Destination Pokhara

:: Lakes around Pokhara ::

Phewa Lake
Begnas Lake
Rupa Lake

Lakes with crystal clear water are the other objects of attraction. The name "Pokhara" meaning the valley of the lakes is itself derived from "Pokhari" which literally means a lake. There are eight lakes namely Phewa, Begnas, Rupa, Maidi, Khaste, Gunde, Dipang and Kamal Pokhari - inside the valley. Phewa, Begnas and Rupa are three lakes worth visiting. The following is the list of major lakes.

Lakes	Area	Orientation
Phewa Lake	4.43 sq.km	NW-SE
Begnas Lake	3.00 sq.km	NE-SE
Rupa Lake	1.02 sq.km	NE-SE
Deepang Lake	0.64 sq.km	NE-SE
Maidi Tal	0.64 sq.km	NE-SE

PHEWA LAKE :

Phewa lake is the second largest lake of Nepal and the largest lake of Pokhara Valley. IT is situated at an altitude of 784m at the western edge of Pokhara city near Baidam. It covers an area of about 4.43 sq km with an average depth of about 8.6m, maximum water depth is 19m. The maximum water capacity of the lake is estimated to be 46 million cubic meters. It lies in the valley of Harpan Khola which feeds the lake. On the southern mouth of the lake, at the crown of Pardi River, a dam is built which has nearly doubled the water level. The water of the lake is used for irrigation and electricity generation.

The lake is surrounded by Sarangkot and Kaskikot hills on the northern side. The hill running along the lake is Raniban (Queen of Forests) which is very rich in flora and fauna. Mammals like Common leopard, Bengal fox and Barking deer are common in this forest. It is a home of abundant avifauna also.

The first main attraction is the pagoda style temple in the lake which is the shrine of Barahi (Water Goddess). The next main attraction is the mirror image of mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range on the crystal clear water of the lake. The south - eastern side of the lake offers the best view. THere is facility of canoeing and fishing.

Phewa originally used to cover an area of 9 sq km but now has been reduced to 4.43 sq. km. Geologically the rocks of either side of Phewa are slate and quartzite and make anticline structure along the axis of the lake.

The lake is the home of 17 species of native fish and 4 exotic species. The forest and lake is the habitat of 6 species of amphibians, 14 species of reptiles, 34 species of mammals and 104 species of birds. Out of 104 species of birds, 14 are migratory species.

The lake is linked with pitched vehicle road and boating facility is available.

This snap features the pagoda style temple in the lake which is the shrine of Barahi (Water Goddess)

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BEGNAS LAKE :
Begnas Lake, the second largest lake of Pokhara Valley is situated at an altitude of 650m. It is located in the Siswa village on the eastern part of Pokhara and is 13 km away from the Pokhara city. It covers an area of 3 sq. km. Average water depth of the lake is 9.37 and the maximum water depth is 13.84m. The capacity of the lake is 29.05 million cubic meter. It is comparatively deeper in the northern and western part in the comparision to eastern and southern part. The lake water is drained out by Khudi Khola from the western part.

Geologically the area is composed of slate and phyllite zone with beds of calcareous conglomerate and gravel deposits. The vegetation here is quite different than in other parts of Pokhara because here the major species on the southern aspect of the hills on the northern part of the lake is Shorea robuista whereas the major species of the forest on the northern aspect of the hill lying on the southern part of the lake is Schima-Castonopsis. The forest is very dense on the northern and southern part of the lake whereas there is cultivation on the eastern part and fishery project on the western part.

The forest is very rich in flora and fauna. The forest surrounding the lake is the habitat of more than 150 species of other birds. The northern part of the lake is best site for observing water fowls. The forest is also rich in mammals where abundant leoparts roam majestically. The pride of this forest is that it is the home of some endangered flora and fauna. You can enjoy boating and fishing in this lake. You can travel to the nearby villages by hiring the boat all the day.

RUPA LAKE:

Rupa Lake is separated by the Pachabhaiya ridge from Begnas Tal, hence, these two lakes are often called the twin lakes. Rupa Lake is situated at an altitude of about 600m and covers an area of 1.12 sq km running along from north to south. The average depth of the lake is 3.0m and maximum water depth is 4.79m. Its water holding capacity is 3.1 million cubic meter.

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