I live in Dharamsala and outside my windows, I can see the Dhauladhar Mountains very well. Dead North is the Indrahar Pass and the distinct Mun Peak. The walk to Indrahar is not far from my house and it would be the shortest way to get to Chamba and it is the most used trail to get to Manimahesh for the holy dip. As we cross Indrahar pass, there is a holy lake situated right under the peak called Nag Dal (Snake Lake, dedicated to the Nag Devta or Snake God that lives in the hair of Lord Shiva). The interesting thing is that this lake is situated in a narrow valley formed by the twin range of peaks facing North and South, separating Kangra and Chamba Valleys. This narrow valley, slopes downwards towards the West and hence the water from Nag Dal flows West, making more lakes.
Now i had heard about these lakes a lot and locals go to these lakes every year but somehow we never got around to visiting the Lam Dal (Shiva's Lake). This i the holiest lake after Manimahesh and attracts a lot of pilgrims during Shivratri. So around Shivratri, my friends and I decided to visit these lakes and see them all if possible.
During the course of these seven days, we got to cross unnamed passes, got rained upon endlessly and had to do two river crossings. But the reward of seeing the lakes was immense. As you enter this narrow valley over a pass, you see Lake #6, Nagara. There is a camp site here and the local Gaddis are always here to assist and to guide travelers in any way they can. The Gaddis believe that on this holy ground, Shivji comes to assist travelers and test the locals in the form of a human being. So either the traveler could get assistance from him in times of need or the locals could get tested by him as a traveler in need.
When you are climbing the Gag pass to get into this valley, there is a water fall that is gushing out of the mountain. It is literally a hole in the stone and the water comes out at great force. The story is the the Pandavas were in these mountains and Draupadi was thirsty and tired and could not walk any further. Bhim used the tip of his mace and struck the rock to get water for her. Now in reality, this hole in the mountain is connected to Lam Dal on top. The lake bed has a hole which leads to this spot!!!
Anyway, The floor of this valley between the peaks is very shallow, around 3900m at Nagara. This valley floor rises to the East and drops down towards the West. As you follow the Lake going East, it is a good 4 Km hike to the main lake of Lam Dal. Lam Dal being holy, you have to take off your shoes and walk barefoot towards it. There is a high probability of loosing your shoes as it is difficult to tell where you took them off! Anyway, our guides made sure we would find them, but the bitter cold and the fresh morning dew didn't help the feet. The lake itself is magnificent. the little temple at its bank is perfect and yes, it does overwhelm you enough to believe in God, at least for that visit.
We walked back following the Lam Dal flow downwards and saw all the little and big water bodies it was forming. The one that stood out most was Kali Kund. It is a dark green still lake where no one is allowed to bathe as it will kill you. I just feel bad as we didn't have the energy to see Chandrakoop (Moon Lake), the lake above Lam Dal.
So, in design, the lakes are named after the physical form of Lord Shiva. First there is Nag Dal, then comes Chandrakoop, then we have Lam Dal, then Kali Kund and so on until the Nagara lake at the bottom.
This area is full of stories of the Pandavas and a lot of it has to do with Bhim. When we cross over Minkiani Pass and go back into Kangra Valley, we stay on the banks of another lake, Kareri Lake which was formed due to depression formed by Bhim's knee when he knelt there as he was tired.
whatever the reasons and the stories, these lakes are an amazing feature to be seen at least once in your lifetime. The beauty of the place is indescribable. It has all the hallmarks of becoming a great trekking route - ease of access, water, adventure, beautiful camp sites and the destination itself is spectacular.
Now i had heard about these lakes a lot and locals go to these lakes every year but somehow we never got around to visiting the Lam Dal (Shiva's Lake). This i the holiest lake after Manimahesh and attracts a lot of pilgrims during Shivratri. So around Shivratri, my friends and I decided to visit these lakes and see them all if possible.
During the course of these seven days, we got to cross unnamed passes, got rained upon endlessly and had to do two river crossings. But the reward of seeing the lakes was immense. As you enter this narrow valley over a pass, you see Lake #6, Nagara. There is a camp site here and the local Gaddis are always here to assist and to guide travelers in any way they can. The Gaddis believe that on this holy ground, Shivji comes to assist travelers and test the locals in the form of a human being. So either the traveler could get assistance from him in times of need or the locals could get tested by him as a traveler in need.
When you are climbing the Gag pass to get into this valley, there is a water fall that is gushing out of the mountain. It is literally a hole in the stone and the water comes out at great force. The story is the the Pandavas were in these mountains and Draupadi was thirsty and tired and could not walk any further. Bhim used the tip of his mace and struck the rock to get water for her. Now in reality, this hole in the mountain is connected to Lam Dal on top. The lake bed has a hole which leads to this spot!!!
Anyway, The floor of this valley between the peaks is very shallow, around 3900m at Nagara. This valley floor rises to the East and drops down towards the West. As you follow the Lake going East, it is a good 4 Km hike to the main lake of Lam Dal. Lam Dal being holy, you have to take off your shoes and walk barefoot towards it. There is a high probability of loosing your shoes as it is difficult to tell where you took them off! Anyway, our guides made sure we would find them, but the bitter cold and the fresh morning dew didn't help the feet. The lake itself is magnificent. the little temple at its bank is perfect and yes, it does overwhelm you enough to believe in God, at least for that visit.
We walked back following the Lam Dal flow downwards and saw all the little and big water bodies it was forming. The one that stood out most was Kali Kund. It is a dark green still lake where no one is allowed to bathe as it will kill you. I just feel bad as we didn't have the energy to see Chandrakoop (Moon Lake), the lake above Lam Dal.
So, in design, the lakes are named after the physical form of Lord Shiva. First there is Nag Dal, then comes Chandrakoop, then we have Lam Dal, then Kali Kund and so on until the Nagara lake at the bottom.
This area is full of stories of the Pandavas and a lot of it has to do with Bhim. When we cross over Minkiani Pass and go back into Kangra Valley, we stay on the banks of another lake, Kareri Lake which was formed due to depression formed by Bhim's knee when he knelt there as he was tired.
whatever the reasons and the stories, these lakes are an amazing feature to be seen at least once in your lifetime. The beauty of the place is indescribable. It has all the hallmarks of becoming a great trekking route - ease of access, water, adventure, beautiful camp sites and the destination itself is spectacular.
1 comment:
Cant agree more with you Raja. The lakes are just fantastic. I wish I could see a bird's eye view of them one day. The series of waterbodies one below the other would be fantastic. How about posting some photos?
Post a Comment