Gadsar Lake

Gadsar Lake
The valley of flowers
Gadsar Lake
Location	Ganderbal, Kashmir valley
Coordinates
Type	oligotrophic lake
Primary inflows	Melting of snow
Primary outflows	A stream tributory of Neelum River
Max. length	0.85 kilometres (0.53 mi)
Max. width	0.76 kilometres (0.47 mi)
Surface area	0.7421 km2 (0.2865 sq mi)
Surface elevation	3,600 metres (11,800 ft)
Frozen	December to April

The Gadsar Lake (Urdu: ﮔﺎﮈﺳﺮ ﺟﮭﻴﻞ‎, Kashmiri: ﻏﺎﮌ ﺳﺁﺭ) or the Yemsar Lake also called as the lake of flowers is a picturesque, alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake in Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley at an elevation of 3600 metres. It has a max. length of 0.85 kilometres and max. width of 0.76 kilometres.

Etymology, geography

Gadsar Lake from the Gadsar Pass at mount Vishnu

Gadsar in Kashmiri means the lake of fishes, a natural habitat of trout and other types of fishes among of which is the brown trout. The lake freezes in the month of November to April and is mostly covered by snow during these months, the floating ice bergs are seen even in summer. It is surrounded by alpine meadows full of various kinds of wild alpine flowers, therefore the lake is also called as the valley of flowers. The lake is mainly fed by melting of glaciers. The Gadsar Lake outflows through a stream flows north westwards and joins Neelum River at Tulail.

Access

The Gadsar Lake is situated 108 kilometres northeast from Srinagar city. From Naranag a 28 km alpine track leads to the lake. Another track of 41 km northwest from Shitkadi Sonamarg via Vishansar Lake and Krishansar Lake leads to the Gadsar Lake crossing two mountain passes of Nichnai and Gadsar of more than 4100 meters above sea level. The best time to visit is from the month of June to September.

Gadsar, the lake of death

The Gadsar Lake is also named as Yemsar which means the lake of demon and is referred as the lake of death. A myth still unresolved. The shepherds grazing their folks in the outskirts of Gadsar lake during summers believe that, there lives a Lake Monster, a freshwater Octopus which drags the creatures from shores by its tentackles into the water. There is an uncertainty in the minds of visitors, a kind of threat which prevents them going near the shores. The shepherds also chose otherwise grazing their folks at the shores of the lake. There has never been any attempt made by anyone to find the reality. The fishes are being caught outside the lake in a stream from which it flows out.

Precaution

Indian Army maintains a base near the lake during the summer months. Hikers passing near the base are often frisked and asked to return.

External links

• Lake and around