Manasbal Lake

Away from the crowds of Srinagar's lakes, Manasbal offers a quieter encounter with Kashmir's wetlands: calm water for boating, reed beds that shelter migratory birds, and a lotus harvest that still supports the surrounding villages. Manasbal Lake, near Ganderbal, is the deepest freshwater lake in Kashmir, fed mainly by springs rather than a major river. Its shores hold the ruins of a Mughal-era garden and an unearthed ancient Hindu temple, and every July and August the water surface fills with blooming lotus flowers.