Explore Surinsar Lake In Jammu And Kashmir: A Sacred Paradise

Located just 42 km from Jammu, the “City of Temples”, Surinsar Lake is a breathtaking freshwater lake surrounded by pine forests, mangroves, and hills. This natural wonder carries centuries of fascinating history and religious significance. What makes Surinsar special is its connection to its twin lake, Mansar, which is located just 9 km away. These two lakes share not just a location but also an ancient mythological story that makes them sacred to pilgrims and fascinating to tourists alike. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes are also known as important Ramsar Sites. 

Surinsar Lake History

According to local legend, this lake is connected to the Pandavas, the five brothers from the Mahabharata story during their time in exile. The story says that Babhruvahana once ruled this area. He was the son of one of the Pandava brothers named Arjuna and a princess called Alpi, who was the daughter of the Nag King.

After the great war of Mahabharata, Arjuna performed a special ceremony called “Ashwamegh Yagya” to prove his power over the land. In this ceremony, a horse was set free to roam, and wherever it went would be considered Arjuna’s territory. However, when the horse reached a village called “Khoon” near Ramkote on Dhar road in Udhampur, Babhruvahana (Arjuna’s own son) caught it. When Arjuna came and asked his son to release the horse, they ended up fighting each other. Surprisingly, Babhruvahana defeated his father Arjuna in this battle, even though Arjuna was one of the greatest warriors of the Mahabharata.

Arjuna fell unconscious. Knowing this, Babhruvahana’s mother rushed to the scene and told him he had just fought his own father. Feeling sorry, Babhruvahana learned that to save his father’s life, he needed to get a special gem from a powerful snake king called Sheshnag. To reach Sheshnag, Babhruvahana made a tunnel using his arrow. This place was named “Surangsar” (which later became “Surinsar”)

After fighting and defeating Sheshnag, Babhruvahana got the magical gem and came out through the other end of the tunnel. This exit point was named “Manisar” (now called “Mansar”) 

This is how Surinsar Lake was created, and it has been an important and special place for people to visit ever since the time of the Mahabharata.

Suggested Read: 15 Stunning Reasons To Visit Kashmir – WanderOn