Gangabal Lake
| Gangabal Lake | |
|---|---|
Gangabal Lake at the foot of Harmukh | |
Gangabal Lake Location in Jammu and Kashmir Gangabal Lake Gangabal Lake (India) | |
| Location | Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Coordinates | 34°25′55″N 74°55′33″E / 34.43194°N 74.92583°E |
| Type | Oligotrophic lake |
| Primary inflows | Melting glaciers |
| Primary outflows | Nundkol Lake, which drains into Sind River |
| Basin countries | India |
| Max. length | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) |
| Max. width | 1 km (0.62 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 3,576 m (11,732 ft) |
| Frozen | November to April |
Gangabal Lake (lit. 'place of Ganga'), also called Haramukh Ganga, is a high-altitude glacial lake situated at the foot of Mount Harmukh in the Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The lake has a maximum length of 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) and a maximum width of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), and is located in the Ganderbal district. It is fed by precipitation, glaciers, and springs, is oligotrophic in nature and is home to many species of fish, including the brown trout. Water from the lake flows into the nearby Nundkol Lake and then into Sind River, of which it is considered the source per tradition, via Wangath Nallah. This lake is considered sacred in Hinduism as one of the abodes of Shiva, is a site of Hindu pilgrimage and used by Kashmiri Hindus to perform ancestral and death rites.