Dal Lake

Dal Lake Latest News

Recently, the iconic Dal Lake in Srinagar hosted the first-ever races under rowing, kayaking, and canoeing categories under the Khelo India Water Sports Festival.

About Dal Lake

• Location: It is a mid-altitude urban lake located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountains.
• It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• It is one of the world’s largest natural lakes and also  known as the Lake of Flowers.
• The shoreline of the lake is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal-era gardens, parks, houseboats, and hotels. 
• The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal, and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered an independent lake).
• Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank, respectively.
• Dal Lake is also popular for the floating market where vendors have their own Shikaras/wooden boats and approach tourists.

Key Facts about Khelo India Water Sports Festival

• It is organised jointly by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the J&K Sports Council under the government’s ‘Khelo Bharat’ policy.
• It is aimed at boosting grassroots sports, generating livelihoods, and rejuvenating local infrastructure.
• It is the first consolidated Open-age category championships where all 14 kayaking and canoeing events and the 10 rowing events are Olympic events.

Source: TH

‹ ›