Phewa Lake

Phewa Lake or Phewa Tal (Nepali: फेवा ताल, [ˈpʰewa tal]) is a freshwater lake in Nepal formerly called Baidam Tal located in the south of the Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city and parts of Sarangkot and Kaskikot. ^[1] It is the second largest lake in Nepal and the largest in Gandaki Province after the Rara lake in comparison to Nepal's water bodies.^[2] It is the most popular and most visited lake in Nepal. Phewa lake is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) and covers an area of about 5.7 km² (2.2 sq mi).^[3] It has an average depth of about 8.6 m (28 ft) and a maximum depth of 24 m (79 ft).^[4] The maximum water capacity of the lake is approximately 43,000,000 cubic metres (35,000 acre⋅ft).^[5] The Annapurna range^{[citation needed]} on the north is only about 28 km (linear distance) away^[6] from the lake. The lake is also famous for the reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and other mountain peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges on its surface.^[7] The Tal Barahi Temple^{[citation needed]} is situated on an island in the lake.^[8] It is located 4 km from the city's centre Chipledhunga.

Phewa Lake
Phewa Tal, Baidam Tal
फेवा ताल (Nepali)
Reflection of the Annapurna Range on Phewa Lake
Phewa Lake Location in Nepal
Location	Kaski
Coordinates	28°12′51″N 83°56′50″E
Lake type	Freshwater
Primary inflows	Harpan, Adheri khola & Phirke Khola
Catchment area	122.53 km2 (47.31 sq mi)
Basin countries	Nepal
Max. length	4 km (2.5 mi)
Max. width	2 km (1.2 mi)
Surface area	5.7260 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Average depth	8.6 m (28 ft)
Max. depth	24 m (79 ft)
Water volume	0.046 km3 (0.011 cu mi)
Surface elevation	742 m (2,434 ft)
Frozen	Does not freeze
Islands	Tal Barahi (तालबाराही), Temple
Settlements	Pokhara, Sarangkot, Kaskikot, Dhikurpokhari

Origin

An analysis of lake sediments reveals its age to be BC 12640 - 12025. However, Phewa lake is regarded to have been formed circa 13000 BC.^[9]

Lake economy

Phewa lake and water sports is one of the major tourist attractions of Pokhara city and the north shore of the lake has developed into a tourist district, commonly called Lakeside, with hotels, restaurants and bars catering to the tourists.^[10] The water from Phewa lake's outlet is used to generate electricity. The Phewa Power House is located about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from the southern part of the Phewa lake.^[11] A part of the lake is also used for commercial caged fisheries.^[12]

Major Attraction

• Tal Barahi Temple, located at the center of Phewa Lake, is the most important religious monument of Pokhara.This two-storied pagoda is believed to be dedicated to one of the Hindu gods known as Vishnu. It usually gets crowded on Saturdays.
• Baidam is the eastern bank of Phewa lake also known as Lakeside. This part contains seemingly endless strip of hotels, lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops. This site is one of the best-known tourist areas of Nepal. It is also the starting point of the tour to Pokhara.^[13]
• Sarangkot and paragliding, Sarangkot is the only place in Nepal for paragliding, from where you can fly over the Phewa lake.
• Ratna Mandir, a former palace used by the Nepalese royal family.

Gallery

• 
  Sunset in Phewa lake
• 
  Reflection of Annapurna range in the lake
• 
  Hills around the lake
• 
  Aerial view of the lake with Tal Barahi Temple
• 
  Golden hour at the lake
• 
  Canoes in Phewa Lake
• 
  Tal Barahi temple

See also

• Annapurna
• Dhaulagiri
• Begnas Lake
• Rara Lake
• List of Nepal-related topics