| Rewalsar Lake (Tso Pema) | |
|---|---|
 Rewalsar lake | |
  Rewalsar Lake (Tso Pema)  Rewalsar Lake (Tso Pema) | |
| Location | Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Coordinates | 31°38′02″N 76°50′00″E / 31.63389°N 76.83333°E |
| Type | Mid altitude lake |
| Basin countries | India |
| Surface area | 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 10–20 metres (33–66 ft) |
| Max. depth | 25 metres (82 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 735 m (2,411 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,360 m (4,460 ft) |
| Settlements | Rewalsar |
| References | Himachal Pradesh Tourism Dept. |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Rewalsar Lake, also known as Tso Pema, is a mid-altitude lake located in the mountains of the Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is located 22.5 km south-west from the town of Mandi, at an elevation of about 1,360 metres (4,460 ft) above sea level, with a shoreline of about 735 m. Rewalsar Lake is a sacred spot for Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists,[1][2] and sacred to Tibetan Buddhists for the Vajrayana practices of Padmasambhava and Mandarava, which are credited for the lake's creation.
There is a Colossus of Padmasambhava, a shrine to Mandarava, and three Buddhist monasteries at Rewalsar Lake. The Rewaksar Lake also has three Hindu temples, dedicated to Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and to the sage Lomasha. Another holy lake, Kunt Bhyog which is about 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) above sea level lies above Rewalsar.[3] It is associated with the escape of 'Pandavas' from the burning palace of wax—an episode from the epic Mahabharata.
After practicing with the local Relwasar king's daughter Mandarava, Padmasambhava and Mandarava departed for Nepal, from which Padmasambhava travelled to Tibet. Known to Tibetans as Guru Rinpoche, (the "Precious Master"), Padmasambhava revealed the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. There are islands of floating reed on Rewalsar lake and the spirit of Padmasambhava is said to reside in them. It is also here that the sage Lomas did penance in devotion to Lord Shiva; and, the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh (22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), the tenth Guru of Sikhism, also resided here for one month.
The Sisu fair held in late February/early march, and the festival of Baisakhi are important events at Rewalsar.
- ^ Emerson (1920), p. 203.
- ^ "Himachal Pradesh - the Abode of 5 spiritual lakes - NewsroomPost.com". Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ himachaltourism.gov.in