Kankaria Lake Ahmedabad (Entry Fee, Timings, Best time to visit, Images & Location)

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Kankaria lake can be found in the south-eastern section of Ahmedabad near the Maninagar area, in Gujrat. It is said to be the second largest lake in the city. Multiple tourist spots like the zoo, kids city, toy-train, hot-air balloon ride, water-based rides and other such entertainment attractions are in abundance in the lakefront that has been developed around Kankaria lake. However, it wasn’t like this since the beginning.

Recently there was reconstruction and reworking of the lakefront, by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). In the past, due to negligence, Kankaria lake dried up and became dirty thereby rendering it useless, but with the joint efforts of AMC and the government, it is now a revamped place that is a major tourist attraction. Various kinds of social, cultural and similar activities take place here.

In fact, a carnival festival is also celebrated surrounding Kankaria lake in December, during the final week of the month, usually from the 25th of December to the 1st of January.

Architecture of Kankaria Lake

The construction of the lake was done by some of the finest Mughal architects of the time as evident from the different cuttings and designs in the stones that have been employed to construct the polygonal shaped reservoir that resides right in the middle of this lake.

Kankaria lake consists of an island that encompasses Nagina Wadi, which is a garden, right in the middle of it. This place in itself is a beautiful tourist spot here. Nagina means jewel here. The garden further consists of a summer palace which goes by the name of Ghattamandal.

A bridge connects with the bank that was originally 48 arches long. Many have mentioned this kind of architecture as a magnificent piece of the Mughal era, and just like a centre piece in jewellery, it is also known as the centre jewel of the lake.

History of Kankaria Lake

The actual origin for the name Kankaria is unknown, yet various stories roam about. One of them says that the name Kankaria was chosen due to the huge piles of limestone that was dug out during its excavation for formation of the artificial lake.

Another story says that Sultan Qutb-ud-Din had posed a question to Shah Alam, who was a saint, to select a location for the garden and the tank, who then scattered pebbles and built the lake, thereby owing the name Kankaria lake.

Another popular story suggests that Hazrat-i-Shah Alam, who was also a saint, got injured by a pebble when he was passing through the excavated site and he acknowledged the pebble that injured him, thus giving the excavation site the corresponding name.

Merutunga, a chronicler of the 14th century, said that Karna, the ruler of Chalukya origin, after defeating the Bhil chief Asha, ordered for a temple to be built. This temple was dedicated to Kochharba, a goddess, wherein Karnavati city, which is nearby, was also established by him along with many more temples like Jayantidevi and Karnamukteshwara temples.

Karna also established a tank in the city of Karnavati, next to the Karneshvara temple and this tank was named as the Karnasagara tank, which is presently known as the Kankaria Lake. However, the validity of the origin of this story is questionable.

Sultan Muizz-ud-Din Muhammad Shah II started construction of this lake back in the 15th century and there’s an inscription that clearly states that it was infact finished during the rule of Sultan Ahmad Shah II in the year of 1451, thereby adding to the further confusion of an already confusing origin of the name of Kankaria Lake.

Image Gallery of Kankaria Lake Ahmedabad

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Things to do at Kankaria Lake

There are numerous attractions to enjoy at Kankaria lake. From zoos and parks to different kinds of rides, this place demands at least a couple hours of your time to enjoy it heartily. Some of the major attractions are:-

1. The Kankaria Zoo is easily one of the top most visited tourist destinations in Kankaria lake. Some may wonder what's so special about this just-another zoo? Well, this zoo was once the best rated zoo in the whole of Asia. It cages various varieties and species of animals including reptiles,mammals, carnivores and predators. Children and adults alike are sure to learn many things about the animals present here through the tour that’s available in the zoo.

2. Another famous attraction, especially for the kids, is the Balvatika. Bal means a child and vatika translates to a garden, hence balvatika means a child’s garden. It is essentially a child’s park with many activities for kids. There are planetariums and toy houses to satisfy the children while the parents can satiate their hunger for fun in mirror houses or by simply taking a walk in this peaceful park.

3. For the tourist who’s looking for some adventure, the amusement park has a myriad of rides. From roller coasters to merry go rounds,this park has a ride for everybody that is guaranteed to shoot up their adrenaline to sky high levels.

4. For the kids, there is a dedicated place known as Kids city. This city has many real life models in small sizes to that of a real life city such as schools,government offices,hospitals and much more to name a few. There is a virtual currency here that has been designed to work in the miniature city just like real currencies do in real life cities. It is a really clever idea to introduce kids to the concept of money and how it works.

5. Toy train in Kankaria lake is another major tourist attraction. It encompasses the lake and is one of the most successful rides of all time. This toy train ride is very useful for tourists who want to travel round the lake completely in a short period of time and cover the maximum ground.

Although the train moves sluggishly, which is obvious as do most toy trains, it is enjoyable for both adults and children. The tickets can be booked in advance for this ride and it is recommended to do so as the ride is always in demand throughout the year.

6. One of the highly recommended activities in Kankaria lake is the balloon ride. However, to be more specific, it is not the kind of balloon ride where you can take a helium balloon as far away as your private air vehicle. It is attached (tethered) to a cable to prevent wandering far away, especially in a crowded city like Ahmedabad. It may seem a bit boring at first to ride a cable-connected air balloon,but the response is pretty positive. People love the view the balloon provides as it goes up and many love to take aerial shots from above.

7. Finally, there is the Nagina wadi island that’s situated exactly in the middle of Kankaria lake. It is another popular tourist spot where the residences of the famous Mughals can be found. One has to cross almost half of the lake to be able to reach this spot, and the effort is worth it. The architecture of the buildings present on this island are mesmerizing and noteworthy.

Entry fee and timings of Kankaria Lake

The entry fee for adults is Rs.25 per person, Rs.10 per person for children and Re.1 per person if it’s an educational trip for school children. There is free entry for senior citizens and children below 3 years of age as well as for joggers. However, the joggers are restricted to a free entry only between 4:00 am to 8:00 am.

Kankaria Lake is open on all days of the week except Mondays. It opens from 4:00 am - 8:00 am and then reopens again from 9:00 am - 10:00 pm.

Places to visit near Kankaria Lake

Other places to visit near Kankaria lake include temples,museums,sport houses,artificial aquariums,playing grounds and game rides. There are many small lakes that allow boating. Bird watchers can even get a glimpse of some of the different species of birds that migrate here. Children of all ages can play any sport in the vast grounds that are available here while aged people can take a walk to the different parks or even join one of the yoga centres.

For the heritage traveller looking to find a bit more about the history of India in this part of Ahmedabad, they’ll not be disappointed as there are tombs of the Dutch and others that are known to be connected to some trading company in the past.One can dig deep into the history of this place and find many interesting artefacts and ancient secrets.

Interesting facts about Kankaria Lake

• The artificial Kankaria Lake was built in the 15th Century by Sultan Qutb-ud-din.The construction was over by 1451 CE and the lake was used by kings for bathing.
• Kankar in Gujarati means pebble.
• In 1928, Kankaria was declared protected under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act.
• Nagina Wadi was formerly known as Bagh-e-Nagina which translates from Urdu to give the phrase beautiful garden.
• Reuben David was awarded the Padma Shri in 1974 for establishing the beautiful Kankaria Zoo.

Things to keep in mind while visiting Kankaria Lake

• Kankaria lake can be visited throughout the year but the best time to visit is during the last week of December because at that time, the Kankaria Lake Carnival takes place.
• Laser light shows and musical fountains are operable during the evenings and hence recommended to visit the place during evenings.
• Carry water bottles as the lakefront still lacks proper drinking water access.

How to reach Kankaria Lake

To reach Kankaria lake, one can opt for a taxi or a private car via the Punt Maharaj Road right across Nelson’s Primary School. If a train is opted, then the nearest railway station to Kankaria lake is Ahmedabad Junction train station at a distance of 5 km from the tourist attraction. One can also opt for a private cab from top car rental companies in Ahmedabad and visit all the popular sightseeing places of Ahmedabad quite comfortably.

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Location Map for Kankaria Lake Ahmedabad