Huts, homestays, guest houses packed; it’s a good season after years, says hotelier
Raja Syed Rather
Manasbal Lake Resort is witnessing a heavy rush of tourists, with nearly four lakh people, mostly from across the country, visiting the destination in the last 20 months.
The resort, located in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, is a derivative of the Lake Manasarovar. It is encircled by three villages – Jarokbal, Kondabal and Gratbal also called Kiln place – and is situated on the North-Eastern side of the lake. It is also said to be the deepest lake (13 metres or 43 feet in depth) in India.
Gowhar Raffiee, Incharge, Tourist Office Manasbal, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the place witnessed a huge rush of tourists from January 2022 till August 2023 with a total of 3,70,577 people visiting the resort. Among them, 50,677 were local, 3,19,804 were from across the country and 96 were foreigners, he informed.
Meanwhile, an official told KNO that there are two significant projects under SMRT with a total cost of Rs 34 crore. “One of them is already in progress, and the other is scheduled to begin soon,” he said.
A local shopkeeper said the flow of tourists is much more than what it was earlier. We are thankful to the Tourism Department for promoting the place, he said.
The government huts, homestays and guest houses at Manasbal are packed and the season is going on very well after several years, said a hotel owner.
Arun Mehta, a tourist from Delhi, said he enjoyed the Shikara ride over the lake. “Around sunset, a large flock of ducks gathers around the middle of the lake which creates a beautiful scene of nature,” he expressed.
The Jammu and Kashmir tourism department has identified 75 off-beat tourist destinations for promotion this year. Manasbal Lake Resort is among them
