Picturesque Chandertal Lake to be thrown open to tourists

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 7

The Lahaul-Spiti administration is set to throw open Chandertal Lake to tourists from the Spiti side within a week. Tourists are rushing towards the Spiti valley via the Kinnaur side these days as the Kunzum Pass on the Manali-Kaza road is closed from the Manali side.

The 15,060 feet high Kunzum Pass and its nearby places receive heavy snowfall during winter season every year, which cuts off the Spiti residents from Manali and Lahaul for more than six months.

A Border Roads Organization (BRO) team is moving ahead from Kunzum Pass toward Gramphu. Similarly, another team is moving toward pass to restore the road between Manali and Kaza till mid-June.

The lake is a favourite tourist destination in the Spiti valley and a majority of tourists prefer to visit the popular spot. Because of lack of road connectivity, tourists are disappointed as they are unable to visit the picturesque lake. So, the district administration has decided to restore road connectivity toward the lake on a priority to give boost to the tourism sector.

Sub-divisional Magistrate, Kaza, Jeevan Negi told The Tribune that the BRO team has cleared snow from Kunzum Pass and now moving towards Gramphu. The link road towards the lake is under the Public Works Department (PWD). He said PWD officials had been asked to resume restoration work of link road to the lake so that tourist could go ahead in the area and enjoy panoramic view of nature. Spiti  is famous for trekking routes and wildlife. 

The sight of snow leopard is also a big attraction for tourists. Chandertal Lake, also called the moon lake, is a crescent-shaped basin, surrounded by the gigantic Himalayan mountains on all sides. 

The lake is located in Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of 14,100 ft. 

Earlier, the lake was the resting point for the traders and voyagers, who used to come from Tibet or Ladakh.

The lake is accessible only during the summer months of June, July, August and September. During the rest of the year, the lake remains frozen. One gets awestruck when the lake changes colour in changes with the colour of the sky. The shimmering lake is flanked by the green-carpeted Chandra Baga mountain range.

As per the legend, it is the spot from where Lord Indra took the eldest Pandava brother Yudhishtra in his human form to Swarga in his chariot. People of the neighbouring villages believe that the lake is often visited by fairies at midnight.

The Chandertal Lake is a treat for trekkers and adventure enthusiast as it is the starting line of the famous, Batal- Chandratal Lake-Baralacha Pass trek (the moon trek) which takes them to the cool forest, valleys and undiscovered monasteries. The lake is flanked by gigantic mountains which turn into a bed of wildflowers during winter.

Crescent-shaped basin

• Chandertal Lake, alias moon lake, is a crescent-shaped basin, surrounded by the gigantic Himalayan mountains on all the sides. 
• The lake is located in Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of 14,100 ft. 
• The Lake is accessible only during the summer months of June, July, August and September. During the rest of the year, the lake remains frozen. 
• One gets awestruck when the lake changed color in changing with the color of the sky.