Important lakes of India | List of Largest Lakes of India

Important Lakes of India: Largest Lakes of India

India, with its rich cultural tapestry and diverse geographical attributes, boasts an array of captivating lakes. While rivers meander and flow, lakes offer a contrasting serenity with their still waters. The physical traits of lakes are majorly influenced by temperature, light, and wind dynamics. Although India is dotted with numerous lakes, this piece will delve into the most significant ones. We will spotlight India’s most expansive lakes and other noteworthy water bodies that embellish the subcontinent.

Top 10 largest Lakes in India

The list of the largest lakes in India according to the area covered by them Largest lake is Vembanad Lake in Kerala, the complete list is mentioned in the table below:

Also Read – National Animal of India: Royal Bengal Tiger

Important lakes of India: Complete List

Apart from the largest lakes in India, there are other important lakes that you must know about. Many lakes with their unique features cover the land providing habitat to microorganisms and other beings. Check out the complete list:

1. Kolleru Lake – Andhra Pradesh

• The largest lake in India.
• Located between Krishna and Godavari delta.
• It was declared a wetland of international importance in 2002 under the Ramsar convention.

 2. Sambhar Lake – Rajasthan

• India’s largest inland salt lake.
• Mahabharata mentions the Sambhar Lake as part of the kingdom of the demon king Brishparva.

 3. Pushkar Lake – Rajasthan

• Located in the town of Pushkar in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan.
• Pushkar Lake is a sacred lake of the Hindus.
• Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the waters of the lake during the festival of Kartika Poornima in November.

4. Lonar Lake- Maharashtra 

• The Lonar lake was formed 50,000 years ago after a meteorite hit the Earth.
• Recently, the color of Lonar lake turned pink overnight, and hence, this news has been in the news.
• Some experts suggest that the pink color might be due to the presence of algae and a low level of water.

5. Pulicat Lake- Andhra Pradesh

• Second largest brackish–water lake or lagoon in India.
• The large spindle-shaped barrier island named Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal.
• The island is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, the launch site of India’s successful first lunar space mission, the Chandrayaan-1.

6. Loktak Lake -Manipur

• The largest freshwater lake in North-East India
• Keibul Lamjao the only floating national park in the world floats over it, is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai or Manipur brow-antlered deer.
• It is designated a wetland of international importance under Ramsar Convention in 1990.

 7. Sasthamcotta Lake – Kerala

• The largest freshwater lake in Kerala.
• The purity of the lake water for drinking use is attributed to the presence of a large population of larvae called cavaborus that consumes bacteria in the lake water.

8. Vembanad Lake -Kerala

• The longest lake in India, and the largest lake in the state of Kerala.
• The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted in a portion of the lake.

9. Chilka Lake -Odisha

• It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second-largest lagoon in the world.
• Chilika Lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds, on the Indian subcontinent.
• It is a brackish water coastal lake.

10. Dal Lake – Jammu Kashmir

• Dal Lake is a lake in Srinagar that is integral to tourism and known as the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• Asia’s largest Tulip garden is on the banks of Dal Lake.
• Mughal gardens, Shalimar Bagh, and the NishatBagh are on the banks of Dal Lake.

11. Nalsarover Lake- Gujarat

The lake – Nalsarovar – and the wetlands around it were declared a bird sanctuary in 1969.

12. Tsomgo Lake – Sikkim

• Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake is a glacial lake in East Sikkim.
• The lake is the venue for the Guru Purnima festival in which Jhakris of Sikkim assemble at the lake area to derive benefits from the healing qualities of the lake waters.

13. Bhimtal Lake – Uttarakhand

• It is the largest lake in the Kumaon region, known as the “lake district of India”.
• It is a “C” shaped lake.

14. Barapani Lake- Meghalaya

• Barapani or Umiam Lake is in Shillong.
• The origin of Lake in 1965 is due to the UmiamUmtru Hydro Electric Power Project, the first Hydel power project in the Northeast region of India.

15. Nainital Lake – Uttarakhand

• Kidney-shaped or crescent-shaped.
• Situated in the Nainital district called the Lake District of India.

16. Periyar Lake -Kerala

• Periyar Lake is formed by the construction of the dam across the Mullaperiyar River in 1895.
• The notable elephant reserve and tiger reserve, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the banks of Periyar lake.

17. Hussain Sagar Lake – Telengana

• The lake is in Hyderabad, built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim QuliQutub Shah.
• Connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
• A major attraction at the Hussain Sagar is the 16 meters high, 350 tonnes monolithic Buddha statue on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ installed at the lake’s center.

18. Salim Ali Lake – Maharashtra

• It has been renamed after the great ornithologist, naturalist Salim Ali and also known as the birdman of India.
• Salim Ali Sarovar (lake) popularly known as Salim Ali Talab is located near Delhi Gate, opposite HimayatBagh, Aurangabad.

19. Kanwar Lake- Bihar

The KanwarTaal or KabarTaal Lake is Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake.

20. Nakki Lake – Rajasthan

• ‘Nakki Lake is situated in the Indian hill station of Mount Abu in the Aravalli range.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in this Holy Lake on 12 February 1948 and Gandhi Ghat was constructed.

21. Bhojtar Lake- Madhya Pradesh

• Also known as Upper Lake lies on the western side of the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal.
• Largest artificial lake in Asia.

22. Wular Lake – Jammu Kashmir

• Largest Freshwater Lake in India.
• Lake Basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River.

23. Ashtamudi Lake

• It is a lagoon in the Kollam district of Kerala.
• It has been registered as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

24. Pulicat Lake

• It is the second-largest brackish water lake on the Coromandel Coast.
• It lies on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal.