Phewa Lake ( Fewa Taal )

Phewa Lake ( Fewa Taal ) Introduction

Phewa Lake is a very famous lake located in Kaski District, Gandaki Province, Nepal. Located in the Pokhara Valley, this lake is popular among both internal and external tourists. The name of this lake is Phewa Lake, as it is near the village of Phewa. It is also called Baidam Lake, as it falls near the village. In the meantime, the location of ‘Barahi Mandir’ has made it possible to identify it in Barah Mandir as well. The lake has a panoramic view of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna Himal. These scenes bring joy to everyone’s mind. The view of the sunrise and sunset is also stunning and makes the mind happy.

Phewa Lake is the second-largest lake in Nepal. It is a semi-natural freshwater lake enveloped by Rani Ban, or Queen’s Forest, with stunning reflections of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges in the clear lake waters. It is also a perfect place to experience the ever-so-glorious Himalayan sunrises.

Many poets have written about Pokhara and Phewa Lake in their works. Many songs have become popular. There have been many descriptions of Pokhara and its beauty in essays, stories, and novels. Those who have reached Pokhara once are repeatedly called by Phewa Lake. Probably because of this, some foreign nationals have given up their homeland citizenship and made Pokhara a place to spend the latter part of their lives.

Boating on Phewa Lake

The experience of boating in Phewa Lake from one side to the other is priceless. There is a line of boats around the lake, a lake temple, i.e., Tal Barahi Temple, in the middle, and the blue water will make your face shine. The cool breeze from around the lake makes your heart flutter.

Food, Drinks, and Music at Phewa Lake

Phewa Lake is very popular for its nearby restaurants and its hospitality. For the tourists visiting this lake, along with the beautiful natural beauty, the hospitality here also attracts everyone. Along with this, Pokhara is still far ahead of other cities for enjoying food, drinks, and music. The restaurants and bars that are open near Phewa Lake make the tourists happy and comfortable. Food, drinks, and music are the hallmarks of Phewa Lake. Whether it is western or genuine Nepali folk music, easy music, or ghazals, the sound of music that starts in the restaurants opened on the shores of the lake is enough to captivate the minds of visitors.

Tourist Destinations Around Phewa Lake

Tal Barahi Temple

There is a Nepali-style Barahi temple on a mound in the middle of the Phewa Lake of Pokhara in Kaski district, which is called Taal Barahi Temple. This temple is also called Taal Barahi, as it is in the middle of Phewa Lake. According to local proverbs, the rulers of Kaski built a temple in the middle of the lake around 1739 B.S. The present magnificent temple of Taal Barahi was built only around the year 2017 B.S. It is also customary to offer animal sacrifices in this temple. This place, which is crowded with tourists, seems to have a fair all year.

Baidam

Baidam is the nearest village to Phewa Lake. It is another major attraction where you can meet the locals and interact with them. The flickering lights at night, the sound of Nepali, Hindi, and English music being played in the nearby hotels, and tourists indulging in wine and meat dishes, etc. make the evening vigil of Baidam, Pokhara, enticing and thrilling to everyone.

Sarangkot

Sarangkot is another touristy place near Phewa Lake. From Sarangkot, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Pokhara. From here, you can fly like a bird through paragliding. To make the access from Phewa Lake to Sarangkot easy, the plan of joining cable cars between them is being carried out.

Ratna Temple

Who wouldn’t be fascinated by the magnificent royal bungalow built on the banks of the Phewa Lake in Pokhara? The bungalow called Ratna Mandir is not visible from the road along the lake. Instead, visitors going to Barahi Temple by boat from the east side can see the small part of the building facing south. Ratna Mandir is a palace built by the then-king Mahendra in the name of his queen Ratna. At that time, he used to come and stay at Ratna Mandir from time to time.

Getting There

Pokhara is 203.8 km away from Kathmandu. One can reach there via flight and public or private vehicles. You can also travel to Pokhara by tourist bus. It takes around 25 minutes to reach Pokhara by plane. Likewise, it takes about 8–9 hours in public buses and 4-5 hours in private jeeps, cars, or bikes. Numerous local buses depart from Kathmandu in the morning, afternoon, and evening for Pokhara. We recommend you make your journey in private vehicles, as it will save you energy and provide comfortable riding.

From Pokhara, Phewa Lake is just 20 minutes away. You can walk there by exploring the beautiful city of Pokhara. Being the most developed city in Nepal, you can access some of the best standard hotels and facilities when visiting Phewa Lake.

The Best Time to Visit Phewa Lake

Phewa Lake can be visited throughout the year; however, travelers prefer to flock to this lake mainly during the spring (March, April, and May) and autumn (September, October, and November). As per the locals, the lake is mainly crowded during Dashain. During these times, you get to observe the clear visibility of the peaks and their ranges, blooming flowers, a green environment, pleasant weather, etc.

I suggest everyone visit Phewa Lake, as it gives us the opportunity to visit as well as get information about new places. We, all Nepalese, need to know more about this lake and spread it further. By doing so, our country will be famous all over the world, and the pride of Nepal will also increase.