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{{short description|Lake in Ganderbal, Jammu & Kashmir}}
{{short description|Lake in Jammu & Kashmir, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox body of water
{{Infobox body of water
|name = Gangabal Lake
| name               = Gangabal Lake
|image = Gangabal Lake.jpg
| image               = Gangabal Lake.jpg
|alt = view of Gangabal lake
| alt                 = view of Gangabal lake
|caption = Gangabal Lake at the foot of [[Harmukh]]
| caption             = Gangabal Lake at the foot of [[Harmukh]]
|location = [[Ganderbal]], [[Kashmir Valley]]
| location           = [[Ganderbal district]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
|coords = {{coord|34|25|50|N|74|55|30|E|region:IN_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
| coords             = {{coord|34|25|55|N|74|55|33|E|region:IN_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
|pushpin_map = India Jammu and Kashmir
| pushpin_map         = Jammu and Kashmir#India
|pushpin_map_caption = Location Jammu and Kashmir
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Jammu and Kashmir
|pushpin_map_alt = Location of Gangabal lake within Jammu and Kashmir
| pushpin_map_alt     = Location of Gangabal lake within Jammu and Kashmir
|basin_countries = [[India]]
| basin_countries     = India
|type = [[oligotrophic lake]]
| type               = [[Oligotrophic lake]]
|inflow = Melting glaciers
| inflow             = Melting glaciers
|outflow = [[Nundkol Lake]] which drains into [[Sind River]]
| outflow             = [[Nundkol Lake]], which drains into [[Sind River]]
|area = <!--{{convert|1.57|km2|sqmi}}-->
| area               = <!--{{cvt|1.57|km2|sqmi}}-->
|length = {{convert|2.7|km|mi}}
| length             = {{cvt|2.7|km|mi}}
|width = {{convert|1|km|mi}}
| width               = {{cvt|1|km|mi}}
|elevation = {{convert|3575|m|ft}}
| elevation           = {{cvt|3576|m|ft}}{{sfn|Ahmed|Rawat|Wani|Ahmad|2022}}
|frozen = November to April
| frozen             = November to April
}}
}}
The '''Gangabal Lake''' also called Haramukh ganga, is a [[lake]] situated at the foot of [[Mount Haramukh]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gaffarakashmir.com/trekking_kashmir.html|title=Trekking Kashmir|publisher=gaffarakashmir.in|access-date=2012-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313064920/http://gaffarakashmir.com/trekking_kashmir.html|archive-date=13 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> in [[Ganderbal]] district, north of [[Srinagar]], in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]]. It is an alpine high altitude [[oligotrophic lake]],<ref>{{cite journal|last=Raina|first=HS|author2=KK Vass|title=Some biological features of a freshwater fairy shrimp, Branchinecta schantzi, Mackin, 1952 in the Northwestern Himalayas, India|journal=J. Indian Inst. Sci.|date=May–June 2006|volume=86|pages=287–291|url=http://journal.library.iisc.ernet.in/vol200603/paper9/287.pdf|access-date=21 February 2012}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  home to many species of fish,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x2614e/x2614e05.htm|title=Fishes and Fisheries in high altitude lakes, Vishansar, Gadsar, Gangbal, Krishansar|publisher=Fao.org|access-date=2012-04-19}}</ref> including the [[brown trout]].<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Petr|editor-first=T.|title=Fish and fisheries at higher altitudes : Asia|year=1999|publisher=FAO|location=Rome|isbn=92-5-104309-4|page=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4HESCeJyZcC&q=Vishansar+Lake&pg=PA72}}</ref> This lake is considered sacred in Hinduism, and as one of the home of Lord [[Shiva]]. [[Kashmiri Hindus]] perform annual pilgrimage called ''[[Harmukh]]-Gangabal Yatra''.


The lake has a maximum length of two and a half kilometers and maximum width of one kilometre. It is fed by precipitation, glaciers and springs. The lake water outflows to a nearby [[Nundkol Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kashmirfirst.com/articles/history/070509_haramukh_gangabal.htm|title=Harmukh Gangbal|publisher=kashmirfirst.com|access-date=2012-05-22}}</ref> and then via Wangath Nallah<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/india_information/iNDUS_PROJECTS.htm|title=Indus projects|publisher=nih.ernet.net|access-date=2012-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710143538/http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/india_information/iNDUS_PROJECTS.htm|archive-date=10 July 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> to [[Sind River]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Raina|first=Maharaj Krishen|title=Know Your Motherland – Gangabal Lake|url=http://ikashmir.net/mkraina/13.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.public.fotki.com/kashmir-ladakh-tourism/kashmir--ladakh/gangbal-lake-1.html|title=Kashmir tourism|publisher=public.fotki.com|access-date=2012-05-22}}</ref>
'''Gangabal Lake''' ({{literally|place of [[Ganga]]}}), also called '''Haramukh Ganga''', is a high-altitude [[glacial lake]] situated at the foot of [[Harmukh|Mount Harmukh]] in the [[Indian Himalayan Region|Himalayas]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gaffarakashmir.com/trekking_kashmir.html |title=Trekking Kashmir |publisher=gaffarakashmir.in |access-date=19 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313064920/http://gaffarakashmir.com/trekking_kashmir.html |archive-date=13 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The lake has a maximum length of {{convert|2.5|km|mi}} and a maximum width of {{convert|1|km|mi}}, and is located in the [[Ganderbal district]]. It is fed by precipitation, glaciers, and springs, is [[oligotrophic lake|oligotrophic]] in nature and is home to many species of fish, including the [[brown trout]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x2614e/x2614e05.htm |title=Fishes and Fisheries in high altitude lakes, Vishansar, Gadsar, Gangbal, Krishansar |publisher=Fao.org |access-date=19 April 2012 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924053536/http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x2614e/x2614e05.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Petr |editor-first=T. |title=Fish and fisheries at higher altitudes : Asia |year=1999 |publisher=FAO |location=Rome |isbn=92-5-104309-4 |page=72 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4HESCeJyZcC&q=Vishansar+Lake&pg=PA72 }}</ref> Water from the lake flows into the nearby [[Nundkol Lake]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kashmirfirst.com/articles/history/070509_haramukh_gangabal.htm |title=Harmukh Gangbal |publisher=kashmirfirst.com |access-date=22 May 2012 |archive-date=5 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205054332/http://www.kashmirfirst.com/articles/history/070509_haramukh_gangabal.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and then into [[Sind River]], of which it is considered the source per tradition, via Wangath Nallah.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/india_information/iNDUS_PROJECTS.htm |title=Indus projects |publisher=nih.ernet.net |access-date=22 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710143538/http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/india_information/iNDUS_PROJECTS.htm |archive-date=10 July 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Raina |first=Maharaj Krishen |title=Know Your Motherland – Gangabal Lake |url=http://ikashmir.net/mkraina/13.html |access-date=21 May 2012 |archive-date=28 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728033427/http://ikashmir.net/mkraina/13.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Dhar |first=D.N. |date=1999 |title=Artisan of the Paradise: Art and Artisans of Kashmir, from Ancient to Modern Times |publisher=Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation |isbn=9788186505250 |page=83 }}</ref> This lake is considered sacred in Hinduism as one of the abodes of [[Shiva]], is a site of [[Yatra|Hindu pilgrimage]] and used by [[Kashmiri Hindus]] to perform ancestral and death rites.


==History==
==History==
Gangabal has been mentioned in Hindu texts like [[Nilamata Purana]] as well as [[Rajatarangini]]. Authors like [[Walter Roper Lawrence]] and [[Francis Younghusband]] also mentioned Gangabal lake and it's association with Hindu rites. Kashmiri Hindus were massacred in the year 1518 by Islamic invader [[Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi]] on the day of [[Ashura]]. In 1519 around 10,000 Kashmiri Hindus were killed during their pilgrimage to Gangabal as they had gone to immerse the ashes of Kashmiri Hindus who were killed by [[Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi]] on the day of [[Ashura]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhatt |first=Saligram |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=It1LePnN2LsC&pg=PA116 |title=Kashmiri Scholars Contribution to Knowledge and World Peace: Proceedings of National Seminar by Kashmir Education Culture & Science Society (K.E.C.S.S.), New Delhi |date=2008 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-313-0402-0 |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Gangabal Lake, India, by George Strahan.jpg|thumb|left|1903 painting of the lake, showing the shrine on the left]]
 
Gangabal has been mentioned in several ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts, where it is referred to as ''Uttaramanasa'' and ''Uttara ganga'' ({{literally|northern [[Ganges|Ganga]]}}).{{sfn|Inden|2008|page=535}} It is mentioned in the [[Mahabharata]] as a place of pilgrimage, along with the ''Kalodaka'' or ''Nandikunda'' lake ([[Nundkol]]).{{sfn|Inden|2008|page=537}} The [[Vishnu Smriti]] mentions the lake as a place of pilgrimage for performing [[Śrāddha]].{{sfn|Inden|2008|page=537}} It is also mentioned as a place of pilgrimage in other Hindu texts, such as the ''[[Nilamata Purana]]'', as well as in chronicles such as the ''[[Rajatarangini]]''.{{sfn|Inden|2008|page=535}} In 1519, approximately 10,000 Kashmiri Brahmins died, possibly due to landslides and early snowstorms near Mahlish Meadow during their [[pilgrimage]] to Gangabal while immersing the ashes of Kashmiri Hindus who were killed by [[Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi]] on the day of [[Ashura]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhatt |first=Saligram |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=It1LePnN2LsC&pg=PA116 |title=Kashmiri Scholars Contribution to Knowledge and World Peace: Proceedings of National Seminar by Kashmir Education Culture & Science Society (K.E.C.S.S.), New Delhi |date=2008 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-313-0402-0 |language=en }}</ref> British authors such as [[Walter Roper Lawrence]], [[Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe]], and [[Francis Younghusband]], who visited Kashmir during British colonial rule in India, also mentioned Gangabal Lake and its association with Hindu rites.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tyndale-Biscoe |first=Hugh |year=2018 |title=The Missionary and the Maharajas: Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe and the Making of Modern Kashmir |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |isbn=9781786735447 |page=261 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Younghusband |first1=Francis |last2=Molyneux |first2=Edward |date=1909 |title=Kashmir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3xRDlW_YFCEC |place=United Kingdom |publisher=A. and C. Black. |page=110 }}</ref> In 1943, [[Vikram Sarabhai]], along with a team, measured cosmic rays near the lake.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shah |first=Amrita |date=2016 |title=Vikram Sarabhai: A Life |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=9789386057181 }}</ref>
After the gap of 200 years, APMCC/HGGT took the initiative and restarted [[Harmukh]]-Gangabal Yatra in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-08-28 |title=Harmukh Gangabal lake pilgrimage performed in Kashmir due to Covid-19 |language=en |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/harmukh-gangabal-lake-pilgrimage-performed-in-kashmir-due-to-covid-19-879203.html |access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Raina |first=Irfan |title=Annual Harmukh-Gangabal Yatra commences |language=en |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/kashmir-todays-paper/annual-harmukh-gangabal-yatra-commences |access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref>


==Religious significance==
==Religious significance==
Gangabal Lake is sacred for Hindus. Each year Kashmiri Hindus take pilgrimage to the lake on the Ganga Ashtami. In the past Kashmiri Hindus used to immense the ashes of their dead ones in this lake.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-09-12 |title=Braving Unrest, Pandits Perform Gangbal Yatra in Kashmir |language=en |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/braving-unrest-pandits-perform-gangbal-yatra-in-kashmir-2-1291746.html |access-date=2022-01-25}}</ref>
[[File:Shiva shrine, Gangabal Lake.jpg|thumb|left|[[Shiva]] shrine at the Gangabal Lake]]
Gangabal Lake is sacred for Hindus, who consider it a manifestation of [[Ganga (goddess)|Ganga]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Shali |first=S.L. |date=2001 |title=Settlement Pattern in Relation to Climatic Changes in Kashmir |place=India |publisher=Om Publications |page=39 }}</ref> and the region to be an abode of Shiva.<ref name=DH>{{cite web |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/harmukh-gangabal-lake-pilgrimage-performed-in-kashmir-due-to-covid-19-879203.html |title=Harmukh Gangabal lake pilgrimage performed in Kashmir due to Covid-19 |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |date=28 August 2020 |access-date=25 January 2022 |archive-date=9 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209033009/https://www.deccanherald.com/india/harmukh-gangabal-lake-pilgrimage-performed-in-kashmir-due-to-covid-19-879203.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Kashmiri Hindus [[Indian rituals after death#Niravapanjali|immerse the ashes]] of their dead after [[Antyesti|cremation]] in the lake, and consider it equivalent to the [[river Ganga]] and [[Haridwar]] for performing ancestral rites.<ref name=Nehru&Garyali>{{cite book |last1=Nehru |first1=Raj |last2=Gariyali |first2=C.K. |date=2022 |title=Kathasatisagar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QglyEAAAQBAJ |publisher=Repro India Limited |isbn=9789394534353 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 September 2016 |title=Braving Unrest, Pandits Perform Gangbal Yatra in Kashmir |language=en |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/braving-unrest-pandits-perform-gangbal-yatra-in-kashmir-2-1291746.html |access-date=25 January 2022 |archive-date=9 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209025645/https://www.news18.com/news/india/braving-unrest-pandits-perform-gangbal-yatra-in-kashmir-2-1291746.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Sareen |first=T.R. |date=2004 |title=Socio-Economic And Political Development In South Asia (3 Vols.) |publisher=Isha Books |isbn=9788182050747 }}</ref> An annual pilgrimage, called Harmukh-Gangabal Yatra, starts from the 8th-century [[Wangath Temple complex]] at [[Naranag]].<ref name=DH/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Raina |first=Irfan |title=Annual Harmukh-Gangabal Yatra commences |language=en |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/kashmir-todays-paper/annual-harmukh-gangabal-yatra-commences |work=Greater Kashmir |access-date=25 January 2022 |archive-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125092415/https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/kashmir-todays-paper/annual-harmukh-gangabal-yatra-commences |url-status=live }}</ref> The lake is also invoked during the rituals of ''[[Magha Purnima#Kaaw Punim|Kaaw Punim]]'', a Kashmiri Hindu festival.<ref name=Nehru&Garyali/><ref>{{cite book |last=Bakshi |first=S.R. |date=1997 |title=Kashmir: History and People |publisher=Sarup |page=99 }}</ref> It is considered the traditional source of the [[Sind River]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rabbani |first=G.M. |date=1981 |title=Ancient Kashmir: A Historical Perspective |place=India |publisher=Gulshan Publishers |page=29 }}</ref>


==Access==
==Access==
The Gangbal lake is approached from Srinagar 45 kilometers by road via [[Ganderbal]] up to [[Naranag]] and then a trek of 15 kilometers upslope leads to the lake, which can be covered by a horse ride or by foot. The [[gujjar]] shepherds can be seen during the trek with their flocks of [[sheep]] and [[goats]]. Another trek (25 kilometers long) leads to the lake site from [[Sonamarg]] via the [[Vishansar Lake]] crossing three mountain passes Nichnai pass, Gadsar pass and Zajibal pass of an average elevation of 4100 meters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pttindia.com/gt.html |title=Track to Gangabal |publisher=pttindia.com |access-date=2012-05-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329232450/http://www.pttindia.com/gt.html |archive-date=2012-03-29 }}</ref> It can also be accessed through a trek from [[Bandipore]] via Arin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kashmirmount.org/track.html |title=Tracks of Kashmir |publisher=kashmirmount.org |access-date=2012-05-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425074501/http://www.kashmirmount.org/track.html |archive-date=2012-04-25 }}</ref> The trek to the lake Gangabal takes place in an alpine environment, (cut crossing) with meadows, (cut from) and huts of [[Gurjar|Gujjars]] with their herds crossing through two passes over 4,000 m to get to the lake Gangabal.
Gangbal Lake is approached from [[Srinagar]], 45 kilometers by road via [[Ganderbal]] up to [[Naranag]], and then a trek of 15 kilometers upslope leads to the lake, which can be covered by a horse ride or on foot.<ref>{{citation |last1=Lovell-Hoare |first1=Max |last2=Lovell-Hoare |first2=Sophie |date=2014 |title=Kashmir: Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, Zanskar |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |page=208 }}</ref> The [[Gujjar]] shepherds can be seen during the trek with their flocks of sheep and goats. Another trek (25 kilometers long) leads to the lake site from [[Sonamarg]] via the [[Vishansar Lake]], crossing three mountain passes, Nichnai pass, Gadsar pass, and Zajibal pass of an average elevation of 4100 meters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kashmirtreks.com/naranag-gangabal-trek |title=Trek to Gangabal |publisher=kashmirtreks.com |access-date=5 January 2023 |archive-date=5 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105101028/https://www.kashmirtreks.com/naranag-gangabal-trek/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It can also be accessed through a trek from [[Bandipore]] via Arin <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kashmirmount.org/track.html |title=Tracks of Kashmir |publisher=kashmirmount.org |access-date=22 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425074501/http://www.kashmirmount.org/track.html |archive-date=25 April 2012 }}</ref> and from [[Gurez]] via Tilel.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Hafizullah Dar |author2=Mudasir Ahmad Dar |chapter=Community Based Tourism Development in the Gurez Valley |editor1=Anna Staszewska |editor2=Shivam Bhartiya |editor3=Viana Hassa |title=Building Community Resiliency and Sustainability with Tourism Development |date=2024 |place=United States |publisher=IGI Global |page=117 }}</ref> The trek to the lake Gangabal takes place in an alpine [[Natural environment|environment]], (cut crossing) with meadows, (cut from) and huts of [[Gurjar|Gujjars]] with their herds crossing through two passes over 4,000 m to get to the lake Gangabal.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
Line 44: Line 43:
File:Gangabal4.jpg
File:Gangabal4.jpg
File:Gangabal3.jpg
File:Gangabal3.jpg
File:Mount Harmukh.JPG
File:Harmukh.jpg
File:Horse riding near Gangbal Lake.JPG
File:Horse riding near Gangbal Lake.JPG
File:Fishes of Gangbal Lake.JPG
 
</gallery>
</gallery>


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{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{portalbar|Lakes}}
==Bibliography==
*{{cite journal |last1=Ahmed |first1=Rayees |last2=Rawat |first2=Manish |last3=Wani |first3=Gowhar Farooq |last4=Ahmad |first4=Syed Towseef |last5=Jain |first5=Sanjay Kumar |last6=Meraj |first6=Gowhar |last7=Mir |first7=Riyaz Ahmad |last8=Rather |first8=Abid Farooq |last9=Farooq |first9=Majid |date=24 November 2022 |title=Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Hazard and Risk Assessment of Gangabal Lake in the Upper Jhelum Basin of Kashmir Himalaya Using Geospatial Technology and Hydrodynamic Modeling |journal=Remote Sensing |volume=14 |issue=23 |page=5957 |doi=10.3390/rs14235957 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2022RemS...14.5957A}}
*{{citation |last=Inden |first=Ronald |author-link=Ronald Inden |year=2008 |chapter=Kashmir as Paradise on Earth |editor-last=Rao |editor-first=Aparna |editor-link=Aparna Rao |title=The Valley of Kashmir: The Making and Unmaking of a Composite Culture |pages=523–562 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-81-7304-751-0}}
 
{{portal bar|Lakes}}
{{Kashmir Valley}}
{{Kashmir Valley}}
{{Hydrography of Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Hydrography of Jammu and Kashmir}}
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[[Category:Geography of Ganderbal district]]
[[Category:Geography of Ganderbal district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Ganderbal district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Ganderbal district]]
[[Category:Sacred lakes of India]]

Latest revision as of 23:06, 16 February 2026


Gangabal Lake
view of Gangabal lake
Gangabal Lake at the foot of Harmukh
Location of Gangabal lake within Jammu and Kashmir
Location of Gangabal lake within Jammu and Kashmir
Gangabal Lake
Location in Jammu and Kashmir
Location of Gangabal lake within Jammu and Kashmir
Location of Gangabal lake within Jammu and Kashmir
Gangabal Lake
Gangabal Lake (India)
LocationGanderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir
Coordinates34°25′55″N 74°55′33″E / 34.43194°N 74.92583°E / 34.43194; 74.92583
TypeOligotrophic lake
Primary inflowsMelting glaciers
Primary outflowsNundkol Lake, which drains into Sind River
Basin countriesIndia
Max. length2.7 km (1.7 mi)
Max. width1 km (0.62 mi)
Surface elevation3,576 m (11,732 ft)[1]
FrozenNovember to April

Gangabal Lake (lit. 'place of Ganga'), also called Haramukh Ganga, is a high-altitude glacial lake situated at the foot of Mount Harmukh in the Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir, India.[2] The lake has a maximum length of 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) and a maximum width of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), and is located in the Ganderbal district. It is fed by precipitation, glaciers, and springs, is oligotrophic in nature and is home to many species of fish, including the brown trout.[3][4] Water from the lake flows into the nearby Nundkol Lake[5] and then into Sind River, of which it is considered the source per tradition, via Wangath Nallah.[6][7][8] This lake is considered sacred in Hinduism as one of the abodes of Shiva, is a site of Hindu pilgrimage and used by Kashmiri Hindus to perform ancestral and death rites.

History[edit | edit source]

1903 painting of the lake, showing the shrine on the left

Gangabal has been mentioned in several ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts, where it is referred to as Uttaramanasa and Uttara ganga (lit. 'northern Ganga').[9] It is mentioned in the Mahabharata as a place of pilgrimage, along with the Kalodaka or Nandikunda lake (Nundkol).[10] The Vishnu Smriti mentions the lake as a place of pilgrimage for performing Śrāddha.[10] It is also mentioned as a place of pilgrimage in other Hindu texts, such as the Nilamata Purana, as well as in chronicles such as the Rajatarangini.[9] In 1519, approximately 10,000 Kashmiri Brahmins died, possibly due to landslides and early snowstorms near Mahlish Meadow during their pilgrimage to Gangabal while immersing the ashes of Kashmiri Hindus who were killed by Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi on the day of Ashura.[11] British authors such as Walter Roper Lawrence, Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe, and Francis Younghusband, who visited Kashmir during British colonial rule in India, also mentioned Gangabal Lake and its association with Hindu rites.[12][13] In 1943, Vikram Sarabhai, along with a team, measured cosmic rays near the lake.[14]

Religious significance[edit | edit source]

Shiva shrine at the Gangabal Lake

Gangabal Lake is sacred for Hindus, who consider it a manifestation of Ganga[15] and the region to be an abode of Shiva.[16] Kashmiri Hindus immerse the ashes of their dead after cremation in the lake, and consider it equivalent to the river Ganga and Haridwar for performing ancestral rites.[17][18][19] An annual pilgrimage, called Harmukh-Gangabal Yatra, starts from the 8th-century Wangath Temple complex at Naranag.[16][20] The lake is also invoked during the rituals of Kaaw Punim, a Kashmiri Hindu festival.[17][21] It is considered the traditional source of the Sind River.[22]

Access[edit | edit source]

Gangbal Lake is approached from Srinagar, 45 kilometers by road via Ganderbal up to Naranag, and then a trek of 15 kilometers upslope leads to the lake, which can be covered by a horse ride or on foot.[23] The Gujjar shepherds can be seen during the trek with their flocks of sheep and goats. Another trek (25 kilometers long) leads to the lake site from Sonamarg via the Vishansar Lake, crossing three mountain passes, Nichnai pass, Gadsar pass, and Zajibal pass of an average elevation of 4100 meters.[24] It can also be accessed through a trek from Bandipore via Arin [25] and from Gurez via Tilel.[26] The trek to the lake Gangabal takes place in an alpine environment, (cut crossing) with meadows, (cut from) and huts of Gujjars with their herds crossing through two passes over 4,000 m to get to the lake Gangabal.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Ahmed et al. 2022.
  2. ↑ "Trekking Kashmir". gaffarakashmir.in. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  3. ↑ "Fishes and Fisheries in high altitude lakes, Vishansar, Gadsar, Gangbal, Krishansar". Fao.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  4. ↑ Petr, T., ed. (1999). Fish and fisheries at higher altitudes : Asia. Rome: FAO. p. 72. ISBN 92-5-104309-4.
  5. ↑ "Harmukh Gangbal". kashmirfirst.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Indus projects". nih.ernet.net. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Raina, Maharaj Krishen. "Know Your Motherland – Gangabal Lake". Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  8. ↑ Dhar, D.N. (1999). Artisan of the Paradise: Art and Artisans of Kashmir, from Ancient to Modern Times. Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation. p. 83. ISBN 9788186505250.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Inden 2008, p. 535.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Inden 2008, p. 537.
  11. ↑ Bhatt, Saligram (2008). Kashmiri Scholars Contribution to Knowledge and World Peace: Proceedings of National Seminar by Kashmir Education Culture & Science Society (K.E.C.S.S.), New Delhi. APH Publishing. ISBN 978-81-313-0402-0.
  12. ↑ Tyndale-Biscoe, Hugh (2018). The Missionary and the Maharajas: Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe and the Making of Modern Kashmir. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 261. ISBN 9781786735447.
  13. ↑ Younghusband, Francis; Molyneux, Edward (1909). Kashmir. United Kingdom: A. and C. Black. p. 110.
  14. ↑ Shah, Amrita (2016). Vikram Sarabhai: A Life. Penguin Books. ISBN 9789386057181.
  15. ↑ Shali, S.L. (2001). Settlement Pattern in Relation to Climatic Changes in Kashmir. India: Om Publications. p. 39.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Harmukh Gangabal lake pilgrimage performed in Kashmir due to Covid-19". Deccan Herald. 28 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Nehru, Raj; Gariyali, C.K. (2022). Kathasatisagar. Repro India Limited. ISBN 9789394534353.
  18. ↑ "Braving Unrest, Pandits Perform Gangbal Yatra in Kashmir". 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  19. ↑ Sareen, T.R. (2004), Socio-Economic And Political Development In South Asia (3 Vols.), Isha Books, ISBN 9788182050747
  20. ↑ Raina, Irfan. "Annual Harmukh-Gangabal Yatra commences". Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  21. ↑ Bakshi, S.R. (1997). Kashmir: History and People. Sarup. p. 99.
  22. ↑ Rabbani, G.M. (1981). Ancient Kashmir: A Historical Perspective. India: Gulshan Publishers. p. 29.
  23. ↑ Lovell-Hoare, Max; Lovell-Hoare, Sophie (2014), Kashmir: Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, Zanskar, Bradt Travel Guides, p. 208
  24. ↑ "Trek to Gangabal". kashmirtreks.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  25. ↑ "Tracks of Kashmir". kashmirmount.org. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  26. ↑ Hafizullah Dar; Mudasir Ahmad Dar (2024). "Community Based Tourism Development in the Gurez Valley". In Anna Staszewska; Shivam Bhartiya; Viana Hassa (eds.). Building Community Resiliency and Sustainability with Tourism Development. United States: IGI Global. p. 117.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

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