Mansar Lake
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.
Evening view
MansarLakeis 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.
Morning View
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.
Sruinsar zoo
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.
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.
Comments