Surinsar Lake

 

Surinsar Lake is a must-visit destination in District Jammu, India. Surinsar Lake is unique,  historic, and famous, and the natural freshwater lake is one of the three famous Lakes of Jammu namely Mansar, Surinsar, and Sanasar. Surinsar and Mansar Lakes are linked with each other due to their existence, being in the same vicinity, and having common background. Therefore it becomes quite imperative to name both lakes whenever anyone writes about any one of them. Surinsar is considered a sacred Lake and is a big center of pilgrimage since the time of its inception &  is spread over an area of  1-1/2  square miles. Jammu Surinsar Lake is Situated at a distance of about 42 kilometers from the city of Temples, Jammu, and is covered by pine forests, dense mangroves, and hills possessing some mythological relevance. Surinsar Lake and another famous and beautiful lake called Mansar Lake situated at a distance of about 9 kilometers from Sansar Baoli are considered twin lakes bearing ancient historical and religious importance where a large number of visitors trip to enjoy their scenic beauty and as well perform the pilgrimage. Therefore these twin lakes are considered the most significant lakes from a religious point of view also and are also called Ramsar Sites.  

Jammu Surinsar Lake is also a nice Excursion destination where families generally visit to enjoy the serene beauty of the lake surrounded by the greenery. It is an ideal gateway for people who are in search of peace and tranquility as this Lake has immense natural beauty and in the middle of both the lakes, there is an amazing Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary that remains also a major tourist attraction.  Surinsar Lake is the ideal destination to spend quality time. This lake is having water based Lotus garden and the lake is a great picturesque spot in summer when the surface is covered with countless lotus flowers. The amazing and attractive Hills in the backdrop of the lake separate it from the urban areas and offer a calm and divine feel. There is also a beautiful small Island in the center of this lake which is the home of thousands of bats and toward its Easter coast there is a holy temple of Sheshnag having a big religious relevance. It is also said that the surinsar and Mansar lakes are 12000 years old and the depth of these lakes is still unknown. The water of these twin lakes based closely on each other is considered to be holy and has a spiritual connection. Surinsar Lake possesses a large number of fish of various species but common carp species fish. are found in the majority of the lake. There are an uncountable number of turtles also found in the lake and visitors during their trip here specially feed fish and turtles.

Legend of the Lake:

Jammu Province of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India is a land of shrines and pilgrimages and there is hardly any village or a town that does not have a Shrine of its own and many of them are more than local importance. The origin of Jammu Surinsar Lake is closely associated with the ancient era of Mahabharata. The legend of this lake says that during the wandering period of the Pandavas in exile, five brothers and according to Hindu religious belief during the ancient period of Mahabharata the son of Arjuna and Alpi (who was the daughter of King Nag) named Babhruvahana - was the ruler of this region during ancient times of Mahabharata. It was the post-war that Arjun proved his mettle and superiority over this land through the "Yagya" named "Ashwamegh Yagya" and the power of the symbol of "Ashwamegh Yagya" was a horse, who was captured by  Babhruvahana at village " Khoon" nearby Ramkote on Dhar road Udhampur. A royal battle ensued when Arjuna asked the youth Babruvahana to let go of the horse &  in the fight the great Mahabharata hero was defeated. 

He fell unconsciously and When Babruvahana's mother heard all this, she immediately went to the spot and told his son that he has killed his father. The son was full of contrition and thorough consultations and confabulations took place about how the dying hero could be saved. Therefore Babhruvahana, son of Arjuna had to procure Mani(gem) from "Sheshnag" & it was then he made a tunnel(a passageway) with his arrow & the site where he made a pass-way(Surang) was called "Surangsar" and now"Surinsar".After defeating "Sheshnag" and capturing Mani, he emerged with Mani on the other end of the tunnel called Manisar now called Mansar. In this way, Surinsar lake came into the existence and became a major center of attraction for the people since the Mahabharata Period.

Every year annual festival is celebrated in Surinsar in August coinciding with Nag Panchami, Shravan Purnima, and Sankranti when a large number of people from every nook and corner of Jammu throng to this place to take a holy dip in the waters of the lake to wash off their sins. People don't eat non-veg items or mutton near the lakes and they feed the fish and tortoise which is abundant in the waters of the lake.

Amusement Park :

There is a big amusement Park near Surinsar Lake for both kids and adults. The park is well maintained and is developed beautifully with the latest infrastructure where children and adults can play, enjoy and have a lot of fun for some time by doing Swinging, cycling, boating, etc. This amusement park remains the main focus of visitors, especially children who visit here 

Some Must Visit Places Nearby :

Surinsar Lake in Jammu District is a perfect spot for a tourist and family outing. The other nearby places in District  Jammu where tourists and pilgrims visit round the year in large numbers from different parts of India and abroad are Mansar Lake, Bahu Fort, Bage-e- Bahu, Bawey Wali Mata Temple, Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, Raghu Nath Temple, Ranbireshwar Temple, mar Mahal Palace Museum, Manda Zoo, Peer Kho cave temple, Maha Maya Temple, Balidan Stambh (War Memorial), Peer Baba Dargah, Rajinder Park, Akhnoor Fort, etc.

How to Get Here :

Jammu Surinsar Lake is about forty-eight kilometers away from Jammu City and it takes about one hour and fifteen minutes to reach the lake while from Sidhra Jammu it is a distance of about 26 kilometers and takes 45 to 50 minutes to reach surinsar via Magalta road. The Journey is quite hilly with beautiful viewpoints where one can enjoy the hill drive with amazing scenic views all around as well visitors can have refreshments en route at small street food stalls. It is also easily approachable via Jammu surinsar Mansar Road by Private Vehicle, Taxi, cabs or bus, etc. Mansar Lake is situated on Samba udhampur road at a distance of 20 kilometers and from that samba route, it takes about less than an hour to reach surinsar by a well-connected road. As far as Historic and popular Mansar Lake is concerned it is famous not only for being a popular tourist and picnic spot in Jammu and Kashmir, India but also because of the presence of two old historic highly devotional temples namely Durga Temple and the temple of Umapai Mahadev and Narasimha.

Hotels/Accommodation :

There are special accommodation units comprising all the basic facilities quite near the lake being provided by the Department of Tourism, Government of Jammu, and Kashmir for the convenience of the visitors and tourists and the area nearby the lake is eye soothing and give a pure divine feeling to the visitors. Visitors can also have a night stay at Mansar, the other nearby tourist spot situated at a distance of nine kilometers from here where the proper boarding and lodging arrangments are also available. Visitors also generally come back to District Headquarters Jammu after a day-long trip and stay here easily as all types of Hotels, restaurants, shopping Malls, markets, etc are easily available here. 

Conclude: 

Two natural lakes Surinsar Lake of Jammu and Mansar Lake perched on a longitudinal Spur of Lower Shivaliks are only 9 kilometers away from each other and it is also believed that these twin lakes have some underground link. Surinsar Baoli is smaller than Mansar lake but is also quite scenic blessed with an artistic mesmerizing beauty all around that attracts visitors and travelers from every nook and corner of the country and abroad. A small island situated in the middle of the Lake adds an additional feather to the beauty of Surinsar lake and is a home for many birds. The lake being a wetland has a bird sanctuary rich in Avi Fauna in its periphery and water birds of many varieties make this lake a bird-watched heaven. Surinsar lake can be visited around the year but the best time to visit this destination is summer because of its picturesque spot where the surface remains covered with countless Lotus flowers.  Therefore by visiting this destination, visitors can spend quality time and enjoy the water-based lotus garden and its other scenic beauty as well as the Hills that separate it from the urban areas providing a calm and divine feel.