Chandratal Lake is also known as Lake of the Moon or Tso Chigma. This lake is located in the Spiti Valley of the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. Lake is situated at an altitude of 4250 meters above sea level. This lake is also the origin of the Chandra river. Which goes ahead and joins the Bhaga river and together forms the Chandrabhaga river, which is known as the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir.
History of Chandratal Lake
According to Hindu mythology, it is said that after the battle of Kurukshetra when Lord Indra came to take the mortal Yudhishthira to heaven, he landed in the Chandratal lake and it was from here that O Dharmaraja Yudhishthira was granted the gate to heaven. According to the local people, it is considered a holy lake.
The second story is about Chandra, the daughter of the moon god, and Bhaga, the son of the sun god. It is said that both loved each other very much. But when this thing came to know in Dev Lok, the gods started opposing them. Both were finding it difficult to get married. So Chandra and Bhaga took the form of water element to meet. And both started flowing in different directions. Separated, both met at Tandi and both became one forever.
Camp at ChandraTal Lake
Lake is situated at an altitude of 4,300 meters in the Spiti Valley of Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh. If you want to go on Chandratal Lake Trek, you can get complete information by booking online. Manali to Chandratal is a journey of 3 to 4 hours. Camping by the lake and feeling the cool breeze will make you blissful. Humpta Pass trek is 35 km from Manali and the track starts from Manali, and from Manali comes Jobra and then Cheeka. And the height of the Humpta Pass is 14,100 feet. The whiteness and greenery of the mountains here make your track very spectacular. You can camp at Chandratal. The Chandratal Humpta Pass trek is very memorable and the Chandratal trek is also not far from Manali. This track can be done anytime in the summer.
How To Reach Chandratal Lake
By Air: The nearest airport to reach Chandratal by air is Bhuntar Airport in Kullu. And the second airport is Jubbarhatti Airport which is located in the Shimla district. You can take cabs and taxis from outside the airport to reach Lake.
By Train: The nearest railway station to reach Chandratal by train is Joginder Nagar Railway Station. You can take a cab from Joginder Nagar to reach Chandratal Lake. And the second railway station is Shimla Railway Station. You can travel by Kalka Shimla Toy Train to reach Shimla and then take an HRTC bus, cab, and taxi from Shimla to Chandratal Lake.
By Road: You can reach Chandratal by road. There are many bus services available from Delhi to Manali.
Best time to visit Chandratal Lake
Chandratal Lake the best time to visit is from June to September. Because at that time the work of removing snow from the road is completed and the weather remains pleasant. At this time tourists reach the lake after completing a 14 km track from Batal.