Mansar Lake-Popular Tourist Spot
Mansar Lake is a beautiful lake fringed by forest-covered hills. It is situated 62 km from Jammu and 40 km from Udhampur city which is over a mile in length and half-a-mile in width. Mansar Lake is surrounded by hills that are rich in forest area. It is believed that the lake brings good fortune to the newly wedded couples due to which the honeymooners often visit the lake to take an auspicious stroll around it. Besides being a popular destination in Jammu, it is also a holy site, sharing a legend and sanctity of Lake Mansarovar. There is a Shrine to Sheshnag (a mythological snake with six heads) on the eastern bank of the lake. Two ancient and religious temples of Umapati Mahadev and Narsimha are situated in the vicinity of the Mansar Lake.
People take holy dip in the water of the lake in the festive occasions. Every year Food and Craft festival is organized by Jammu and Kashmir Tourism in the month of April. Cultural festival of the Dogra people is also conducted in the month of May. The wrestlers of the regions gather here participating in the Chhing festival. Mansar Lake is also ideal for boating for which the Tourism Department provides adequate facilities.
Best time to visit the Mansar Lake is during April to October. Regular buses run from Jammu to Mansar Lake. Accommodation facility is being made available in the Bungalow and Huts by Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department.
