Chandansar Lake in Kashmir

Chandansar lake is one of the beautiful alpine lakes from Pir Panjal Valley. It is located within the Pir Panjal Mountain Range of Poonch district in Jammu & Kashmir. The area of Chandansar lake also comes under the area of Girgan Valley which is also known as 7 Lakes Valley.

The name Chandansar is derived from Chandan (Sandalwood), a precious wood which has significant economical and medicinal properties. No doubt, Chandansar lake is as precious as its name suggests. However, Due to remote areas and environmental concerns, the Chandansar lake has not been explored much.

Chandansar lake is situated at the high-altitude of around 3,800 metres (12,467 feet) above sea-level which makes it somewhat challenging for the trekkers. Therefore solo trekking is not advisable. 

Talking about the width, it is around 600 meters wide. Chandansar has also its twin lake- Nandansar, which is around 1 km in width. Chandansar and Nandansar are situated around 1.5 km apart. Due to its twin-lake area, it is counted as one of the largest lakes in Pir Panjal Valley. 

The trail for Chandansar trekking starts from the basecamp Thanamandi in Rajouri districts. Thanamandi is about 20 km to Chandansar. Trek from Thanamandi to Chandansar can be covered within 2 days. 

However, trekking for the entire Pir Panjal lakes, the most common basecamp is Chandimarh village. Chandimarh is located approx 125 km from Srinagar. It can take around 4 hours to reach Chandimarh from Srinagar. Distance from Chandimarh to Pir Panjal lakes trek is around 52 km and it takes typically 7 days to complete the trek.

On the way to Chandansar lake trek, you will cross several beautiful destinations like Noori Chamb waterfall, meadows of Peer Marg and the historical Pir Ki Gali (Pir Panjal Pass). Pir ki Gali is also called the heart of Mughal Road. It connects Poonch and Rajouri districts with Shopian district in the Kashmir region.

Due to rich biodiversity, you can spot wildlife like musk deer, golden eagles, Himalayan marmot and even the snow leopard here. Beautiful wild orchids, blue poppies and rhododendrons can spellbound you in a jiff.

The overnight stay near the campsite of Chandansar is like a magical experience. With a panoramic view of Chandansar and Nandansar, the night sky looks beautiful with the dazzling stars. Campsite also offers a golden sunrise from the lake's surface.

Due to high-altitude, the temperature of Chandansar lake area is cold all year round. In daytime, temperature goes around 10°C–15°C while in night time, it's down upto 0°C or even below. Lake is frozen more than half of the year and opens after mid June to September. Sudden weather changes also happen which can turn into rain, snowfall and sometimes hailstorm. 

Chandansar lake and all surrounding lakes play key roles in maintaining the glaciers and saving the area from global warming. These lakes are the sources of drinking water in the region. Economically, the Chandansar lakes region holds importance for the communities like Gujjar and Bakarwal as they use meadows here for seasonal stay and grazing of their animals. The region has a lot of scope in tourism and therefore the government is also supporting opening new avenues here for eco-tourism and local employment.

Read more: All You Need To Know About Pir Panjal Lakes