Kankaria Lake is a hidden gem for recreation away from the busy streets of Ahmedabad. Resting away from the bustling city roads, Kankaria Lake is the second-largest lake and a recreational spot for many families. Its original name was Hauz E Qutub, and Sultan Qutb ud Din built it in 1451.
Facts
| Location: | This big lake is in the Maninagar area and has an artificial lakefront with many attractions to charm people. Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad features numerous activities like toy trains, water rides, water parks, and tethered balloon rides. Cultural and art activities happen in the Kankaria carnival for a week. |
| Timings of visit: | The Kankaria Lake is open to the public from 4 AM to 8 AM and is closed for a short break for an hour. It is open for visitors from 9 AM to 10 PM. Refrain from visiting this place on Mondays as it is closed on this day of the week. |
| Entry Fees: | Adults should give Rs. 25 to see and enjoy the Kankaria lake. If you go to this lake with kids, they will charge you Rs. 10. For adults, the charges are Rs. 25. Are you planning to take your students on a pleasure trip to this lake? You will have to pay Re.1. Health-conscious people who come to jog in this park can enter from 4 AM to 8 AM without any fee. |
Suggest to Read: Places to Visit near Ahmedabad within 100 km
History:
Numerous theories are circulating regarding the origin of this Kankaria lake. Kankaria in Gujarat means limestone, which was in plenty here at the time of excavation. They dug out lots of limestone pebbles to construct this lake. One of the sharp stones in the excavation spot tore the saint’s foot that gave Kankariya Lake its name. It gave the name Kankaria to the lake. Some others believe that the Sultan requested the saint to choose a place to dig a lake. The saint threw pebbles around and dug out the lake. The lake got its name “Kankaria”.
There is an unrelated story regarding the origin of Kankaria Lake. Karna- the ruler of the Chalukya dynasty, ordered temple construction. He dedicated this temple to the Goddess Kochaarba. He found a city called Karnavati and dug a tank named Karnasagara. This tank is now named Kankaria. Merutunga who was a chronicler in the 14th century mentioned this story in his book.
Architecture:
Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad is a proud identity of the city. The construction of the lake happened in the 15th century. The circumference of this lake is 2.3 km, making it a big water body. It has the shape of a 34-sided polygon and has steps around it leading down the lake.
Revamping:
In 1928, the Indian government passed the Kankaria Lake Preservation Act and started taking initiatives to preserve the waterbody. Several reasons made it impossible to completely utilise the lake. There were disorganised activities and heavy traffic were two major reasons.
Ahmedabad municipal took the initiative to renovate the lake. There was an inauguration function with a week-long carnival upon completion of renovation activity. The function happened on December 25th, 2008 and had many public attractions like water rides, water park and food stalls in the carnival.
The pedestrianized lakefront allures the passersby as it is the entertainment hub in this area.
Top Attractions in Kankaria Lake:
- Kankariya Zoo: Kankaria Zoo has 2000 species of birds and 450 species of mammals and is a splendid site to behold for elders and children. Another name for this lake is Kamala Nehru Zoological Garden. It is open from 9 AM to 6.15 PM in the summer. It is open from 9 AM to 5.30 PM in winter. Avoid visiting this park on Mondays as it is closed. For children, the entry fee is Rs.10, and for adults, it is Rs.20.
- Bal Vatika: It is a park for children with different activities in Kankaria Lake. It has a boat house, planetarium, mirror house and history museum for kids to see and enjoy. They charge Rs. 15 for a planetarium for adults and Rs. 10 for kids, and the museum charges Rs. 3 for adults and Rs. 2 for kids.
- Balloon Safari: Baloon Safari is a tethered balloon ride with restaurants and heritage exhibits in the Baloon Safari complex in Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad.
- Nagina Wadi: It is a beautiful Island garden in the centre of the Kankaria Lake. The musical fountain show is the main attraction in the Kankaria Lake activities, which you can enjoy by paying an entry fee of Rs.3. The musical fountain show is Rs. 20. If you want to enjoy a jet ski, you can pay Rs.250.
- Toy Trains: Two toy trains- Atal Express and Swarnim Jayanthi Express, amuse children in Kankaria Lake activities. You can enjoy the beautiful lake by sitting on these trains.
- Stone Mural Park: Gurjar Gaurav Gatha is a stone mural park displaying various mural arts along the side walls of the park. The murals explain the history of Ahmedabad to the visitors of the Kankaria Lake.
- Butterfly Park: There are almost 50 species of butterflies in this butterfly park, and the most interesting thing about this garden is the butterflies come from different places on Earth. There is a garden with attractive flowers to allure butterflies to this park. The information park provides information about the butterfly’s life cycle. You can visit from morning 10 to evening 6, paying an entry fee of Rs.10.
How to Reach?
There are three ways to reach Kankaria Lake – by bus, a taxi or foot. Located in the southeastern part of Ahmedabad, Kankaria Lake is a must-watch attraction. It is only 8 km from the airport and 5 km from the railway station. There are other means to reach this lake without making a hole in your pocket.
- By Bus: It is easy to reach the lakefront from any part of the city. The bus fare is only Rs.10 to Rs. 20.
- By auto: It is one of the cheaper modes of transport to reach this place. You have to pay Rs.50 to Rs100. It is a convenient and faster way to travel at our convenience, enjoying the sites along the way.
- By taxi: Are you looking for an even better option? Hiring a taxi might be a convenient, option to reach Kankaria Lake. You might have to pay Rs. 200 to 300 if you hire one which might be an expensive mode of transport to this lake.
- By metro: Apperal Park metro station is only 2 km from the lake. Metro fare is the same as bus fare.
Best Time to Travel to Kankaria Lake:
Winter is the best time to travel to Kankaria. You can travel to this place and enjoy it.
Conclusion:
Kankaria Lake in Gujarat is a beautiful picnic spot in Gujarat. It is the second-largest lake in this state. The Chalukya king started the construction of Kankaria Lake. Sultan Qutb Ud Din Ahmed Shah II completed the construction. There is a lakefront constructed recently to amuse people. It has various public attractions like water parks, children’s parks, food stalls, balloon rides, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The old name of Kankaria Lake is Hauj-e-Qutb. Since lots of limestone was found in the construction site it was named Kankaria Lake.
Sultan Qutb UD Din designed the lake.
It is a circle in shape with 4.8 km in circumference and leads to a walkway. You can find a garden called Nagina Wadia at the end of it.
Anaconda, python, snake, elephant, emu, white blackbuck, lion and tigers.
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