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Geography

Lakes of Rajasthan

Physiography, Rivers, and Lakes of Rajasthan

Paper II · Unit 3 Section 5 of 13 0 PYQs 47 min
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Lakes of Rajasthan

Rajasthan's lakes are classified as: (a) Saltwater lakes (predominantly inland drainage playas in the west) and (b) Freshwater lakes (natural and artificial, mainly in eastern and southern Rajasthan).

4.1 Saltwater Lakes

Sambhar Lake

  • Location: Jaipur–Nagaur–Ajmer tri-district junction; 80 km west of Jaipur city
  • Area: ~240 sq km (average); expands to ~230–240 sq km in monsoon
  • Nature: India's largest inland saltwater lake; the world's second-largest salt lake of its type after the Rann of Kutch (which is tidal, not purely inland)
  • Salt production: ~2–2.5 lakh tonnes per annum; produced by Hindustan Salts Limited (HSL) (a Central PSU) and local cooperatives
  • Ramsar designation: Listed as a Ramsar Wetland (site No. 462) in 1990; critical wintering habitat for flamingos (Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo), Demoiselle Cranes
  • Origin: A tectonic depression (rift/graben) formed by subsidence of the land between NE-SW trending faults; fed by 8 rivers including Rupangarh, Khari, Mantha, Samodi
  • Historic: The surrounding region was a Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty stronghold; Sambhar town was a major medieval salt trading center under the Delhi Sultanate
  • Mass mortality event (Nov 2019): ~20,000 migratory birds (flamingos, ducks, plovers) died in a single week, attributed to botulism caused by bacterial bloom from unusual rainfall patterns — largest avian mortality event in India in recent memory
  • Saline groundwater: The Sambhar basin has highly mineralized groundwater unsuitable for irrigation; the salinity comes from leaching of Aravalli Precambrian rocks

Source: Wildlife Institute of India; Wetlands International; Hindustan Salts Ltd.

Pachpadra Lake

  • Location: Barmer district (also referred to as the Pachpadra Salt Works area near Balotra)
  • Salt type: Produces softer, whiter salt by natural solar evaporation; traditionally considered among India's finest culinary salt
  • The Kharawal community has traditionally produced salt here using traditional methods for centuries
  • Annual production: ~4,000–5,000 tonnes

Didwana Lake

  • Location: Nagaur district
  • Area: ~10 sq km; produces sodium sulphate (Na₂SO₄) in addition to common salt
  • Rajasthan State Chemical Works (RSCW) operates here to extract sodium sulphate for glass and paper industries
  • Significance: One of the few lakes globally producing natural sodium sulphate; a key chemical resource

Degana (Nagaur) and Sargol (Sri Ganganagar) Salt Lakes

  • Smaller saline lakes used for artisanal salt production; primarily local consumption

4.2 Freshwater Lakes

Jaisamand Lake / Dhebar Lake

  • Location: Udaipur district, on the Gomati River (tributary of Sabarmati), ~48 km SE of Udaipur city
  • Dimensions: ~87 sq km surface area; approximately 13.5 km long, 9.5 km wide; dam wall ~375 m long
  • Built by: Maharana Jai Singh (Udaipur) in 1685–91 CE by damming the Gomati River
  • Historical status: Until the construction of the Rihand Dam (UP, 1962), Jaisamand was considered Asia's second-largest artificial lake (after Kolaru/Dholi Lake in Sri Lanka, disputed). This claim is frequently tested by RPSC
  • Marble chhatris: The dam wall has 6 marble chhatris (cenotaphs) and 8 marble elephants — a distinctive Rajput architectural feature
  • Wildlife: The islands in Jaisamand host the tribal settlements of the Bhil and Mina communities; Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary (52 sq km) established around it
  • Irrigation: The lake feeds the Shyampur and Bhatt canals, irrigating ~10,000 hectares in Udaipur

Rajsamand Lake

  • Location: Rajsamand district (the district is named after the lake)
  • Built by: Maharana Raj Singh I in 1662–76 CE by damming the Gomati River — 25 years before Jaisamand. Length ~6.5 km, width ~3 km
  • Nauchowki: The northern embankment of the lake has 25 engraved marble panels inscribed with the history of Mewar in Sanskrit verse (Raj Prashasti /) — one of the longest stone inscriptions in the world
  • Religious significance: The lake is called Raj Samudra in the inscriptions; considered a symbol of Mewar power and munificence

Pichola Lake

  • Location: Udaipur city
  • Built: by a Banjara trader (pichhu) in 1362 CE during Maharana Lakha's reign; expanded by Maharana Udai Singh II (founder of Udaipur city) in 16th century
  • Islands within Pichola:
    • Jagniwas Island: Location of the Lake Palace Hotel — 18th-century royal summer palace
    • Jagmandir Island: Built by Maharana Karan Singh (1620-28) and expanded by Jagat Singh I; Mughal Prince Shah Jahan reportedly sheltered here during his 1623 rebellion against his father Jahangir
  • Area: ~4 sq km; fed by Bedi and Sisarma rivers
  • Urban significance: A UNESCO candidate for Udaipur's heritage lake system

Fateh Sagar Lake

  • Location: Udaipur city, north of Pichola Lake
  • Built: Originally built in 1678 by Maharana Jai Singh; destroyed in a flood; rebuilt in 1889 by Maharana Fateh Singh; expanded again in 1956
  • Islands: Nehru Island (park), Fateh Sagar Island (Udaipur Solar Observatory — Physical Research Laboratory's solar observatory is located here)
  • Area: ~2.4 sq km; connected to Pichola through a canal; serves as an overflow reservoir

Pushkar Lake

  • Location: Pushkar town, Ajmer district; ~11 km from Ajmer city
  • Religious significance: The only major temple of Brahma in India is on its banks; considered one of the five Tirthas in Hinduism; annual Pushkar Fair — held in Kartik month (October–November) — is Asia's largest camel fair, attracting ~3–4 lakh visitors
  • Area: ~22 sq km at full capacity; depth ~8-9 m
  • Origin: Considered in mythology to be formed by the petals dropped from Brahma's lotus flower; geologically, a shallow depression in Aravalli hills fed by rainwater
  • Conservation concern: Heavy tourist influx, pilgrims bathing, and agricultural runoff have degraded water quality; the Rajasthan government undertook the Pushkar Lake Development Project (2016-2020) with ₹37 crore investment

Nakki Lake

  • Location: Mount Abu, Sirohi district; elevation ~1,200 m (highest lake in Rajasthan)
  • Origin (mythological): Named because gods (devtas) scraped out the lake using their nakhoon (— fingernails) to hide from demon Bashkali
  • Area: ~0.5 sq km; length ~1.2 km; depth up to 11 m
  • Significance: A popular tourist destination at Mount Abu; contains Toad Rock and Nun Rock — distinctive rock formations in the lake
  • Environmental concern: The catchment receives heavy rainfall (~150 cm annually at Abu), but increasing hotel and resort development threatens the lake's water quality

Siliserh Lake

  • Location: Alwar district, ~13 km from Alwar city; built 1845 CE by Maharaja Vinay Singh for his queen
  • Area: ~10 sq km; surrounded by Aravalli foothills; now a RTDC heritage hotel property