PARSHAR LAKE
AT
MANDI
Parashar
Lake is located at an height of 2730 m above sea level. Its in Mandi District
of Himachal Pradesh. With deep blue water the Lake is held sacred to the
sage Prashar and he is regarded to have meditated here.
Framed
by snow-capped peaks and looking down on fast flowing river Beas, the Lake can
be approached via Drang. Every year in the month of June, famous traditional
fair is held here. Several camping sites are also located here and it is the
base for numerous easy and hard treks.
The lake is situated at an
avg. height of 2730m (8,960 ft) in the lap of mountains. The deep blue
lake lies in a saucer shaped valley and is surrounded by snow-capped peaks.
The primary inflows to the
natural sweet water lake are rain water and glacier run off/melt water and the
lake depth is unclear as of now. There is a little floating island in
between the lake which keeps on revolving and changes its position at regular
intervals which is quite unique.
The
lake has been named after the sage Prashar (father of Vedavyas) who has
mediated here and is a pristine spiritual place.
Alongside the lake there is an old three storied pagoda shaped temple
dedicated to the sage Prashar. The temple and a small ground alongside the lake
offers great scenic natural beauty and provides the feel of heaven. This
temple was built by Raja Ban Sen of Mandi in the 14th century and is
capped with a roof of slate tiles and has a wealth of wood carvings.
The area has been surrounded by the dense forest and is awesome place to
relax and connect with nature. An entire amazing panorama of snowy mountain
ranges is visible from this location.
At the top of the valley, one can be surrounded by lash green spots with
cows, lambs, horses grazing and small mud huts made by Gaddis and
Gujjars. The good part is that the area is completely pollution free,
clean, calm, less populated, and totally untouched by the modern amenities.
In nutshell it is a must visit place for trips, picnic, and group parties.The road to the Prashar is very
adventurous and breathtaking. The road goes through a patch of dense lush green
jungle and wild hens can be easily spotted on the way.
By Bus: An HRTC bus runs on this route on daily
basis. The bus starts from Mandi bus stand @ 7 AM and reaches the Prashar (via
Kataula and Bagi) @ 11AM appro. The same returns from Prashar @ 1:30 PM and
reaches Mandi @ 5PM approx.
The last HRTC bus makes an overnight stop at
Suda village, between Bagi village and Prashar Lake.
Buses do not ply to Prashar Lake in peak
winters because of snowfall and bad road conditions.
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