All About Chorabari lake
Chorabari Lake - The Pristine lake near Kedarnath Temple and the origin of river Mandakini. Read to explore more about this mysterious lake which is the major reason for the 2013 flood in the Kedarnath region.
Located at an altitude of 12800 feet above sea level and well known as Gandhi Sarovar, Chorabari Lake is situated at the toe of the Chorabari glacier. This lake is known as the origin of the Mandakini River and is located just 2 kilometers away from the Holy Kedarnath Temple. This lake is renamed Gandhi Sarovar after some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were scattered in it. As per the legends, it is also said that this is the place where Lord Shiva imparted the knowledge of yoga to the Sapt Rishis.
On June 17, 2013, the soil holding water in Glacier slipped due to the incassently increasing water level in the lake, causing huge destruction in Kedarnath Valley in the form of a flood. A monitoring camp was set up by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Ecology to monitor the water level at regular intervals.
Chorabari glacier is also gaining popularity as a favorite trekking destination. In addition to providing a bird's-eye view of Kedar Valley, this lake also provides a magnificent view of some of the famous snow-capped peaks of the Himalayan ranges. Trekking to this pristine lake is a lifetime experience, but it's recommended to start early for Chorabari Lake as the weather here is very unpredictable.
Chorbari Lake is one of the 14 lakes in the Mandakini river basin, spread all along the river. The Mandakini River is one of the most important tributes to the holy river Ganga. The main source of this lake is the dripping water from the Chorabari glacier, and for most of the year, this lake remains full of great variation in the water level of Chorabari Lake. Due to climatic change, the glacier retreated for more than 200 meters, making its catchment area even wider. As per the report published by the Vadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, which has a monitoring camp at this lake, the accumulated water was adding to the depth of the lake by 2-3 meters every year, resulting in huge pressure on the mountains and soil and creating embankments at Chorabari Lake. On the morning of June 17, 2013, due to heavy rainfall (more than 315mm) and the melting of stone, it broke its embankment, and the lake emptied in a few minutes, resulting in a flow of huge amounts of water with bolder and morains with it, causing devastation all around the Kedar valley. Lakhs of people have lost their loved ones in this flood.
Note:- You can book your Kedaranth yatra package with Manchala Mushafir. We provide Kedarnath yatra package cost of INR 9500 per person from Haridwar to Haridwar including transportation, meals, guide, Kedarnath yatra registration, luxury stay, river rafting etc.
By Air:- The nearest airport to Chorabari Lake is Jolly Grant Airport, which is also known as Dehradun Airport. Regular flights are available from all the major cities. Prominent operators at this airport are Spice Jet, Indigo, and Air India. The nearest international airport to this lake is Indra Gandhi International (IGI) airport.
By Train:- The nearest railway station to Chora Bari Lake is Yog Nagri Rishikesh Airport. But you may not get a direct train from your hometown to Rushikesh, so you can also look for trains to Haridwar or Dehradun railway station, as Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Dehradun are sister cities located very close to each other.
By Road:- After Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Dehradun, the only option left to move ahead is by road. So basically, we have three options available: one is to book a personal cab that will drop you off at Sonprayag and take you back. This cab will always remain with you, so it will cost more. The next option is to take a shared cab, which is easily available in front of Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Dehradun airports. This cab will drop you off at Sonprayag. This method is the most economical and comfortable. The third and last option is to take a roadway bus; it would be the most economical way to travel but may not be very comfortable as roads are very rough, but if you are on a budget trip, you can consider taking this option.
All the outside vehicles are allowed only until Sonprayag. Ahead of Sonprayag, you have to take a shared jeep operated by the government with a minimal charge of Rs 50 per person. That jeep will drop you off in Gaurikund. From Gaurikund, you have multiple options, like taking pitthu, palki, khacchar, or trekking all the way to Kedarnath. Moving ahead of Kedarnath, trekking is the only possible option.
Chorabari Lake is surrounded by some of the most prominent places, and you can visit one or more while visiting this lake.
Kedarnath Temple: One of the most prominent pilgrimage sites for Hindus is Kedarnath Temple, located just 2 km from Chora Bari Lake. In fact, Kedarnath Temple falls on the route to Chorabari Lake and is a prime attraction in this area. This Shiva temple is part of 12 jyotirlingas, Panch Kedar, Chota Char Dham Yatra, and Do Dham Yatra. Millions of pilgrims visit this temple to admire its beauty and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva, as it is believed to be the gateway to heaven.You can go on Kedarnath Yatra on your own or you can book your Kedarnath tour package with Manchala Mushafir for your comfortable and luxurious journey. Here Kedarnath yatra package cost you around 9500 + 5% GST if you are travelling alone. If you are travelling in group, price may decrease further depending upon your group size. Kedarnath Yatra Package will include your travelling, meals, stay, guide, yatra registration, river rafting and many more. Contact our customer care executive to know more about it.
Bhairav Nath Temple: Another prominent location to visit near Chorabari Lake is Bhairav Nath Temple. Located at a distance of 400 meters from Kedarnath Temple and about 2.3 km from Chorabari Lake, Bhairo Nath Temple is believed to be the protector god of the Kedar Valley. Vahanas of Bhairo Nath is considered to be the dog. Every day, thousands of pilgrims visit the Bhairo Nath temple to offer mustard oil to Bhairo Nath and ask for prosperity in life and family.
There are no stay options or shops available near Chorabari Lake. All the conviniences are available only until kedarnath. So basically, we have two options: either to trek back from Chorabari Lake and stay at Kedarnath, or to carry your own camping tents and camping equipment with you. If you are going to stay there, then here is a list of essentials you are going to need.
Chorabari lake is situated at a distance of 2 Kms from the Kedarnath Temple. It is the origin of Mandakini river and holds crystal clear water which accumulate by the melting of Chorabari glacier.
Chorabari lake is located at a distance of just 2 kms from the Kedarnath temple and is one of the most beautiful and famous trekking destination ahead of Kedarnath temple. To reach here you need to cross the iron bridge and the trails going straight toward the back of Kedarnath temple will lead you to the Chorabari Glacier
The bank of Chorabari lake broken down due to huge water collected by the cloud burst caused the worst flood, Uttarakhand had ever seen in thie century. In this flood thousands of devotees and locals had lost their lives with damage of millions of dollars.
Yes, Chorabari lake is still there at Kedarnath temple. It is the origin of Mandakini river. During the flood of 2013 bank of chorabari lake got destroyed and all the morains were washed away which was not being constructed later on to avoid any flood like that happened in 2013
Chorabari Glacier is located near the Chorabari lake about 2 kms from the Kedarnath temple. It feeds the Chorabari lake which ultimately give birth to the Mandakini river, one of the tributery of river Alaknanda
Chorabari lake is located at a distance of 2 kms from the Kedarnath temple. River Mandakini originates from the Chorabari lake and is a tributery of river Alaknanda.
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