Lakes of India
: India is blessed with a plethora of lakes, both natural and human-made. Counting them all is quite a task because there are so many, and sometimes, new ones can even appear. Though it's hard to give an exact number, some experts suggest there could be more than 100,000 lakes in our country.
Among these, some are very famous. For instance, there's the Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, the picturesque Chilika Lake in Odisha, and the expansive Vembanad in Kerala. But it's not just about these well-known ones. Every state and region in India has its own collection of lakes, making our country's landscape rich and diverse when it comes to water bodies. For more details on Lakes of India go through the below article.
[ez-toc]
Lakes of India
Lakes are like nature's jewels in India. They are not just beautiful to look at, but they are also really important to us. They give us fresh water to drink and support many plants and animals. India has many different types of lakes. Some are big and deep, like Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, while others are smaller and found in places like parks. Each lake has its own special story and significance.
Some lakes have been important for a very long time. They might be linked to ancient stories or even ancient civilizations. For example, Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is not just a lake, it's like a living part of history. For detailed information candidates can go through the list of Lakes of India from the below table.
State-Wise Lakes of India
Candidates can go through the State-Wise
Lakes of India
from the below table:-
|
State-Wise Lakes of India
|
|
Lake Name
|
Description
|
|
Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh)
|
One of India’s largest freshwater lakes. Located between the Krishna and the Godavari deltas. Home to the Atapaka Bird Sanctuary.
|
|
Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan)
|
The largest inland salt lake in India. It surrounds the historical Sambhar Lake Town, located on National Highway 8 in Rajasthan. According to the Mahabharata, it was part of the demon king Brishparva’s dominion.
|
|
Pushkar Lake (Rajasthan)
|
Located in the town of Pushkar, Rajasthan. Considered sacred by Hindus.
|
|
Wular Lake (Jammu Kashmir)
|
India’s largest freshwater lake, with a surface area that varies throughout the year. The Jhelum River flows into the lake and out again, 40 kilometers downstream of Srinagar.
|
|
Pulicat Lake (Andhra Pradesh)
|
India’s second-largest brackish-water lake or lagoon. Sriharikota, a large barrier island, separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal. The Satish Dhawan Space Centre, which launched India’s maiden lunar space mission, is located here.
|
|
Loktak Lake (Manipur)
|
North-East India’s largest freshwater lake. It is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai or Manipur brow-antlered deer. Keibul Lamjao, the world’s only floating national park, floats above it.
|
|
Sasthamcotta Lake (Kerala)
|
Kerala’s largest freshwater lake. Its purity for drinking purposes is attributed to the presence of a large larva population that consumes germs in the lake water.
|
|
Vembanad Lake (Kerala)
|
India’s longest and largest lake, also the largest in Kerala. Part of it is used for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
|
|
Chilika Lake (Odisha)
|
India’s largest coastal lagoon and the world’s second-largest lagoon. It is a brackish water lagoon covering approximately 1,100 square kilometers.
|
|
Dal Lake (Jammu Kashmir)
|
Renowned as the “Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir”, it is a significant tourist attraction. Asia’s largest Tulip Garden is located on its banks.
|
|
Nalsarover Lake (Gujarat)
|
Likely the largest water bird sanctuary in the country. Populated by migrating birds in winter and spring, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat and India.
|
|
Tsomgo Lake (Sikkim)
|
Also known as Changu Lake, it is a glacier lake in East Sikkim. The Guru Purnima festival is celebrated here, with Jhakris from all over Sikkim gathering to benefit from the curative properties of the lake waters.
|
|
Bhimtal Lake (Uttarakhand)
|
The largest lake in the Kumaon region, known as India’s “lake district”. It has a unique 'C' shape and a masonry dam built in 1883.
|
|
Barapani or Umiam Lake (Meghalaya)
|
Located in Shillong, Meghalaya. It was formed by the Umiam Umtru Hydroelectric Power Project in 1965.
|
|
Nainital Lake (Uttarakhand)
|
A natural freshwater lake in the town of Nainital. It has a distinctive kidney or crescent shape.
|
|
Periyar Lake (Kerala)
|
Created in 1895 by a dam across the Mullaperiyar River. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, known for elephants and tigers, is located on its banks.
|
|
Hussain Sagar Lake (Telangana)
|
Located in Hyderabad, it was built in 1562 and connects Hyderabad and Secunderabad. A large monolithic Buddha statue stands in the center.
|
|
Salim Ali Lake (Maharashtra)
|
Dedicated to the renowned ornithologist Salim Ali, it is located near Delhi Gate, Aurangabad.
|
|
Kanwar Lake (Bihar)
|
Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake, Kanwar Taal or Kabar Taal Lake, is part of the Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary.
|
|
Nakki Lake (Rajasthan)
|
An ancient sacred lake in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, part of the Aravalli range.
|
|
Bhojtal Lake (Madhya Pradesh)
|
Also known as Upper Lake, it is on the western edge of Bhopal. It provides drinking water for about 40% of the city’s population.
|
Important Lakes of India
Candidates can go through the list of Important Lakes of India from the below table:-
|
Important Lakes of India
|
|
Lake Name
|
State/UT
|
|
Pulicat lake
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
|
Kolleru Lake
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
|
Haflong Lake
|
Assam
|
|
Deepor Beel
|
Assam
|
|
Chandubi Lake
|
Assam
|
|
Kanwar lake
|
Bihar
|
|
Hamirsar Lake
|
Gujarat
|
|
Kankaria Lake
|
Gujarat
|
|
Badkhal Lake
|
Haryana
|
|
Brahma Sarovar
|
Haryana
|
|
Chandra Taal
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
|
MaharanaPratap Sagar
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
|
Dal Lake
|
Jammu Kashmir
|
|
Wular Lake
|
Jammu Kashmir
|
|
Agara Lake
|
Karnataka
|
|
Ulsoor Lake
|
Karnataka
|
|
Kuttanad Lake
|
Kerala
|
|
Sasthamkotta
|
Kerala
|
|
Bhojtal
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
|
Shivsagar
|
Maharashtra
|
|
Loktak lake
|
Manipur
|
|
Umiam Lake
|
Meghalaya
|
|
Tam Dil
|
Mizoram
|
|
Chilika Lake
|
Odisha
|
|
Harike
|
Punjab
|
|
Kanjli
|
Punjab
|
|
Sambhar Lake
|
Rajasthan
|
|
Tsomgo Lake
|
Sikkim
|
|
Chembarambakkam
|
Tamil Nadu
|
|
Hussain Sagar
|
Telangana
|
|
Govind Bhallabh Pant Sagar
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
|
Belasagar
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
|
Bhimtal
|
Uttarakhand
|
|
Kaliveli
|
Tamil Nadu
|
Largest Lakes of India
Candidates can go through the list of Largest Lakes of India from the below table:-
|
Largest Lakes of India
|
|
Lake Name
|
Location
|
Description
|
|
Vembanad
|
Kerala
|
Known as the longest lake in India, it's also the largest lake in the state of Kerala and one of Asia's largest.
|
|
Chilika Lake
|
Odisha
|
India's largest coastal lagoon and the second largest in the world.
|
|
Pulicat Lake
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
The second largest brackish water lake in India.
|
|
Kolleru Lake
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
One of India's largest freshwater lakes.
|
|
Sambhar Lake
|
Rajasthan
|
India's largest inland salt lake.
|
|
Wular Lake
|
Jammu and Kashmir
|
The largest freshwater lake in India.
|
|
Dal Lake
|
Jammu and Kashmir
|
Known as the "Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir", it's a significant tourist attraction.
|
|
Bhimtal
|
Uttarakhand
|
One of the largest lakes in the Kumaon region.
|
|
Loktak Lake
|
Manipur
|
The largest freshwater lake in Northeast India.
|
|
Barapani or Umiam Lake
|
Meghalaya
|
A reservoir in the state of Meghalaya.
|
Artificial Largest Lakes of India
Candidates can go through the Artificial Largest Lakes of India from the below table:-
|
Artificial Largest Lakes of India
|
|
Lake Name
|
Description
|
|
Sardar Sarovar Reservoir
|
Formed by the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River, it's one of the largest water projects in India.
|
|
Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir
|
Created by the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on the Krishna River, it's one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.
|
|
Indira Sagar Reservoir
|
Formed by the Indira Sagar Dam on the Narmada River, it's the largest reservoir in India in terms of volume.
|
|
Gobind Sagar
|
Formed by the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River, it's one of the largest reservoirs in India.
|
|
Hirakud Reservoir
|
Created by the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River, it's one of the longest dams in the world.
|
|
Rihand Reservoir
|
Created by the Rihand Dam on the Rihand River, it's one of the largest artificial lakes in India.
|
|
Krishna Raja Sagara
|
Also known as KRS Dam, it's built on the Kaveri River and creates a large reservoir.
|
|
Mettur Reservoir
|
Created by the Mettur Dam on the Cauvery River, it's one of the largest dams in India.
|
|
Upper Kolab Reservoir
|
Formed by the Upper Kolab Dam, it's one of the important dams in the state of Odisha.
|
|
Neyveli Lignite Corporation
|
These are a series of artificial lakes created as a result of lignite mining in Tamil Nadu.
|
