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THE MYSTERIOUS PRASHAR LAKE - STORIES AND A MINI GUIDE
Himachal has always been blessed with places with so much of mysteries and adventures, and Prashar lake is one of those places. Situated in the backdrop of Dhauladhar Ranges, Prashar holds mysticity and a rather mysterious vibe to itself. This could be because of how locals have their own way of explaining its peculiarity and strangeness. This has also made travelers from all over the country and the world visit this place. Along with its mystical aura, Prashar Lake is also bestowed with so much scenic beauty and amazing landscape.
Parashar Lake is related to mythology?
Legends as ancient as Mahabharata make up the various mysteries associated with this place. One of the legends is that of one of the Pandava Brothers, Bheem, who is believed to have created this Lake. The legend says that, after the infamous Kurukshetra War, the Pandava brothers were returning along with Lord Kamrunag when Kamrunag really liked the tranquil and peaceful place so he decided to live here forever, and Bheem who is known to be the strongest of the Pandavas, forced the mountain away and created a dent which is now known as the Prashar Lake.
Another story revolving around the lake is that of Sage Prashar, who meditated near the Lake and hence the name. The place also houses a three-storied pagoda-like temple that is dedicated to sage prashar. It is also said that Sage Prashar once prayed to Lord Ganesha to pour down rain since there had been a lack of rain. So now, the locals pray to Lord Ganesha whenever there is an absence of rain.
If the legends above seemed fascinating to you, what’s next will actually quite blow your mind. The mysteries and unknownness of this place is really quite something. One of the fascinating facts is that the floating island in the Lake makes up for 21% of the water and the rest is 79% which is exactly how the water and land is proportioned on earth. The lake is also believed to be a miniature version of the planet where the island is the axis of its revolution. The stranger part is that the island drifts towards the east in the morning and reaches the west in the evening. The locals tend to believe that if and when the island stops floating, there would be a huge catastrophe.
If this wasn’t mysterious enough for you, then brace yourself for this one. The depth of the lake is not known to this date. Several experts have tried various ways to find out the depth of the Lake but only to end up with no success, the Lake is now known to be bottomless.
Trek to the Parashar Lake
Throughout the year, the Lake attracts various kinds of tourists who visit for the mystic aura and also the adventure it offers. The trek to the Lake is known to be enthralling and blessed with one of the best scenic views. The difficulty being easy to moderate, it is famous among both beginners and pros. The first 15 mins might come off as easy but as you keep trekking, you will start to feel a little breathless. The trek, despite being strenuous, is worth it and will have you satisfied with a lot of memories attached by the end of the trek. The landscape blanketed with meadows and deodar pines with a view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance makes it a breathtaking and worthwhile experience.
There are two trek routes to reach Prashar lake, from either Baggi Village or from Panarsa. Baggi is 26 km from Mandi and the trek from Baggi to Prashar Lake is of 9 kms and usually takes 4-5 hours. While Panarsa is located 60 kms away from Mandi and from Panarsa, another drive of 25 kms will have you reach Jwalapur village which will mark the start of your trek to Prashar. Upon reaching the lake, you will be blessed with the views of the lake and the pagoda structured temple that stands near the lake.
How to reach Prashar Lake
Prashar is accessible through roads from Mandi, which is a town located at a distance of 430 km from Delhi. Mandi thus will act as a getaway to Prashar. There will be several buses and taxis that can take you close to the base of the lake.
To reach Mandi, you can access a bus from places like Delhi, Chandigarh and Dehradun and will take you not more than 11 hours to reach. While the nearest train station is in Chandigarh, the nearest airport is at Bhuntar near Kullu.
Best Time to Visit Prashar Lake
One can visit this lake during both winter (December to Feb) and summer (March to May) as the both seasons add their own unique charm to the place. While summer brings with it the lush green meadows, winter on the other hand covers the landscape with snow. People prefer winter over summer to experience the snowy-abode as it adds to the adrenaline rush they experience during the trek.
The monsoon months that is June to August is best to be avoided because of how dangerous it can get due to slippery slopes and chances of landslides.
Now that we have reached the end of this blog, we hope the stories and the mystic appeal of the place only attracts you to Prashar Lake and makes you experience what this place has to offer. Go on to explore this mysterious lake and add to your list of amazing memories.