Lonar Lake, also known as Lonar crater, is a saline,

soda lake A soda lake or alkaline lake is a lake on the strongly base (chemistry), basic side of neutrality, typically with a pH, pH value between 9 and 12. They are characterized by high concentrations of carbonate salts, typically sodium carbonate (and ...

, located at Lonar, 79 km from Buldhana city in Buldhana district,

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

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 ...

. It is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument.national geo-heritage of India
, INTACH Lonar Lake is in an

impact crater An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...

created by a

meteorite A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...

impact during the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

Epoch. It is one of only four known hyper-velocity impact craters in basaltic rock anywhere on Earth. The other three basaltic impact structures are in southern

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. Lonar Lake has a mean diameter of and is about below the crater rim. The meteor crater rim is about in diameter. Although the crater's age was previously estimated to be 52,000 ± 6,000 years, newer studies suggest an age of 576,000 ± 47,000 years. Lonar Crater sits inside the

Deccan Plateau The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...

a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock created by eruptions some 65 million years ago. Its location in this basalt field suggested to some geologists that it was a volcanic crater. Today, however, Lonar Crater is understood to be the result of a meteorite impact. The water in the lake is both saline and

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from the Arabic word , ) is a basic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The ...

. Geologists, ecologists, archaeologists, naturalists and astronomers have published studies on various aspects of the ecosystem of this crater lake. The

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

, Geological Survey of India, the University of Sagar and the Physical Research Laboratory have conducted extensive studies of the site. Biological

nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen () is converted into ammonia (). It occurs both biologically and abiological nitrogen fixation, abiologically in chemical industry, chemical industries. Biological nitrogen ...

was discovered in this lake in 2007. A 2019 study, conducted by

IIT Bombay The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT- Bombay or IIT-B) is a Public university, public research university and Institute of technology, technical institute in Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. IIT Bombay is mainly known for the hig ...

found that the minerals in the lake soil are very similar to the minerals found in Moon rocks brought back during the

Apollo Program The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...

. The lake was declared a protected

Ramsar site 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) **

A series of small hills surround the basin, which has an oval shape, almost round, with a circumference at top of about 8 km (five miles). The sides of the basin rise abruptly at an angle of about 75°. At the base of the sides, the lake has a circumference of about 4.8 km (three miles). The slopes are covered with tree-savannah, housing teak (''

Tectona grandis Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panic ...

''), '' Wrightia tinctoria'', '' Butea monosperma'', and '' Helicteres isora'', and with shrub-savannah housing '' Acacia nilotica'' and '' Ziziphus spp.''. Along the lake shore, non-native '' Prosopis juliflora'' is spreading.

Millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

, and

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...

are the main cultivated crops. The water of the lake contains various salts and sodas. During dry weather, when evaporation reduces the water level, large quantities of soda are collected. Two small streams, named Purna and Penganga, drain into the lake, and a well of

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salt (chemistry), salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include ...

is located on the southern side, close to the water's edge.
Geology – Formation of the alluvium

Geological origin

Lonar Lake lies within the only known extraterrestrial impact crater found within the great Deccan Traps, a huge

basaltic Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron ( mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% ...

formation in India. The lake was initially believed to be of

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

origin, but now it is recognized as an impact crater. Lonar Lake was created by the impact of either a

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

or of an

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

. The presence of

plagioclase Plagioclase ( ) is a series of Silicate minerals#Tectosilicates, tectosilicate (framework silicate) minerals within the feldspar group. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a continu ...

that has been either converted into

maskelynite Maskelynite is a glassy material found in some meteorites and meteorite impact craters. Typical samples are similar in composition to plagioclase feldspar, and revert to that mineral when melted and recrystallized. It was named after British peopl ...

or contains planar deformation features has confirmed the impact origin of this crater. It is believed that only shock metamorphism caused by a hypervelocity impact can transform plagioclase into maskelynite, or create planar deformation features. The presence of impact deformation of basalt layers comprising the rim, of shocked

breccia Breccia ( , ; ) is a rock composed of large angular broken fragments of minerals or Rock (geology), rocks cementation (geology), cemented together by a fine-grained matrix (geology), matrix. The word has its origins in the Italian language ...

inside the crater, of shatter cones, and of the non-volcanic

ejecta blanket An ejecta blanket is a generally symmetrical apron of ejecta that surrounds an impact crater; it is layered thickly at the crater's rim and thin to discontinuous at the blanket's outer edge. The impact cratering is one of the basic surface format ...

surrounding the crater all support the impact origin of Lonar Lake. The crater has an oval shape. The meteorite impact came from the east, at an angle of 35 to 40 degrees. There are various estimates of the age of the crater. Earlier thermoluminescence analyses gave a result of 52,000 years, while recent argon-argon dating suggests that the crater is much older; it could be 570 000 ± 47 000 years old. This greater age is in line with the degree of erosion of the crater rim. As a result of the studies, the geological features of the Lonar crater have been divided into five distinguishable zones, exhibiting distinct geomorphic characteristics. The five zones are: # The outermost ejecta blanket # The crater rim # The slopes of the crater # The crater basin, excluding lake # The crater lake

History

The lake was first mentioned in ancient scriptures such as the

Skanda Purana The ''Skanda Purana'' ( IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parv ...

and the

Padma Purana The ''Padma Purana'' (, or ) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedic ...

. The

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' (), or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document regarding the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl, in the Persian language. It forms ...

, a document written about 1600 CE, states:

These mountains produce all the requisites for making glass and soap. And here are saltpetre works which yield a considerable revenue to the State, from the duties collected. On these mountains is a spring of salt water, but the water from the centre and the edges is perfectly fresh.

Buldhana district in Maharashtra, where the lake is located, was once part of the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...

and then part of the

Satavahana Empire The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...

. The Chalukyas and

Rashtrakutas The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal Indian polity ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta Indian inscriptions, inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing th ...

also ruled this area. During the period of the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

, Yadavas, Nizam, and the British, trade prospered in this area. Several temples found on the periphery of the Lake are known as

Yadava The Yadava (), not to be confused with Yadav, were an ancient Indian people who believed to have descended from Yadu (legendary king), Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the #T ...

temples and also as Hemadpanti temples (named after Hemadri Ramgaya). In 2022, the government of Maharashtra began plans to develop the site as a tourist attraction.

Ambar Lake

There is a small circular depression at a distance of around from the main lake, believed to be caused by a fragment of the main meteor. There is a

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

temple near this lake, with the idol made of rock believed to be highly magnetic. The water from Ambar lake is being drained by local farmers. This lake is sometimes also called ''Chhota'' (little) Lonar.

By-products of the lake

The ''Gazetteer'' chronicles the findings of the British administrators and scientists, notably, Colonel Mackenzie, scientist Dr. I. B. Lyon, J. O. Malcolmson and Plymen, agricultural chemist. Some extracts from Plymen's report, given in quotes, are informative.Working of the Lake
/ref>

The saline deposits obtained from the lake are rather of an exceptional nature. Compared with the most famous salt lake in India, the Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan (India), it will be seen that whereas at Lonar the carbonates of soda are the most important, in the case of the Sambhar Lake the deposits of sodium chloride or common salt give the lake its value. The modes of formation are also entirely different and it is practically certain that the Lonar salts are derived from an unknown source in the bed of the lake. It is true that water is continually flowing into the lake and that except by evaporation there is no loss. The main feeder stream could not however supply this amount of alkali nor could the other smaller supplies coming in during the rains, for on all sides of the lake vegetation is abundant, particularly where the main stream flows in continuously. Were any quantity of alkali present in this water, vegetation would suffer considerably and, with exception of a few varieties of plants, eventually die out entirely.
The salts collected from this lake vary in their nature and composition and from their-appearance are easily separated by men accustomed to handling them. Various names are given to some five or six main varieties, but there is no fixed line between one salt and another, their compositions depending upon the period and condition of crystallization. At the present time large quantities of these salts are lying on the shores of the lake...

With the process of crystallization,

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as Salt#Edible salt, edible salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. It is transparent or translucent, brittle, hygroscopic, and occurs a ...

or common salt is formed along with the carbonates of soda resulting in a number of products, as explained below. Kala Namak and Nimak Dalla are found in white crystalline masses. ''Khuppal'' is obtained in solid compact lumps and consists of a mixture of carbonates and chlorides in roughly equal proportions. ''Pipadi'' or ''Papri'', which has a similar chemical composition, is very different in appearance. It is frequently tinged, slightly pink in colour and hollow air spaces are found between the crystalline masses which are formed in flakes or layers. ''Bhuski'' has no definite structure but consists of a soft flaky powder mixed with a quantity of impurity. It can be compared to small salt substance or baking soda. The salts are not all obtained in the same way or at the same period of the year. ''Pipadi'' and ''bhuski'' are deposited on the shores of the lake as the water dries up in the hot weather, ''pipadi'' being the upper layer and therefore the purer. Except for ''bhuski'', the salts are in a fairly pure state and contain only small proportions of earthy matter. Their further purification is not considered difficult. Commercial exploitation of the salts from the lake is recorded from 1842, including the period of Government of Nizam, and until 1903. Presently, there is only a very small local demand for these Lonar Lake products.

Gaylussite mineral

Gaylussite is the mineral has been recently reported from drill core in Lonar lake. Gaylussite is a

carbonate mineral Carbonate minerals are those minerals containing the carbonate ion, . Carbonate divisions Anhydrous carbonates *Calcite group: trigonal **Calcite CaCO3 **Gaspéite (Ni,Mg,Fe2+)CO3 **Magnesite MgCO3 **Otavite CdCO3 **Rhodochrosite MnCO3 **Sider ...

, a hydrated sodium calcium carbonate, formula Na₂Ca(CO₃)₂·5H₂O. It occurs as translucent, vitreous white to grey to yellow

monoclinic In crystallography, the monoclinic crystal system is one of the seven crystal systems. A crystal system is described by three Vector (geometric), vectors. In the monoclinic system, the crystal is described by vectors of unequal lengths, as in t ...

prismatic crystals. It is an unstable mineral which dehydrates in dry air and decomposes in water. '' Streptomyces alkalithermotolerans'' is an

alkaliphilic Alkaliphiles are a class of extremophilic microbes capable of survival in alkaline ( pH roughly 8.5–11) environments, growing optimally around a pH of 10. These bacteria can be further categorized as obligate alkaliphiles (those that require hig ...

and thermotolerant bacterium species from the genus of ''

Streptomyces ''Streptomyces'', from στρεπτός (''streptós''), meaning "twisted", and μύκης (''múkés''), meaning "fungus", is the largest genus of Actinomycetota, and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 700 species of ''St ...

'' which has been isolated from the Lonar soda lake in

Lake ecosystem

The chemical characteristics of the lake shows two distinct regions that do not mix – an outer neutral ( pH 7) and an inner

(pH 11) each with its own flora and fauna. The lake is a haven for a wide range of plant and animal life. The site has 160 bird, 46 reptile and 12 mammal species.Lonar’s meteor lake declared Ramsar site
Indian Express, 13 Nov 2020. Resident and migratory birds such as black-winged stilts, brahminy ducks,

grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order (biology), order Podicipediformes (). Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in sea, marine habitats during Bird migration, migration and winter. Most grebes f ...

shelduck The shelducks, most species of which are found in the genus ''Tadorna'' (except for the Radjah shelduck, which is now found in its own monotypic genus ''Radjah''), are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biolog ...

s (European migrants), shovelers, teals,

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

s, red-wattled lapwings, rollers or blue jays,

baya weaver The baya weaver (''Ploceus philippinus'') is a weaverbird found across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Flocks of these birds are found in grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub and secondary growth and they are best known for their hang ...

s, parakeets,

hoopoe Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "Crest (feathers), crown" of feathers which can be raised or lowered at will. Two living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many y ...

lark Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occ ...

tailorbird Tailorbirds are small birds, most belonging to the genus ''Orthotomus''. While they were often placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cisticolidae and they are treated as such in ...

magpie Magpies are birds of various species of the family Corvidae. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent c ...

s, robins and

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

s are found on the lake. Among reptiles, the

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and West African Nile monitor, one species is also found in south America as an invasive species. A ...

is reported to be prominent. The lake is also home to thousands of

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

s, chinkara and

gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...

s. The area of was declared as Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary by the government on 20 November 2015.

Microbial diversity

While the Lonar Lake appears green for most of the year due to the presence of dense blooms of cyanobacteria such as ''Arthrospira'' spp.,Surakasi VP, Antony CP, Sharma S, Patole MS, Shouche YS. (2010). Temporal bacterial diversity and detection of putative methanotrophs in surface mats of Lonar crater lake. J Basic Microbiol 50: 465–474. bacteria and archaea belonging to diverse functional groups such as methanogens, methanotrophs, phototrophs, denitrifiers, sulfur oxidizers, sulfate reducers, heterotrophs and syntrophs have been reported.Antony CP, Shimpi GG, Cockell CS, Patole MS, Shouche YS. (2014). Molecular Characterization of Prokaryotic Communities Associated with Lonar Crater Basalts. Geomicrobiology J 31(6): 519–528. Diverse alveolates, fungi, stramenopiles, choanoflagellates, amoebozoans and cercozoans, and many novel lineages of putative micro-eukaryotes were detected in molecular surveys of Lonar Lake sediments. Gene sequences of ciliated protozoans such as ''Oxytricha longa'' and fungi belonging to ''Candida'' spp. were also recovered from lake sediment microcosms containing enriched populations of methylotrophic bacteria. A new species of fungus ''Curvularia lonarensis'' has been described from the lake. ; Noteworthy functional groups of microorganisms

Methylotrophic microorganisms

Methylotrophs belonging to ''Methylomicrobium'', ''Methylophaga'' and ''Bacillus'' species have been identified in the Lonar Lake sediments. Methane-oxidizing methylotrophs (methanotrophs) were also detected in the surface scum atop the lake water-column. A novel species of non-methane-utilizing methylotroph ''Methylophaga lonarensis'' was isolated in pure culture from lake sediment microcosms. This haloalkaliphilic bacterium synthesizes and intracellularly accumulates organic solutes such as ectoine that are of biotechnological interest. Methylotrophic methanogenesis has been reported in Lonar Lake sediments and the primary microorganism (archaeon) that is responsible was identified as being closely related to ''Methanolobus oregonensis''.

Endolithic microorganisms

Endolithic bacteria belonging to the phyla ''Actinobacteria'', ''Acidobacteria'', ''Proteobacteria'', ''Firmicutes'', ''Cyanobacteria'' and ''Bacteroidetes'', and endolithic archaea belonging to the phyla ''Thaumarchaeota'' and ''Euryarchaeota'' were detected in Lonar basalt rock samples that were retrieved from the crater walls and the lake-bed. The diversity and richness of endolithic bacteria in these samples were estimated to be higher than that of endolithic archaea. Most of the detected endolithic prokaryotes were identified as being putative methanotrophs, methanogens, phototrophs, ammonia-oxidizers, nitrogen-fixers, denitrifiers, dissimilatory sulfate-reducers and metal-reducers.

Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms

Nonsymbiotic nitrogen-fixing microorganisms such as ''Halomonas'' sp., '' Paracoccus'' sp., ''

Klebsiella ''Klebsiella'' is a genus of Gram-negative, oxidase-negative, rod-shaped bacteria with a prominent polysaccharide-based capsule. ''Klebsiella'' is named after German-Swiss microbiologist Edwin Klebs (1834–1913). Carl Friedlander described ' ...

'' sp., '' Slackia'' sp., and '' Actinopolyspora'' sp. have been reported from this lake. All the nitrogen fixers are haloalkaliphilic in nature as they can grow only at pH-11. Some of the

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

and

actinomycetes The Actinomycetales is an Scientific classification, order of Actinomycetota. A member of the order is often called an actinomycete. Actinomycetales are generally Gram-positive bacteria, gram-positive and anaerobic and have mycelia in a filamento ...

isolated from this lake are able to grow on some components of inorganic medium containing ''martian soil simulant components''.

2020 color change

In early June 2020, the lake turned red/pink in a span of 2–3 days. Reports by Agharkar Research Institute, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and Geological Survey of India suggested that lowered water levels and high salinity caused growth of

Halobacterium ''Halobacterium'' (common abbreviation ''Hbt.'') is a genus in the family Halobacteriaceae. The genus ''Halobacterium'' ("salt" or "ocean bacterium") consists of several species of Archaea with an aerobic metabolism which requires an environm ...

and increased

Carotenoid Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...

levels, which in turn led to color change.

Religious setting

Numerous temples surround the lake, most of which stand in ruins today, except for the temple of Daityasudana at the centre of the Lonar town, which was built in honour of Vishnu killing the asura Lonasura. It is a fine example of early Hindu architecture.Central Provinces Buldana district Gazetteer
(dead link)

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

Sarasvati Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...

are deities present in other temples found inside the crater.

Daityasudana Temple

Daityasudana Temple is a

temple created by the

Chalukya dynasty The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of south India, southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The ear ...

which ruled Central and Southern Indian subcontinent in the 6th century CE and 12th century CE. It belongs to the Hemadpanthi class and is built in the form of an irregular star. It features carvings similar to those seen at

Khajuraho Khajuraho () is a city, near Chhatarpur in Chhatarpur district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the country's largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous ...

temples. The deity of this temple is made of an ore with a high metal content that resembles stone. The ceiling of the temple has carvings. The exterior walls are also covered with carved figures. The plinth of the temple is about in height and the unfinished roof shows a pyramidal form for the tower. The temple of Daityasudana at Lonar is the best example of the Hemadpanthi style. From the standing image of

Surya Surya ( ; , ) is the Sun#Dalal, Dalal, p. 399 as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchaya ...

in the principal niche on the back of the temple, it is conjectured that the temple was originally dedicated to Surya. However, in the present form it is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

temple to Vishnu as Daityasudana. Lonasura is an ''asura'' who lived in this place along with his siblings. He was killed by Vishnu as Daityasudana hence is the name. The temple measures . long by . broad. It is a tree chamber temple, the inner most being sanctum sanctorum, where the statue of Vishnu standing atop dead Lonasura is there. The present day idol was made by Bholse rulers of

Nagpur Nagpur (; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Nāgapura'') is the second capital and third-largest city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is called the heart of India because of its central geographical location. It is the largest and most populated city i ...

after the original was destroyed. The second chamber is antari where individual pooja are performed, on the roof of this block one created the statues of

killing Lonasura and

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

killing

Kamsa Kamsa (, ) was the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni kingdom, with its capital at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura. He is variously described in Hindu texts, Hindu literature as either a human or an asura; The Puranas describe him as an asura, while ...

Narasimha Narasimha (, , or , ), is the fourth avatara of the Hindu god Vishnu in the Satya Yuga. He incarnated as a part-lion, part-man and killed Hiranyakashipu, ended religious persecution and calamity on earth, and restored dharma. Narasimha has th ...

killing Hiranyakashipu and

and

Rukmini Rukmini (, ) is a Devi, Hindu goddess and the first queen of Krishna. She is described as the chief of Krishna's wives in Dvārakā. Rukmini is revered as the avatar of Lakshmi and is venerated primarily in Warkari, and Haridasa tradition, and ...

. The outermost chamber is sabhamandapa which is meant for group offerings and performance. This portion as well as the entrance gate does not match the style and construction elements of the temple overall. The brickwork was added later to the unfinished temple, which was to various destructions in the 10th century CE. The main entrance of the temple is east facing. The principle niche at the back of the temple has an image of

, the sun god, which gives rise to the speculation that this might have been dedicated to him. The niche on south has an image of

Chamunda Chamunda (, ), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu mother goddess, Mahadevi and is one of the seven Matrikas.Wangu p.72 She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or ...

. The one on left of the temple i.e. north has

in it. All of these three niches are built like mini temples in themselves having elaborate pillars, base and decoration. There are numerous ridges onto the temple with different decorations and significant images. Many of the images depict deities and incidents related to Hindu ''

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

''.

Other temples

* Kamalaja Devi Temple is located beside the lake and also features carved images. Although the water level rises during the rainy season and falls in summer, the temple is located above the water level. * Gomukha Temple is located along the rim of the crater. A perennial stream emerges from here and pilgrims visiting the temple bathe in the stream. It is also called Sita Nahani temple and Dhara. Indien2012 1365 Lonar Dhara Mandir Lonar Gaurmukh

Indien2012 1365 Lonar Dhara Mandir Lonar Gaurmukh

* Shankara Ganesha temple is partially submerged in a lake and is noted for a rectangular Shiva statue. * Rama Gaya temple. * Motha Maruti temple is near the Ambar crater lake, with a statue made of a rock which is a fragment of the asteroid that created the crater.

Threats to Lonar lake

Lonar lake faces anthropological and environmental problems as listed below: * Use of fertilizers, pesticides and toxic materials in the agricultural fields around the lake results in pollution of lake water. * "Dhara", and "Sita Nahani" are perennial streams that are one of the water sources for the lake. They are used for bathing, washing clothes and cattle, and other domestic purposes by the local people, pilgrims, and tourists. Household effluents containing detergents are regularly disposed of here. * Deforestation is illegally carried out in the surroundings and cattle grazing inside or near the rim of the crater creates fecal pollution. * Excavation activities are often carried out illegally, thus disturbing the lake's underground water source. * The government is unable to raise funds needed for preserving this crater and tourist activities often cause environmental damages to nearby land. * During local festivals such as the Kamala Devi festival, large numbers of pilgrims enter the crater. Small shops and food-stalls are often established near the crater or along its rim. * Among the frequent visitors are the religious visitors from nearby towns and villages who are not adequately educated by the means of signboards and attending officials about littering and maintaining the beauty of this nationally important destination. * The lake's ecosystem is being damaged by sewage dump in the lake. Marauding pilgrims and increasing pollution is disturbing its substantial flora and fauna with about 100 resident and migratory birds. * Commercial activities, including illegal construction, within the vicinity of lake has damaged the lake's natural topography. * According to a research done in 2017, the lead researcher stated "The study found out that reduction in water level is a combined result of drying up of (nearby) percolation dam and the closure of streams (which flow) into the lake." The crater is protected as a geological landmark and authorities have recognized the role of the historical and archaeological heritage in the lake. Nevertheless action is needed to prevent the adverse impact of settlements and religious festivities on the local ecosystem. Various civic activities (e.g. "Save Lonar") for the protection of Lonar crater are on-going.

Gallery

Panoramic views of Lonar Crater

References

External links

Lonar crater, India: an analog for martian impact craters, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII abstracts.

SPARK Volume 2, K-12 outreach, Space Science and Engineering Centre, University of Wisc-Madison.
Lonar Lake changes color from green to pink
NASA Earth Observatory, June 19, 2020
Trekking to Lonar Lake
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lonar Crater Lake Archaeological sites in Maharashtra Buldhana district Impact craters of India Lakes of Maharashtra Vidarbha National Geological Monuments in India Pleistocene impact craters Saline lakes of Asia Impact crater lakes Ramsar sites in India