Chandra Taal () is a lake in the upper Chandra valley of the Lahul and Spiti district of

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

.Chandra Taal
is near the source of the

Chandra River The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himac ...

. Despite the rugged and inhospitable surroundings, it is in a protected niche with some flowers and wildlife in summer. It is a favourite spot for tourists and high-altitude trekkers. It is usually associated with

Spiti Spiti (pronounced as piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tib ...

, although geographically it lies in the watershed of the Chandra River of Lahaul. Kunzum La separates Lahaul and Spiti valleys.

Description

Chandra Taal Lake is on the ''Samudra Tapu'' plateau, which overlooks the Chandra River (a source river of the

Chenab The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himac ...

). The name of the lake originates from its crescent shape. It is at an altitude of about in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. Mountains of

scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. The term ''scree'' is ap ...

overlook the lake on one side, and a

cirque A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...

encloses it on the other.

Access

Chandra Taal is a tourist destination for trekkers and campers. The lake is accessible by road from Batal and by road as well as on foot from

Kunzum Pass Kunzum Pass ( Tibetan: Kunzum La, elev. ), is a high mountain pass in the eastern Kunzum Range of the Himalayas. It connects Lahaul valley and Spiti valley. It is on the route from Gramphoo in Lahaul to Kaza the subdivisional headquarters of S ...

from late May to early October. The road to Chandra Taal branches off from NH-505 about from Batal and from Kunzum Pass. This motor road runs as far as a parking lot from the lake. One has to travel on foot for the final . It takes approximately two hours from Kunzum Pass to Chandra Taal. Chandra Taal is also accessible from

Suraj Tal Suraj Tal, also called Tso Kamtsi or Surya Tal, is an long lake that lies just below the high Bara-lacha-la pass in Lahaul and Spiti district of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the third-highest l ...

, away.

Fauna and flora

There are vast meadows on the banks of the lake. During springtime, these meadows are carpeted with hundreds of varieties of wild flowers. In 1871, Harcourt, Assistant Commissioner of Kullu, reported that there was a plain of good grass to the north of Chadra Taal, where shepherds brought large herds for grazing from

Kullu Kullu () is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about north of the airport ...

and Kangra. Due to overgrazing, the grasslands are now degraded. Ruddy Shelduck Chandratal Spiti Himachal Jun18 D72 7911

Chandra Taal is home to a few species such as the Snow Leopard, Snow Cock, Chukor, Black Ring Stilt, Kestrel, Golden Eagle, Chough, Red Fox, Himalayan Ibex, and Blue Sheep. Over time, these species have adapted to the cold arid climate, intense radiation, and oxygen deficiency by developing special physiological features. Migratory species such as the

Ruddy shelduck The ruddy shelduck (''Tadorna ferruginea''), known in India as the Brahminy duck, is a bird species in the family Anatidae. It is a distinctive waterfowl, in length with a wingspan of . It has orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, whil ...

are found in summer.

Other details

The lake is one of two high-altitude wetlands of India which have been designated as

Ramsar sites A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

Gallery

File:Chander Taal Wildlife Sanctuary sign. Lahul & Spiti.jpg, Chander Taal Wildlife Sanctuary sign.

Lahaul & Spiti The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul () ...

. File:Chandratal.JPG, View of Chandra Taal, 2008 File:Chandrataal-splendour.jpg, Chandra Taal File:Chandrtaal Sunset.JPG, Chandra Taal reflecting evening sun File:Chandratal July 2017.jpg, Footpath around the lake, Jul 2017 File:ChandraTaal Ruddy Shelduck Wildflowers Jun18 D72 7932.jpg, Ruddy shelduck & wildflowers, Jun 2018 File:ChandraTaal Wildflowers Jun18 D72 7961.jpg, Wildflowers, Jun 2018 File:ChandraTaal Grass Flowers Jun18 D72 7973.jpg, Grass flowers by the lake, Jun 2018

References

External links

Chandra Taal photos on Trek Earth

Hampta Pass Chandratal Trek
{{Ramsar sites in India Lakes of Himachal Pradesh Cirques Hiking trails in Himachal Pradesh Glacial lakes of India Geography of Lahaul and Spiti district Ramsar sites in India Protected areas established in 2005