Prashar Lake Trek: DIY Guide

Parashar – or Prashar Lake – is a lake located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. One can either choose to take the Prashar Lake bus from Mandi that runs every morning at 8 am or do the Prashar Lake trek which rewards you with a beautiful trail amidst a rhododendron forest, meadows surrounded by pine trees and views of the beautiful snow-capped mountains. The Prashar Lake trek height is 2,730 meters or 8,950 feet above sea level. Since the lake falls above the treeline, it can be termed an alpine lake. There are many mythological stories associated with the lake.

Having recently found an innate affinity to do as many treks as possible since the Triund trek, I decided to ditch the option of the bus and do the entire Prashar Lake trek instead. This Prashar Lake trek blog will give you the most answers you have while planning the trek yourself, as well as a simple Prashar Lake trek itinerary.

I took an overnight bus from Mandi to Delhi and at 7 am, I found myself in the town with the entire day ahead of me. I could’ve hopped onto the 8 am bus to reach the Prashar Lake starting point at Baggi village, but I was too tired from the overnight journey and decided to replenish before starting the Prashar Lake trek the next day. I landed at a hole-in-the-wall sort of a place and bagged myself a double bed with an attached bathroom and a great view of the mountains in just 180/night. This is a dharamshala of sorts in the complex of the Bhootnath Temple. This temple is also a massive attraction during Shiv Ratri and one of Himachal’s biggest pooja is held here during the festival.

How to go to Prashar Lake

As mentioned before in this Prashar Lake trek guide, if your question is “how to go to Prashar Lake“, then there are two answers for you. One option is to take the road leading all the way up to Prashar Lake. There is a local HRTC bus from Mandi to Prashar Lake that runs every morning at 8 am and starts back for Mandi at 1 pm. So if your plan is to visit Prashar Lake in one day, this might be the best option for you. You can also take your own car to Prashar Lake.

Mandi to Prashar Lake distance is about 50 kilometres. The roads are mostly well built on the state highway, except for the last 10 kilometres where you will find a lot of potholes and some off-road patches as well. All in all, it is a very doable drive to Prashar Lake.

Driving or taking the bus is often the easiest answer to your “how to visit Prashar Lake” question. But if you’re anything like me, and would ditch the road for a few kilometres of a trek, then the Prashar Lake trek is a good option for you.

• To start the Prashar Lake trek from Delhi, get the overnight Volvo or ordinary HRTC buses running to Mandi.
• If you reach Mandi before 8 am, you can board the local bus going to Prashar Lake and get off at the Prashar Lake trek starting point at Baggi village.

Prashar Lake Trek – Route, Distance and Duration

Once you have reached the Prashar Lake trek starting point at Baggi village, just ask any locals around for the trail that follows the Prashar Lake trek. The Prashar Lake trek starts along the basin of the mostly dried up Beas river. We made our way winding across the huge rocks and crossing a few water streams to make it to the rhododendron forest leading up to the lake. The Prashar Lake trek route is visible well and just keep following the trail.

About two hours into the Prashar Lake trek, you will come across a massive lush green meadow with snow-capped mountains in front and the remaining forest behind. I spent an hour here soaking the glorious sun in. After crossing the second patch of the woods, it was a matter of a few minutes before you will find ourselves in the vicinity of Parashar or Prashar Lake.

Also read: “A Guide to Kareri Lake Trek“

If you’re doing the Prashar Lake trek solo as I did, you don’t need to worry. The Prashar Lake trek route is well defined. And in the chance you get lost and are unable to find your way, you are sure to pass several shepherds grazing their cattle or villagers going up to the lake to pay their respects. Prashar Lake trek solo is very doable. Although there are several Prashar Lake trek packages available online, it is the ultimate do-it-yourself (DIY) trek.

The Prashar Lake trek distance is about 5 kilometres from the Prashar Lake trek starting point at Baggi village. The Prashar Lake trek difficulty level is easy and you only need a basic level of fitness to complete this trek. Make sure you carry good quality trekking shoes and a snugly fit rucksack to make the journey more comfortable. You can easily do the Prashar Lake trek in one day. The Prashar Lake trek duration will be about 4 to 6 hours, depending on your physical fitness.

Prashar Lake Trek – Best Time to Visit

The best time to do Prashar Lake trek – or any other Himalayan trek for that matter – has to be in the spring or autumn season. This is when the weather is just about right and it isn’t too hot or too cold. Ideally, Prashar Lake best time is from March to April and October to November. This is also when you can see the far-off snowclad mountain peaks of the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges clearly.

However, the best time to go to Prashar Lake can also be year-round since the lake changes its beauty with each passing season. I did the Prashar Lake trek in April and was rewarded with a rhododendron forest in full bloom and clear skies, moderate temperature and clearly visible mountain peaks in the distance. Prashar Lake trek in March would also be similar. The Prashar Lake weather goes not beyond 30 degrees during the day and at night, it can touch 0 degrees celsius as well. So make sure you are prepared for the cold nights.

Also consider: Waichin Valley Trek near Parvati Valley.

The Prashar Lake trek in April has another advantage – as luck would have it, my plans for the trek had coincided with the birthday celebration of Prashar Rishi’s birthday and this mela or festival is called Saura Panjoo. The devtas from other parts of Himachal had come to visit Prashar Rishi on palanquins. I saw the devtas ‘dance’ and ‘hug’ each other. There was traditional Himachali Dham and it was definitely the best time to visit Prashar Lake. You can witness another festival or fair called Saranauhali if you do the Prashar Lake trek in June. Check with locals for the exact dates of these festivals before planning your trip as the dates change each year according to the Lunar Calendar.

Prashar Lake in December is a whole different world. The meadows are all covered with snow and icicles form at the edge of the Prashar Rishi temple. However, the Prashar Lake trek in December or any winter month can be tricky and difficult. So either consider taking a Prashar Lake trek guide along or choose to do a road trip to the lake instead.

Prashar Lake in monsoons from July to September turns all green due to incessant rains. Many times clouds descend onto the rolling meadow hills and wildflowers can be seen everywhere. It is definitely a magical time to visit the lake, but trekking must be avoided during monsoons at all costs due to sudden weather changes. Consider doing a road trip instead.

Prashar Lake Trek – Where to Stay

My favourite part about going on treks has to be the camping bit. There’s nothing like setting up your own home, sleeping under dotted skies and rolling up in a ball to keep yourself warm. The bright warm sunrise always makes up for the insane strong winds that threaten to take my tent away throughout the night. The rush you get creating a home in the lap of wilderness far away from the luxury of comfort is unparalleled. Thus, soon I headed towards the highest clearing near the Lake to pitch my tent. I found a friendly little pup who faithfully completed this last leg of the Parashar Lake trek with me.

The next morning I woke up not to my alarm, not the sunlight, not to the sound of the chirping birds. I woke up to the tail of a horse hitting my tent repeatedly. I opened my tent up to the view of glorious sunrise and a number of horses grazing all around me.

Although I had carried and pitched my own tent, you don’t need to go through the burden of carrying that extra weight on the Prashar Lake trek. There are several shacks that rent out sleeping bags and tents and a minimal cost. So if the question of “where to stay at Prashar Lake” has been bogging your mind, you don’t need to worry about this at all.

These shacks also double as the places to eat in Prashar Lake. The dhaba-shacks provide basic meals for your Prashar Lake stay. The most common food at Prashar Lake available is rajma chawal, aloo paratha, Maggi and bread omelette. In fact, most shacks will give you stay and all 3 meals at just 1000 rupees per person per day. Pretty sweet deal, right?

Prashar Lake Trek Short Itinerary

Day 0: Board overnight Volvo semi-sleeper bus from Delhi to Mandi

Day 1: Reach Mandi by 7 am. Freshen up at a dhaba, and board the local HRTC bus from Mandi to Prashar Lake at 8 am. Get off at Baagi village and start trekking towards Prashar Lake. Reach Prashar Lake by lunchtime. Pitch your tent, relax. Visit the Prashar Rishi temple and go around the meadows of the lake for different photography angles. At night after dinner, do stargazing at Prashar Lake and try to spot the Milky Way Galaxy!

Day 2: Pack up your tent and have breakfast. Either start for the trek down to Baagi village after breakfast or board the bus from Prashar Lake to Mandi at 1 pm. Lunch at Mandi, followed by overnight semi-sleeper Volvo bus from Mandi to Delhi.

Prashar Lake History and Mythology

There are several myths and legends associated with Prashar Lake. According to Prashar Lake mythology, the lake dates back to the time of Mahabharata when the Pandava brothers were in exile. Lord Kamrunag was accompanying them during this journey and upon reaching the Prashar Lake location, he loved the place and wished to stay here forever. So Bhima, the strongest of the five brothers, rammed his elbow on the ground, creating a dent which then filled up with water. The Prashar Lake location is also often known as Kamru Valley and the lake is sometimes referred to as Kamrunag Lake.

Another Prashar Lake legend is that the lake was created when a sage known as Rishi Prashar rammed his mallet (gada in Hindi) to the ground. Water emerged from under it, thus creating Prashar Lake.

Prashar Lake is the only other lake beside Loktak Lake in India to have a floating island within it. This floating island is mainly made up of marsh and also moves and changes location sometimes. A Prashar Lake legend associated with the floating island is that locals believe the day One Prashar Lake mystery is that despite a few attempts, scientists have not been able to gauge the Prashar Lake depth. To this day, no one knows how deep the lake is!

Prashar Lake also features an ancient temple built in the pagoda architectural style with stone and cedarwood. The temple is dedicated to Prashar Rishi. The Prashar Lake history of this temple dates back to King Ban Sen who built this temple during the 13 and 14th centuries. It is believed that this temple took 12 years to complete, and was built using only a single cedar tree!

Prashar Lake FAQs

How long is Prashar Lake Trek?

The Prashar Lake trek is about 5 kilometres in distance, starting at Bagi or Baggi village. Depending on your physical capability and speed, it should take between 4 to 6 hours to complete this trek.

Is Prashar Lake Trek easy?

Prashar Lake trek is one of the easiest treks in Himachal Pradesh. It is adequately suited for beginner level trekkers looking to practise more and more.

How do I get to Parashar lake?

You can reach Prashar Lake either by the daily 8 am bus from Mandi, or you can also hire a cab from Mandi or drive up your own car. Trekking to Prashar Lake is another common way to reach.

Can we reach Prashar Lake by car?

Yes, Prashar Lake by car is definitely a very doable option. The Mandi to Prashar Lake distance is about 50 kilometres with well-paved roads. However, the roads in the last 10 kilometres or so are in poor conditions so drive mindfully, and avoid going during monsoons due to unpredictable landslides, heavy rainfalls and cloud bursts.

Can we stay at Prashar Lake?

You can definitely stay at Prashar Lake. There are several campsites around the lake which offer alpine tents at minimal cost, or swiss tents at a slightly higher price range, Alternatively, there is also a Prashar Lek rest house. One is run by PWD and the other by the Forest Department for more comfortable places to stay at Prashar Lake.

How can I reach Mandi by train?

The nearest railway station to Mandi is at Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab, about 110 kilometres away. From Kiratpur, you can either choose to board a local bus running to Mandi or hire a private cab.

How to reach Prashar Lake from Delhi?

You can either take the overnight Volvo semi-sleeper buses running regularly from Delhi to Mandi. The Delhi to Mandi distance is about 425 kilometres. From Mandi, then hop on to the daily 8 am local HRTC bus going to Prashar Lake. Mandi to Prashar Lake distance is about 50 kilometres. Alternatively, you can also drive in your own vehicle all the way from Delhi straight to Prashar Lake. The Delhi to Prashar Lake distance is about 475 kilometres.

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