Dhebar Lake aka Jaisamand Lake Udaipur
Dhebar Lake (also known as Jaisamand Lake) is India’s first and second largest man made sweet water lake, as well as the world’s second oldest historical lake. It is situated in Rajasthan’s Udaipur District in western India. When full, it covers 87 km2 (34 sq mi) and was established in the 17th century at Namla Thikana, when Rana Jai Singh of Udaipur built a marble dam across the Gomati River.
The Dhebar Lake Marble Dam is a part of India’s “Heritage Monuments” and is 300.0 metres (984.3 feet) in length. The Hawa Mahal Palace, which served as the winter capital of the erstwhile Maharanas of Mewar from 1687 to 1691, is also located on the dam. The Maharana of Mewar expresses his gratitude to the Thakur of Namla Thikana for their assistance and kindness to Mewar.
On Dhebar Lake, there are three islands, all of which are inhabited by the Bhil Mina tribe. Baba ka Magra is the name of the two larger islands, while Piari is the name of the smallest island. On the lake, there is a bund that must be mentioned due to its immense size: 1,202 feet (366 metres) long, 116 feet (35 metres) high, and 70 feet (21 metres) wide at the base.
The lake remained the world’s largest manmade lake until the British built the Aswan dam in Egypt in 1902, which was renovated between 1960 and 1970. There was a tremendous need for water for crops in Mewar’s southeastern region during the time of Maharana Jai Singh (1680–1698). Now Dhebar is India’s second Largest man made lake of sweet water.
Also Read: Ganga Action Plan: Its launch, Failure of Congress government in the project and Namami Gange
India’s second Largest man made lake Udaipur
Lake Dhebar was built to supply water to agriculture in the southeastern Mewar region. One of the largest artificial lakes in India, Lake Jaisamand, was built in 1685 by Rana Jai Singh from Udaipur who built a marble dam on the River Gomati. This artificial lake is the largest in the world and Asia and is located southeast of Udaipur, 51 km away.
Lake Jaisamand is located 48 kilometers from the city of Udaipur and is also known as Dhebar. The entire Dhebar Lake, which covers 87 km2, was founded by Namla Thikana Rana Jai Singh from UDAIPUR in the 17th century who built a marble dam on the River Gomati. In 1685 Maharana Jaisamand Singh built the lake by building a dam on the Gomti River.
Lake Jaisamand or Dhebar in Udaipur, known as the biggest artificial lake in Asia and India’s second Largest man made lake is a place that offers peace and quiet during a visit and is also an ideal destination for boaters. The Jaisaamand Wildlife Sanctuary is located near the lake and is one of the city’s most popular tourist destinations. A beautiful place in town, the lake is a tourist attraction that must be visited.
Dhebar Lake, also known as Jaisamand Lake, is India’s second oldest historical and third largest artificial lake in India. It is also India’s largest artificial freshwater lake and the second oldest historical lake in the world.
Read More : Largest man made lake in India – Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar
Some Interesting Facts about the Jaisamand Lake
Jaisamand Lake Palace is in the list of the most striking and iconic palaces in Rajasthan. The Maritime Palace is located on the breathtaking Pichola Lake, one of the oldest and largest lakes in the city.
Jaisamand boasts a captivating palace on its north side, with a side courtyard followed by a 12-pillar marquee that offers magnificent views of Lake Jaisamand in all its pomp.
The wood was used to form the hunting grounds of former ruler Mewar Jaisamand Island Resort, one of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in Asia, on an island of Jaisamand Lake.
The Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary and the Dhebar Lake surrounding can be reached from the state road in Banswara, Udaipur. The reserve is a habitat for sloths, bears, chinkara, crocodiles, deer, chital, wild boar and a number of birds and can easily be reached via the main road and the access road to the lake. It protects more than 1620 square kilometers of teak forest along the banks of dhebar Lake.
The lake was created in 1685-91, when it was dammed over the Gomti River near Salumbar in the district of Udaipur. Lake Jaisamand or Dhebar is surrounded by the Summer Palace of the Queen of Udaipur. It is also known as dhebar lake because the Gomati River, on which it forms, flows through the Dhebar and runs through two hills. The shoreline of the lake is decorated with graceful marble chhatris.
At the top of the 300-meter-long dam of Lake Jaisamand is a Shiv temple with six cenotaphs carved in marble, and its dam contributes to the beauty of the lake.
Dhebar Lake is India’s second largest artificial lake after Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar. It is also India’s second oldest historical and largest artificial freshwater lake in India. The Dhebar Lake with a total area of 87 km2 was formed in the 17th century by Rana Jai Singh of the Udaipur district of the west Indian state of Rajasthan by the construction of a marble dam on the Gomati river. In addition, the lake is surrounded by old architectural buildings and a nature reserve, and it is located in Jaisamand in the district.
Udaipur is one of the romantic cities in India and lies in the pristine waters of its famous lake in the ancient Aravalli mountains. Her main attraction Jaisamand Lake or Dhebar Lakes are its artistic marble dam, six beautiful cenotaphs and the holy temple of Lord Shiva at the centre. Picturesque Udaipur is famous for its palaces from the Rajput era, the most popular of which is Lake Palace, which is covered by the small island of Lake Pichola.
Read More : History and famous Temples of Choti Kashi (Mandi) Himachal
Purpose behind making India’s second Largest man made lake?
One of the two palaces built by Rana Jai Singh is a masterpiece of architecture and has some of the most beautiful views of Jaisamand Lake. Situated in the foothills between the palaces of RanaJai Singh and the Summer Palace of the Queen, Udaipur is surrounded by the lake on all four sides. The Summer Palace thanks Namla Thikana for his special contribution to the country.
The purpose of building this lake was to rid the water deficit in the area of the greatest need for water cultivation, Mewar’s South – The corner where Maharana Jai Singh had built the Dhebar Lake in Rajasthan.
It is said that Maharana Jai Singh, at the time of the inauguration on June 2, 1691, went out of the dam and distributed gold equal to his own weight in a Tuladaan ceremony after which he named the resulting lake Jaismand after himself, and the nickname “Oceans Victory Mand” was used, meaning “ocean.”.
India’s second Largest man made lake is known as the Jaisamand Lake (formerly known as Dhebar Lake), which remains one of the largest lakes in the world after the British built the Aswan Dam in Egypt in 1902. After the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt (by the British in 1902) it is still one of the largest lakes in the world, Nicknamed “o Oceans victory mand”, meaning “O Ocean. Lake Jaismands is still one of the world’s largest lakes.
In southern Rajasthan, about 30 miles south of the city of Udaipur and twenty square miles north of the Aravalli Mountains, the tide of the remarkable Jaisamand lake formed by the 1,500 ft Jaisamand Dam.
Also Read: Chaturshringi Temple: About, History and Religious Significance
How to reach Jaisamand Lake
It’s roughly 45.0 kilometres (28.0 mi) from Udaipur’s district headquarters. It was the world’s largest man made lake in India when it was first constructed. The state roadway from Udaipur to Banswara leads to the adjacent Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary around Dhebar Lake.
Salumbar is 17.0 kilometres (10.6 miles) away (A sub-district headquarter on state Highway No. 32). On the shores of Dhebar Lake, the Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary preserves roughly 162.0 square kilometres (16,200 acres) of predominantly teak forest. The lake contains three islands, each ranging in size from ten to forty acres (40,000 to 162,000 m2).
Surrounded by the Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, Dhebar Lake can be reached from the main road between Banswara and Udaipur. There are three islands in the lake and tribes like the Bhils and Minas people from Rajasthan inhabit them.
Also Read: Poisar River, Borivali West, Western Suburbs, Mumbai