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Badkal Lake
A spot to holiday. Strange though it may seem, the lake is fringed by hills - 32 km from Delhi.A splendid lake retreat lake
retreat.A bastion of pleasure.
A man made embankment holds back the waters of the lake making it a perfect spot for water sport. Come winter and flocks of
bird descend upon it. Here is an ornithologist's delight. But more so, Badkhal delights with its accommodation wings. View of
the lake, its serenity.
Suraj kund
The Surajkund Lake is just 20 kilometers from the heart of Delhi. Surajkund, with its serene surroundings and beauty, is now
a popular picnic spot for Delhites. This place is not only visited by the locals but is very popular among the foreign
backpackers too. Surajkund is also the site of a major crafts festival held annually in February. Though people visit
Surajkund just for the daytime but an overnight stay in any of the guesthouse is a good idea to escape from the madding
crowd. Besides exploring the lake, you can also have a closer look into the life of the local community.
Contrary to the popular belief, it is not a lake but a man-made reservoir. The name in Hindi means 'Reservoir of the Sun'.
The Rajput King Surajpal built it in the pre-Sultanate days. The tentative date of its construction is believed to be around
10th century. The Tomaras were the first people to revitalize Delhi. Surajkund is the place where the Tomar Rajput settled
before building the Lal Kot, the second city of Delhi
Surajkund got its name after a famous sun temple, which is said to stand here once. But some historians also claim that it
was named after the King himself. The tank is on a semi-circular pattern and has steps that lead to the water. It is not a
'dead' reservoir; the rains still keep it pretty full of water. But apart from the monsoons, the place remains dry. Feroze
Shah Tughlaq repaired its embankments in the fourteenth century. It is said that he was a lunatic and once took the work of
repairing all the existing monuments in the then Delhi.
Damdama Lake
Located just 60 kilometers off Delhi, it is a place to reclaim life.a place that is so quiet that the only sound you hear is
your breath. And that is what Damdama is all about.The water level of this lake is not uniform as the only source of water is
the Monsoons. In the summers the water level is particularly low. During the rains its level shoots up dramatically, reaching
50 to 60 feet in places and covering about 7 square kilometers of area. Though the exact area of Damdama is difficult to
measure because of its minor streams that change course depending upon rain. In fact, the contours of this lake change on
daily basis.There is a hillock at the far end of the Damdama Lake. This is an offshoot of Arravallies. On the way up, you'll
come across poultry and goats in a little farm with ingeniously built stone huts belonging to nomadic Gujjars. Spend some
quality time here and forget the world. And yes, that is what Damdama is all about. |
