Udai Sagar Lake: A Crown On The “Venice of the East”
The Udaipur city is renowned for its lakes and also called as “Venice of the East”. One of the striking lakes of Udaipur is the Udai Sagar Lake. It is manmade lake on Berach River which resulted due to the construction of a dam and is situated 13 Kms to the east of Udaipur. This is the first lake that was constructed by the then ruler Maharana Udai Singh II. The construction of the lake was started in the year 1559 and completed it in the year 1565
The dimensions of the lake are four kilometer in length, 2.5 Kms in width and approximately 9 metres deep. Maharana constructed this as he sensed a war on cards and to ensure water supply to his citizens without any hassle during the war. The dam in the udaisagar lake drains 479 sq km of the country and also covers an area of 10.5 sq kms. The storage capacity of the lake is 23.4 milli cubic metre.
To manage the overflow of water during rainy season, a channel has been constructed which is connected to Berach River. This lake comes with plenty of water except during lean years. It is on the banks of this lake that Maharana was invited to discuss about surrendering terms to Emperor Akbar by Kunwar Man Singh. Maharana not only turned down the invitation but also insulted Kunwar Man Singh which ended in a war at Haldigati in the year 1576. It was Maharana Raj Singh who conquered the Mughal army led by Emperor Aurangazeb on the embankment of this lake. Here, sunset is a must watch which gives the lake fiery hues of red which resembles the historic battle on the banks of this lake.
This lake lies at the foothills of the Aravalli hills and it accepts a larger part of runoff water from rains. The lush greenery of the Aravalli mountains provides the lake with a picturesque scenery. Today, the major part of the waters of this lake is used by the zinc smelters, local village water, irrigation and recreation. But still tourists visit this lake for the serene water, calm and peaceful ambiance. However, the lake is not surrounded by marble temples that are found usually on the banks of other lakes of Udaipur. The tourists can also go for boating in the lake. The excess water from the lake is diverted to the Berach River and the other channels are used for the irrigation of the crops grown locally. The visit to the city also becomes incomplete without visiting the Udai Sagar lake.
The dimensions of the lake are four kilometer in length, 2.5 Kms in width and approximately 9 metres deep. Maharana constructed this as he sensed a war on cards and to ensure water supply to his citizens without any hassle during the war. The dam in the udaisagar lake drains 479 sq km of the country and also covers an area of 10.5 sq kms. The storage capacity of the lake is 23.4 milli cubic metre.
To manage the overflow of water during rainy season, a channel has been constructed which is connected to Berach River. This lake comes with plenty of water except during lean years. It is on the banks of this lake that Maharana was invited to discuss about surrendering terms to Emperor Akbar by Kunwar Man Singh. Maharana not only turned down the invitation but also insulted Kunwar Man Singh which ended in a war at Haldigati in the year 1576. It was Maharana Raj Singh who conquered the Mughal army led by Emperor Aurangazeb on the embankment of this lake. Here, sunset is a must watch which gives the lake fiery hues of red which resembles the historic battle on the banks of this lake.
This lake lies at the foothills of the Aravalli hills and it accepts a larger part of runoff water from rains. The lush greenery of the Aravalli mountains provides the lake with a picturesque scenery. Today, the major part of the waters of this lake is used by the zinc smelters, local village water, irrigation and recreation. But still tourists visit this lake for the serene water, calm and peaceful ambiance. However, the lake is not surrounded by marble temples that are found usually on the banks of other lakes of Udaipur. The tourists can also go for boating in the lake. The excess water from the lake is diverted to the Berach River and the other channels are used for the irrigation of the crops grown locally. The visit to the city also becomes incomplete without visiting the Udai Sagar lake.
How to reach Udai Sagar Lake
Udaipur is connected by road to other major cities of the country. The city also has an airport and a railway junction. The domestic airport receives flights from all parts of the country. All the major trains stop at Udaipur city. From the Udaipur city, the tourists can take the regular buses that operate, auto rickshaws or the tourists can even hire the taxi.