Dal Lake

Dal lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in India, is the second largest lake of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Encircled by mountains on three sides, the banks of this lake are adorned by several blooming gardens and orchards. Some of the main features of this lake include five basins and numerable channels, which are well linked with each other.

With a size of 6 km by 3 km, the embankments of this lake also house plenty of Mughal monuments along with the campus of University of Kashmir. In addition, the lake has two hillocks that house the popular shrine of Shankaracharya along with Hari Parbat Temple.

The lake is also known for its Shikaras and Houseboats for which it is visited by number of tourists. The Shikaras available at the lake provide travellers with ferry rides to and from the banks to the houseboats.

Divided into four parts by causeways, namely Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagi, the lake is also the second largest industry of fishing. It is believed that Dal Lake originated from the Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake, which at some point of time covered the Kashmir valley.