Fresh or Sweet water lakes of Rajasthan :

Rajasthan is the arid state of India with average yearly rainfall appx 58-60cm. There are large number lakes mostly artificial as well as Natural Lakes. There are two types of Lakes are found in Rajasthan
1. Saline or Salt water lakes of Rajasthan.
2. Fresh or Sweet water lakes of Rajasthan.

Major fresh or sweet water lakes of Rajasthan are Fateh Sagar, Jaisamand, Pichola, Udaisagar, Swaroop Sagar, Pushkar, Ana Sagar, Foy Sagar etc.

The Fresh or Sweet water lakes generally found in the south-eastern part of Rajasthan.
The major lakes of Rajasthan are as follows –

Fateh Sagar Lake, Udaipur :

The Fatah Sagar Lake, an artificial lake was initially built by Maharana Jai Singh in the north of Lake Pichola and to the north-west of Udaipur in the year 1678 but it was reconstructed by Maharana Fateh Singh in 1888. It was inaugurated by the Duke of Connaught and was initially called Connaught Bundh.
There are three islands in the lake, including Public Park with an impressive water-jet fountain, Udaipur Solar Observatory, and Nehru Park – a popular picnic spot with an iconic fountain.

Dhebar Lake or Jaisamand Lake, Udaipur :

Dhebar Lake (also known as Jaisamand Lake) is India’s second-largest artificial lake. There are seven islands in this lake, where the three main islands are Dhebar Lake, Baba ka Magra and the smaller island is called Piari. These all seven island are inhabited by the tribe of Bhil and Minas.
It is built by Rana Jai Singh of Udaipur by building a marble dam across the Gomati River near Salumber in 1685-1691. There are two canals from this lake for irrigation – Shyampura and bhat. It is popular among the locals as a weekend picnic destination.

Pichola Lake, Udaipur :

Lake Pichola, an artificial fresh water lake, situated on the heart of the Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was built in 1362 AD by a Banjara and & named after the nearby Picholi village. There are four islands on the lake: Jag Niwas, where the Lake Palace is built, Jag Mandir, with the palace of the same name, Mohan Mandir and Arsi Vilas.
The Pichola lake and the Saroop Sagar Lake are connected by an arched bridge built by Maharana Swaroop Singh (1842-1861) which in turn connects to the Fateh Sagar Lake and the smaller Arsi vilas.

Udaisagar Lake, Udaipur :

The Udaisagar Lake, one of the five prominent lakes of Udaipur, is situated around 13 km in the east of Udaipur. This lake was built by Maharana Udai Singh in 1565. The lake is actually a result of a dam being built on the river Berach to supply adequate water to the Maharana’s kingdom.

Swaroop Sagar Lake, Udaipur :

Swaroop Sagar lake was built by Maharana Swarup Singh of Udaipur during 1842-1861. This lake was built to avoid water congestion, and to balance the water level in the connecting lakes, namely Fateh Sagar Lake and Pichola Lake.

Doodh Talai Lake, Udaipur :

Doodh Talai Lake or Dudh Talai lake, is a small pond located adjacent to the Lake Pichola, near Shiva Niwas Palace (residence of Maharana Fateh Singh), in the heart of Udaipur, Rajasthan. The Deen Dayal Upadhyay Park and the Manikya Lal Verma Garden are part of the Doodh Talai Lake Garden.

Gaid Sagar Lake, Banswara :

This manmade lake was originally built by Maharaj Gopinath or Gaipa Rawal in 1428 A.D. The lake is famous for the shrine of Shrinathji that rests on its banks. The shrine complex contains numerous exquisitely carved temples and one core temple, the Vijay Rajrajeshwar Temple.
This temple of Lord Shiva displays the skilled craftsmanship of the famed sculptors or ‘shilpkars’ of Dungarpur.

Anand Sagar Lake, Banswara :

The Anand Sagar Lake is an artificial lake , which was constructed by Lanchi Bai, the Rani of Maharval Jagami and is located on the eastern part of Banswara. It is enclosed by the holy trees named ‘Kalpa Vriksha’, famous for fulfilling the wishes of the visitors.

Nikki Lake, Mount Abu :

‘Nakki Lake is a lake situated in the Indian hill station of Mount Abu in Aravalli range. The lake is about 35 meter deep and has an area of 9 Sq. KM.
Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in this Holy Lake on 12 February 1948 and Gandhi Ghat was constructed.

Kishore Sagar Lake, Kota :

The Kishore Sagar is an artificial picturesque lake dating back to 1346 constructed by the Bundi Prince Dehra Deh.
The Jagmandir Palace was built by one of the queens of Kota between 1743 and 1745, and is situated in the middle of the Kishore Sagar Lake.

Jait Sagar Lake, Bundi :

Around 2 km from the town, lying adjacent to Taragarh hill, the picturesque Jait Sagar Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bundi.
This 1.5 km long lake is encircled by hills and is sprinkled with lotus during monsoon and winter months.

Kanak Sagar Lake, Bundi :

Fixed some 67 kilometers away from the magnificent town of Bundi, Kanak Sagar Lake, one of the best sweet water lakes, is home to a multitude of migratory birds including Demille and Bar-headed goose. The beauty of the lake is more so enhanced by the encompassing historical fort of Taragarh which it overlooks.

Rajsamand Lake, Rajsamand :

The Rajsamand Lake was constructed near Kankroli (Rajsamand) by The Maharana Raj Singh, fifth generation of Maharana Pratap, 1662 AD.
It is a beautiful example of sculpture and public utility works. The banks known as “Nouchoki” consist of 25 carved stone ‘RAJ PRASHASHTI’ the longest stone inscription in Sanskrit in the world.The stairs, footrest, artistic gates and ‘Mandaps’ are made of beautiful carved marble and the sculpture imparts a new look every time. The whole construction is based on the number 9 which is considered to be the absolute number in Hindu philosophy & mythology.

Ana Sagar Lake, Ajmer :

Ana Sagar Lake is an artificial lake situated in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan state in India. It was built by Arnoraja (alias Ana), the grandfather of Prithviraj Chauhan, in 1135 -1150 AD and is named after him. The lake is spread over 13 Kilometers. The five Baradari or pavilions, between the garden and the lake, were built by Shahjahan in 1637 and Daulat Bagh Gardens by Jehangir. The Mughal Emperor Jahangir added his touch to the lake by laying out the Daulat Bagh Gardens near the lake.

Foy Sagar Lake, Ajmer :

Lake Foy Sagar is an artificial lake situated near Ajmer in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is named after the engineer Mr. Foy, an Englishman, who created it under a famine relief project in 1892. He created it to tackle with harshest conditions of famine under a famine relief project. It appears flat, and offers views of the neighboring Aravalli mountains.

Pushkar Lake, Ajmer :

Pushkar Lake or Pushkar Sarovar is located in the town of Pushkar, 14 kilometers northwest from Ajmer district of the Rajasthan state. Pushkar Lake is a sacred lake of the Hindus. The Hindu scriptures describe it as “Tirtha-Raj” – the king of pilgrimage sites related to a water-body and relate it to the mythology of the creator-god Brahma, whose most prominent temple stands in Pushkar. The Pushkar Lake finds mention on coins as early as the 4th century BC. Semi-circular in shape and about 8-10 meters deep, Pushkar Lake is surrounded by 52 bathing ghats and over 400 temples and is truly a magnificent sight to behold.

Siliserh Lake, Alwar :

The Siliserh Lake is a beautiful lake, spread in 7 Sq. KM area. It is located 13 KM from Southwest of Alwar. It was built by Maharaja Vinay Singh in 1845.
The water palace of Siliserh with a lake is surrounded by low wooded hills. The tranquil lake is nestled in the hills; the sparkling ripples, surrounded by thick forest and magnificent cenotaphs on its embankment. The King Jai Singh of Alwar buit a system of canal irrigation from the lake in early 20th century.

Kaylana Lake, Jodhpur :

The Kaylana Lake is located 8 km west of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India. It is an artificial lake, built by Pratap Singh in 1872. The lake spreads over an area of 84 Sq. KM. The lake is situated between igneous rock land formations. It receives its water from Hati Nehar (translation: elephant canal), which is further connected to the Indra Gandhi canal.

Balsamand Lake, Jodhpur :

The Balsamand Lake is a lake situated 5 km from Jodhpur on Jodhpur-Mandore Road. This lake is a popular picnic spot, built in 1159 AD by Gurjara-Pratihara rulers. It was designed as a water reservoir to provide water to Mandore. The Balsamand Lake Palace was built later as a summer palace on its shore. The lake is surrounded by lush green gardens that house groves of trees like mango, papaya, pomegranate, guava, and plum. Animals and birds like the jackal and peacock also call this place home.

Gadsisar Lake, Jaisalmer :

The Gadsisar Lake is was built by Raja Rawal Jaisal, the first ruler of Jaisalmer. This historic lake is located towards the south of Jaisalmer city.
Many small temples and shrines were constructed around it, transforming it into a pilgrimage center and a tourist attraction.