| Chorabari Lake (Gandhi Sarovar) | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, India |
| Type | Former glacial lake |
| Primary inflows | Rainfall, melting snow |
| Primary outflows | Chorabari Valley |
| Basin countries | India |
| Average depth | 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft) |
| Water volume | 262,000,000 L (212.4 acre-feet) |
| Shore length1 | Boulder-strewn flat |
| Surface elevation | 3,900 m (12,800 ft) |
| Settlements | Kedarnath |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Chorabari Lake, also known as Gandhi Sarovar, was a glacial lake at the snout of the Chorabari Glacier at an altitude of 3,900 m (12,800 ft). It was about 2 km (1.2 mi) upstream from the town of Kedarnath in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, part of the Mandakini River system. On 17 June 2013, the moraine holding back the waters of the lake gave way and vast quantities of water cascaded down the valley below, causing a catastrophic flash flood.[1] The lake did not reform after the event because much of the moraine had been washed away, leaving a boulder-strewn flat area with a small stream flowing through it.