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Gadsar Lake
Lake of Fishes
Gadsar Lake in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Gadsar LakeShow map of Jammu and KashmirGadsar LakeShow map of India
Location	Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir
Coordinates	34°25′18″N 75°03′26″E / 34.421669°N 75.057274°E / 34.421669; 75.057274
Type	oligotrophic lake
Primary inflows	Melting of snow
Primary outflows	A stream tributary of Neelum River
Basin countries	India
Max. length	0.85 kilometres (0.53 mi)
Max. width	0.76 kilometres (0.47 mi)
Surface area	0.7421 km (0.2865 sq mi)
Surface elevation	3,600 metres (11,800 ft)
Frozen	December to April

The Gadsar Lake or Gad Sar(lit. 'lake of fishes'), also called Yem Sar (lit. 'lake of Yama'), is an alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir Division in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It has an elevation of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft), a maximum length of 0.85 km and maximum width of 0.76 km.

Etymology, geography

Gadsar in Kashmiri means the lake of fishes, a natural habitat of trout and other types of fishes among of which is the brown trout. Yemsar means Lake of Yama. The lake freezes in the month of November to April and is mostly covered by snow during these months, the floating ice bergs are seen even in summer. It is surrounded by alpine meadows full of various kinds of wild alpine flowers, therefore the lake is also called as the valley of flowers. The lake is mainly fed by melting of glaciers. The Gadsar Lake outflows through a stream flows north westwards and joins Kishanganga River at Tulail.

Access

The Gadsar Lake is situated 108 kilometres northeast from Srinagar city. From Naranag a 28 km alpine track leads to the lake. Another track of 41 km northwest from Shitkadi Sonamarg via Vishansar Lake and Krishansar Lake leads to the Gadsar Lake crossing two mountain passes of Nichnai and Gadsar of more than 4100 meters above sea level. The best time to visit is from the month of June to September.

Gadsar, the lake of death

The Gadsar Lake is also called Yemsar which means the lake of Yama and is also referred to as the lake of death. A myth still unresolved. Shepherds grazing their flocks in the outskirts of Gadsar lake during summers believe that, there lives a Lake Monster, a freshwater Octopus which drags the creatures from shores by its tentacles into the water. There is an uncertainty in the minds of visitors, a kind of threat which prevents them going near the shores. The shepherds also chose otherwise grazing their flocks at the shores of the lake. The fishes are being caught outside the lake in a stream from which it flows out.

References

1. Charles Metcalfe MacGregor; Charles Ellison Bates (1995). Central Asia: section 1. A gazetteer of Kashmír. Barbican Publishing Company, 1995. pp. 188, 496–. ISBN 978-1-900056-85-4. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
2. Raina, HS; KK Vass (May–June 2006). "Some biological features of a freshwater fairy shrimp, Branchinecta schantzi, Mackin, 1952 in the Northwestern Himalayas, India" (PDF). J. Indian Inst. Sci. 86: 287–291. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
3. "Gangabal in Ganderbal". kashmirparadise.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
4. "Fishes and Fisheries in high altitude lakes, Vishansar, Gadsar, Gangabal, Krishansar". Fao.org. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
5. Petr, T., ed. (1999). Fish and fisheries at higher altitudes: Asia. Rome: FAO. p. 72. ISBN 92-5-104309-4.
6. Excelsior, Daily (17 August 2012). "Sacred Shrines of Haramukh". Retrieved 15 May 2021.
7. "Gadsar the valley of flowers". aazadkashmir.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
8. "Go to Kashmir". go2kashmir.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
9. Excelsior, Daily (17 August 2012). "Sacred Shrines of Haramukh". Retrieved 15 May 2021.

External links

• Lake and around

v t e Kashmir Valley
Passes	Banihal Pass Zojila Burzil Pass Sinthan top Margan Top
Valleys	Sind Valley Lidder Valley Lolab Valley Betaab Valley
Cities	Srinagar Anantnag Baramulla
Towns	Akingam Achabal Pulwama Budgam Ganderbal Shopian Bandipore Kulgam Downtown Nowshera Gurez Pattan Kangan Hazratbal Awantipora Tral Qazigund Kokernag Shangus Bijbehara Doru Pahalgam Pattan Uri Kreeri Boniyar Tangmarg Sopore Rafaiabad Karnah Kupwara Lolab Handwara Langate Charari Sharief Beerwah Chadoora Bagh e Mehtab Sumbal Sonawari Quimoh Pahloo D.H.Pora Soura Buchpora Jawahar Nagar Srinagar Rajbagh Bemina Maisuma Karan Nagar Indira Nagar, Srinagar Hazratbal Lal Chowk Sonwar Bagh Nowhatta Hazratbal Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar Lal Bazar Zukura Munawar Abad Badami Bagh Nowshera, Srinagar Singhpora Magam Kokernag Daksum
Rivers	Jehlum Sind Lidder Kishanganga Veshaw Rambi Ara
Glaciers	Kolhoi Glacier Machoi Glacier
Lakes	Anchar Lake Dal Lake Nigeen Lake Manasbal Lake Wular Lake Vishansar Lake Krishansar Lake Gangabal Lake Gadsar Lake Sheshnag Lake Tarsar Lake Nundkol Lake Satsar Lake Kausar Nag Brari Nambal Khushal Sar Gil Sar Khanpursar
Mountains	Harmukh Kolhoi Peak Machoi Peak Amarnath Peak Sirbal Peak Tatakooti Peak Sunset Peak Mahadev
Hill stations and Mughal gardens	Pahalgam Sonamarg Yusmarg Gulmarg Aharbal Nishat Bagh Shalimar Bagh Chashme Shahi Verinag Kokernag Naseem Bagh Pari Mahal Achabal
Protected areas	Dachigam Hokersar Hirpora Overa-Aru Rajparian Gulmarg
See also	History of Kashmir Kashmir conflict The Valley Of Kashmir (1895 book) Line of Control Jammu–Baramulla line Kashmiri language

• Geography of Ganderbal district
• Lakes of Jammu and Kashmir
• Tourist attractions in Ganderbal district