|
|
| |
Lakes in Himachal Pradesh :- |
| Himachal has dozens of large and small lakes spread over the state.
The state has a geographical area of 56,000 sq. km. of which one percent
is covered by lakes. Some are natural bequests that may well date
back millions of years to the time when the region was a vast island
sea. Today, they are fed by streams of pure snow-melt or by ground-water
springs. Practically without exception, they are held sacred - or
at the very least, have fascinating legends merging with their crystal
clear waters. |
| |
The Important Lakes are as follows :- |
 |
Maharan Pratap Sagar :- ( 450 m above mean sea
level ) |
| Location :- In district Kangra. 170
km from Chandigarh, 110 km from Amritsar, 55 km from the district
headquarters at Dharamshala. The closest railway stations are at Mukerian
- 30 km, and Pathankot - 32 km.The settlements of Nagrota Surian and
Jawali - which are located on the Sagar's periphery - are connected
by the charming narrow gauge Kangra Railway Line that connects Pathankot
to Jogindernagar. The closest airport is at Gaggal - 40 km. The lake
is well served by a network of roads. Named in the honour of the great
patriot Maharan Pratap, the Maharana Pratap Sagar was once known as
the Pong Dam Reservoir. India knows the Maharan as a man who struggled
valiantly for his knigdom of Mewar - as for the principle of independence.
|
|
|
It is made of Beas River.
In 1960, a dam was built on the Beas river and this dam resulted
in a huge Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake (once known as Pong Lake).
This huge mass of water varies from 180 sq. km. to 400 sq. km. This
lake was declared sanctuary in 1983. Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake
has emerged as favourite place of many migratory birds. About 16
to 20 thousand migratory birds, belonging to 54 species, visit the
lake every year. . The Dam was completed in 1976. Its reservoir
has an area of about 45,000 hectares at maximum possible flooding
- the level varies with every season and averages around 30,000
hectares. Over 200 villages with a population of over 85,000 people
lie along the wetland. |
| In 1983, the Sagar was declared a wildlife sanctuary and over 220
species of birds belonging to 54 families have been sighted over the
waters and the fringing mud-banks - these include black-headed gulls,
plovers, terns, ducks, water-fowl and egrets. Maharana Pratap Sagar
Lake is the only place in India other than Bharatpur (Rajasthan) where
the rare red necked grabe has been found. |
The land portion of the sanctuary has barking
deer, sambar, wild boars, nilgai, leopards and claw-less otters.
27 species and sub-species of fish belonging to six families have
been recorded in the Sagar's waters. Some of the important commercial
varities are - Labeo Dero (Gid), Labeo Rohita, Labeo Calbasu, Tor
Putitora (Mahasheer) and Mystus Seenghala (Singhara). Since 1976,
fishing has been a major economic activity in the area and today,
this provides employment to more than 1,500 fishermen and the annual
catch is valued at over a crore rupees. |
| There is a branch of the Directorate of Mountaineering and Aliied
Sports at the Sagar and year-round activities include swimming, water-skiing,
surfing, kayaking, rowing, canoeing and sailing. The Directorate of
Tourism and Civil Aviation providesequipment at the Sagar - this includes
sail boats, paddle boats, speed aero boats, life buoys, water scooters,
speed boars, rafts, life jackets, water skis and wet suits. Various
courses - beginner, intermediate and advanced - are also conducted
at the Sagar. |
| Attractions for Today and Tomorrow :-
The Maharana Pratap Sagar is planned as a pivotal developmental and
conservation project. Apart from drawing visitors for bird-watching,
water sports and angling, plans are afoot to create a snake park,
an aquarium, and to launch luxury cruises with cabins at the Sagar.
There are several large islands in this inland sea which are also
being developed - and the options being explored, include island resorts,
golf courses, health and meditation centres and sighting points for
bird-watching. Expansion and strenghthening of water-sports, fishing
and para-gliding activities are planned - this includes the purchase
of additional equipment, training of local youth to establish a strong
human resource base and the provision of comprehensive facilities.
In the coming years, the Sagar is expected to emerge as a major nucleus
of tourism related activity in the region - and the Himachal Pradesh
Tourism Development Corporation has already started construction of
a large resort with a wide range of facilities at the Sagar. |
| Existing Accomodations :- Hotels, Guest House,
Forest and PWD Rest Houses are available at nearby Dharamshala, Dehra,
Sansarpur, Terrace, Dada Siba and Nagrota Surian. |
| Other Attractions :- The sagar
is close to several places of Hindu Pilgrimage - Jawalamukhi, Chamunda
Devi, Chintpurni, Brajeshwari Devi, Mahakalesar, Bagalamata and Naina
Devi. The seat of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Mcleodganj and the
Namgyal Monastery are a short drive away. The other budhist monasteries
at hand are Tahijong and Bir. |
| The Kangra area is regarded as amongst the best in this part of
the world for para-gliding. There are many sites of architectural
importance, old forts and places that are close to the Sagar. For
example, the fort of Kangra, Mangarh, abd Tira (Sujanpur) and the
Monolithic temple of Masrur. |
The area was the cradle of the Kangra school of
miniature painting. Near the Sagar is Hamirpur-Guler which was a major
centre of the art. There are rare exhibits at the Kangra Art Gallery
at Dharamshala.
The area has several trek routes for which the Sagar can act as the
base camp. |
|
