholi), Pandu Ropa (7 km from Bhrigu Lake) and ends at Vashist (8 km from Pandu Ropa). The forest trek from Gulaba to Rola Kholi takes you through old villages & apple orchards. This is usually a three days trek with Day 1 camping at Rola Kholi and Day 2 camping at Pandu Ropa. Once you reach Bhrigu Lake you will have breathtaking views of the Himalayan Mountains. The descent trek from Pandu Ropa to Vashist offers a great view of the entire Kullu Valley.

March to October is ...

...read more