Lakes of Rajasthan

S Balakrishnan *

Let me admit it - I am envious of Rajasthan with so many lakes and all brimming with clear water. I was indeed surprised (‘shocked’ would be appropriate) to find so many lakes in that desert/arid State of Rajasthan, probably more lakes than in my Tamil Nadu State which is lacking/lagging in water management.

By foolish decisions now there are only Lake View Roads and Lake Bund Roads but the lakes are missing. The government itself filled up a Chennai lake for a monument (Valluvar Kottam) for Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar.

So, no wonder I could not digest the fact that an arid State like Rajasthan could have so many beautiful lakes brimming with water – both salt and fresh water. The kings and queens of the past era had wisely created these lakes that now at least one lake adorns each district.

Among all the lakes of Rajasthan, Pushkar Lake near Ajmer is the most sacred and well known. Pushkar Lake is described as ‘Tirtha Raj’, the king of all pilgrimage sites. Semi-circular in shape and about 8-10 metres deep, Pushkar Lake is surrounded by 52 bathing ghats and over 400 temples.

Pushkar fair is world famous with camel fair as the main attraction. Our hurried schedule did not allow us a holy dip in Pushkar Lake; we just sprinkled the holy water on the head. Hoping all our sins would be washed off, we proceeded further. To be frank, I am scared of deep waters - you see, 10 meters is 33ft. OMG! OMG!!

Among the few lakes that our schedule permitted us to visit, I would consider Lake Pichola in Udaipur the most mesmerizing. With two royal palaces in its two islands and speed boats criss-crossing, it is described as Venice-like. The city palace is on its eastern bank; many havelis that have been turned into hotels border the lake.

We royally spent a night (paying royally) in one such haveli and had our supper and morning tea in a balcony facing the beautiful lake. The night view of the lake as we took a boat ride was so lovely. As this lake is situated in Picholi village, it is named Pichola Lake. There are five lakes in & around Udaipur.

One of them is Fateh Sagar Lake, surrounded by hills. It lies north of Lake Pichola; a canal links both these lakes. A rope car ride takes the visitors to the nearby hillock where the summer palace is situated. The hill top provides a panoramic view of Fateh Sagar Lake that houses Nehru Island and an islet with Udaipur solar observatory.

Even Jaisalmer District, which is home to the Thar Desert, has lakes. A boat ride in the early morning in the Gadisar Lake in the Desert City of Jaisalmer was refreshing. It was dug in the 14th century by Maharawal Gadsi Singh (hence the name) to meet water needs of his arid lands. Temples & shrines abound around it.

In Jaipur, Man Sagar Lake, with Jal Mahal beautifully sitting amidst its waters, is a must-visit site. The mist covering Jal Mahal in the early morning of January was a fairy-tale sight! The chirping of sparrows from the bushy trees on the banks added to the fairy-tale ambience.

Just five lakes we could visit. There could be fifty! Whichever city we visited – we could afford to visit only Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer, and Jaisalmer - we invariably were taken to its lake which we really enjoyed. I can hear the rippling Rajasthan Lakes calling me. No, never for holy dips but only for joy rides! Undeniably, Udaipur is Unforgettable.