Fringed by low-lying hills on the outskirts of the Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary, Mansar Lake is a popular picnic spot and pilgrimage site, together with its twin lake, Surinsar, nearby. Over 1½ km long and almost a km wide, Mansar Lake is revered by locals for its mythological connection to the sacred Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. The faithful take holy dips in its waters during festivals, while newlyweds circumambulate the lake’s perimeter to seek the blessings of Sheshnag, Lord of Serpents, whose shrine is located on its eastern bank. Mansar is also considered an auspicious site for mundan ceremonies, where children’s hair is shorn for the first time, symbolising freedom from past lives.
Interestingly, Mansar and Surinsar lakes share a common creation story. It is believed that Babruvahana (the son of Arjun and Sheshnag’s daughter, Ulupi) ruled the area in the Mahabharata era. Babruvahana killed a rival king, only to learn that the man he had killed was his father, the Pandava Arjun. In order to bring Arjun back to life, he required a sacred mani (jewel) from Sheshnag, who lived in patal lok (the netherworld). Babruvahana tunnelled his way down to patal lok by shooting an arrow into the ground at Surang Sar, from where a spring emerged, forming Surinsar Lake. After defeating Sheshnag, Babruvahana shot another arrow into the earth above him, emerged with the mani at Mani Sar (now Mansar Lake), and brought Arjun back to life. It is believed that an underground channel still connects the two lakes.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Mansar Lake is a quiet, laidback place, good for walks, boat rides and temple visits. A paved walkway rings the lake, backed by well-tended, manicured lawns. Ubiquitous paddle– and rowboats lie moored along the eastern shore, which is dotted with temples (a few with Vodafone ads painted onto their façades)! Coloured flags adorn two viewing piers, from where visitors throw balls of dough into the mouths of the waiting carp, whose introduction some years ago caused the extinction of local species of fish (see ‘A watery grave?’ below). Sprinklers, the ornamentation of choice for many urban planners, burst forth periodically from the lake’s middle, while its western arm has a few eateries and JKTDC’s Hotel Alpine Mansar.
Paddle boat fee ₹100 for one hr, for 4 people Timings 7 am-7 pm
Mansar Lake’s main shrine, the Pracheen Baba Sheshnag-ji Temple houses a statue of the six-headed snake god. A temple to Durga, another to Narasimha (Vishnu’s half man-half lion avatar) and a third to Umapati-Mahadev (Parvati-Shiva) lie in the vicinity. Some wonderful signboards impart instructions to visitors — “To be close to nature, use viewing decks,” says one. “Paddle the boat in the right way” requests another. And best of all is “Let a litter, don’t spoil the glitter.”
Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary
Unless you’re on a pilgrimage, the highlight of a trip to Mansar Lake is the drive itself. Opt for the longer route — on NH1A (the Jammu-Kunjwani Bypass) towards Pathankot — on your way in or out. It takes you down a broad, double-barrel road lined with dhabas and little townships. However, once you turn left onto the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur Road, 2 km short of Samba, you enter Jammu’s unspoiled rural heartland. The tree-lined road (not tarred in places) passes through quiet villages and green fields rimmed by wooded hills. Pink bougainvillea creepers bloom on thatched roofs. You might stop to give passage to a herd of goats. And after 22 km of winding country roads, you reach Mansar Lake. About 10 km short of the lake, the road climbs up craggy, tabletop hills that are covered in scrub, peepal and acacia trees. These hills are part of the Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary that is bounded on either side by its two namesake lakes.
On the return journey to Jammu, you could choose the shorter route, taking the Surinsar-Mansar Road via Surinsar Lake, which is even more scenic. This route passes through the heart of the wildlife sanctuary and offers spectacular views from the very top of the tabletop hills. Encompassing 98 sq km, the sanctuary supports cheetal, nilgai, barking deer, ghoral, wild boar and leopards as well as 15 species of birds including black partridges, blue rock pigeons and rufus turtle doves. March to May is best for birding, while September to March is good for mammal spotting. The route passes the sacred Surinsar Lake. Today, lotuses bloom and buffaloes wallow in the lake’s placid waters. An annual mela each August attracts scores of devotees, who come to offer prayers at the Nag Devta Temple and take a dip in the lake’s holy waters.
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT
JKTDC’s Alpine Hotel Mansar (Tel: 01990-246122; Tariff: ₹700-2,500) and their Tourist Huts are the only places to stay, with double rooms, AC suites and 3-room huts facing the lake. A 20 per cent discount is offered in off-season. The in-house Lake View Restaurant serves Indian and Chinese veg food. Next door, Café Crane Restaurant serves veg fare similar to Lake View’s. A few dhabas lie scattered around the lake, including Mansar Resort, near the Sheshnag shrine, which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as mundan ceremonies! A little row of shops selling cold drinks, chips and plastic toys is close by.
FAST FACTS
When to go November-March is the best time to visit Mansar, with temperatures remaining crisp and cold. In April, it starts to warm up, staying hot till June, after which comes the rain. The weather begins to cool again in September
Tourist Offices
J&K Tourism, Tourist Info Counter, Jammu Airport, Tel: 0191-2431917
J&K Tourism, Tourist Info Counter, Jammu Tawi Railway Station; Tel: 0191-2476078
Website: jktourism.org
JKTDC, Tourist Reception Centre, Vir Marg, Jammu, Tel: 0191-2579554, 2549065, Mobile: 09419212464/ 51, Website: jktdc.co.in
Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, Chief Executive Officer, Jammu, Tel: 0191-21707369, 2433534, Mobile: 09419167534, STD code 01990
A watery grave?
Human interference is threatening Mansar Lake’s wildlife as many aquatic species have vanished over the years, while others have been declared endangered. Sadly, the introduction of exotic carp in the lake has driven local fish species to extinction. Being smaller in size, indigenous fish were the preferred food for migratory birds and Mansar’s critically endangered Gangetic soft-shell turtles and Indian flap-shelled turtles. Since the indigenous species of fish have become extinct, birds such as the white-breasted water hen and dabchik have stopped visiting the lake, while Mansar’s turtles are on the verge of extinction due to starvation. Besides this, boating activities, the draining of lake water and paving of the lake-shore (which is a crucial turtle habitat) have added to the serious decline of wildlife. Hopefully, authorities will act quickly to remove the carp and halt other harmful activities, giving a fighting chance to Mansar’s remaining aquatic life.
GETTING THERE
Location Mansar Lake lies within the Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary and is a popular excursion to the east of Jammu, in Jammu District
Distance 49 km E of Jammu
By Road 2 hours from Jammu
Route from Jammu NH1A Bypass to Surinsar Road (Bajalta Link Road); Surinsar Road to Surinsar Lake via Badgah; Surinsar-Mansar Road to Mansar Lake.
Air Nearest airport: Jammu (49 km/2 hrs), connected to Srinagar, Leh, Delhi and Mumbai by Air India, SpiceJet, Indigo, Jet Airways and Go Air. Taxi charges ₹1,800-2,000 to Mansar Lake
Rail Nearest railhead: Jammu Tawi (49 km/2 hrs). Taxi charges as above
Road From Jammu Station, get onto the Jammu-Kunjwani NH1A Bypass. Follow the bypass north to its junction with the Surinsar Road, just ahead of Batra Hospital. Turn right onto the Surinsar Road (Bajalta Link Road), and follow it to Surinsar Lake past the Tawi Bridge and Badgah. Just after Surinsar Lake, the road forks. Take the right fork and drive through the Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary to Mansar Lake. The 49-km drive can take up to 2 hours, depending on traffic. For a full-day excursion, to and from Jammu, taxis charge approx ₹2,500-3,000. Ordinary buses from Jammu Bus Stand ply to Mansar Lake (₹ 45) at regular intervals. Another driving route from Jammu follows NH1A approx 40 km south along the Jammu-Kunjwani Bypass via Gangyal, Bari Brahmana, Vijaypur and Sapwal towards Samba. About 2 km before Samba, turn left at the signpost onto the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur Road, which leads 22 km along a pretty country road via Nud village to Mansar Lake. This route is longer by 20 km