Visit to the Sambhar Lake or Shakambhari Jheel

The Day Trip to Sambhar Lake or Shakambhari Jheel

Been sitting at my desk, I have been quite restless and my Tata Ka Chota Truck was calling me to get away. This was a couple of months back when I still had possession of my TATA Safari Storme.

It has been sold now, so as of today I am (be)car waiting for my new Mahindra Scorpio N to be delivered.

My last sojourn to the Pong Dam in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh in February of this year was quite a good one and my soul was asking me for more.

I was yearning for a quick fix and read about a lake, Sambhar Lake, not too far away and unexplored by me so the destination was quickly firmed up.

In the recent past, Sambhar Salt Lake has been the setting for the shooting of many Bollywood movies; like PK, Super 30, Delhi-6, and Highway which was encouraging.

The Sambhar Salt Lake, India’s largest inland salt lake, is located in Sambhar Lake Town, Jaipur district of Rajasthan, India.

Sambhar Salt Lake is India’s largest saline lake and is the source of most of Rajasthan’s salt production. It produces 196,000 tonnes of clean salt every year, which is around 0.66% of India’s salt production.

The infrastructure at Sambhar Lake includes heritage buildings; cenotaphs and temples, and colonial establishments like the old salt museum, salt train and the Circuit House.

Intriguingly, the area occupied by this lake differs from season to season, so roughly it is between 190 and 230 sq km.

Also, being an extensive saline wetland, the depth of the lake fluctuates from season to season. During peak summers (dry time), the depth measures as low as 60 cm but during the monsoons, it goes up to 3 m.

I called upon my close friends and bounced the idea off them to which they happily agreed and the trip came to being.

Just like Pong Dam Lake, Sambhar Lake was also designated as a Ramsar Site (Ramsar Convention) in 1990 (recognised wetland of international importance) and is therefore ecologically important.

During the winters, these wetlands are a breeding area for thousands of flamingoes and other migratory birds from as far as Siberia.

Princess Hira Kunwari (Died on 19th May 1623):) Married Emperor Akbar (Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar at Sambhar, on 6th February 1562, Wali Nimat, Mariam uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba.

Rajkumari Hira Kunwari Sahiba, alias Harkha Bai was the eldest daughter of Raja Bihari Mal (Raja Bharmal), Raja of Amber. She was one of Emperor Akbar’s three Chief Queens and main consort.

She was the mother of Prince Salim aka Emperor Jehangir. She became the Queen mother of the Mughal empire after Jehangir became emperor. She was laid to rest at Rauza Mariyam, Sikandara near Agra.

Whether Princess Hira Kunwari was also known as Jodha Bai or not is a big question today and there is no certainty about who Jodha Bai was. Read more about this controversy and unanswered questions.

There is no mention of Jodha Bai as Emperor Akbar’s Chief Consort in Akbarnama as well as Jodha Bai being mother of Jahangir in Jahangirnama or any Mughal document of the period.

So this part of history is a mystery. The controversy over Jodha Bai never seems to die down. Did you know Shakambhari Jheel is connected to Mahabharat from Indian Itihasa as well? Read on for more

The Mahabharata mentions King Yayati’s being the progenitor of the races of the Yadavas, Pandavas & Kauravas and his several achievements.

He performed 100 Rajasuya Yajna, 100 Ashvamedha Yajna, 100 Vajapeya Yajna, 1000 Atiratra Yajna, 1000 Pundarika Yajna and innumerable Agnishthoma Yajna and Chaturmasya Yajna.

King Yayati married Devayani, Shukracharya’s daughter, and took Sharmishtha, daughter of King Vrishaparvan or Vrishaparva, and the maid of Devayani, as his mistress.

Close to Sambhar Lake, there is a Sharmistha Sarovar, a water body dedicated to Sharmistha. There is a Devyani Kund as well.

Upon hearing of his relationship with Sharmishtha, Devayani complained to her father, who cursed Yayati to old age in the prime of life, but later allowed him to exchange it with his son, Puru.

Puru becomes the inheritor of Yayati’s kingdom. King Puru – founder of the Puruvamsha dynasty which was later renamed as Kuruvamsha.

The dynasty was renamed Kuruvamsha due to the alliance & merger between the Bharata & other Puru clans. With their centre of power in the Kurukshetra, the Kurus formed the first political centre of the Vedic period.

The legend of Yayati appears in the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of the ninth canto of the Bhagavata Purana.

According to a Hindu legend and local beliefs, the protector goddess of the Chauhan Rajputs (Of Prithviraj Chauhan fame) – Maa Shakambari Devi, converted the local forest into a vast plain of silver as a payment of service.

When the people feared the greed and strife that would result because of this, they prayed to the Goddess to withdraw the boon.

Shakambari Devi relented and converted the area of silver into a lake of a different kind, a ‘salt lake’. Thus, Sambhar Salt Lake is said to have come into existence.

A temple devoted to Maa Shakambari Devi is located on a rocky outcrop near Sambhar Lake. From the higher elevation on which it is situated, it appears as if the Goddess is guarding the lake.

The 80 sq km area of the eastern side of the 5.1 km long sandstone dam dividing the lake has the 1000-year salt pans separated by narrow ridges.

The gates are lifted when the salty water reaches above the limit. There are saltwater evaporating ponds to the east of the lake. Salt is been farmed for thousands of years from this lake.

It is fed by the salt waters released from the 5700 square km catchment area in the west fed mainly by the Mendha (Mantha) and Roopangarh rivers.

The lake also receives water from four more rivers: Medtha, Khari, Khandela and Samod.

The railroad to the east of the dam built by the British provides access from the town of Sambhar to the salt works. The destination also provides a glimpse into the process of salt extraction.

The lake produces 2,10,000 tonnes of salt annually, making it one of the three leading salt-producing states in India.

Historical Visit – Witnessing the salt wagering wagons and visiting the Salt Laboratory & the Salt Museum displaying salt samples from all over India housed in an old colonial building is a unique experience.

Salt Museum is located near the Circuit House which is a more than 100 years old colonial building. Surprisingly, the Circuit House still has a functional dumb waiter – a trolley used to carry transport food from the ground floor to the first floor.

Bird Watching – Besides, the area attracts a lot of migratory birds. During the key winter season, thousands of pink flamingos (especially) and several other birds like pochards, shovellers, common teal etc., migrate to the wetlands.

Their arrival from Northern Asia and Siberia makes it one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. It is frequented by nature lovers, wanderers, birdwatchers, photography enthusiasts and all kinds of tourists.

Wildlife Spotting – There are dense woods close to the lake which also harbours other wildlife. So, it’s very common to spot nilgais, deer & foxes etc here.

Photography – The lake provides beautiful panoramic scenery of the woods & the mountains that add to those wonderful visuals. As a result, the place attracts a lot of photography enthusiasts to shoot the landscape.

Camping – Camping is another very popular activity at Sambhar Lake. Since the place is resplendent with peace and calm, it also provides amazing views of sunrise & sunset. Many people come here to camp and watch the clear night skies.

Visit Shakhambari Devi Mandir – Mata Shakhambari Mandir is situated on the southern bank of the lake and it should be there on your itinerary as the temple provides amazing views of the lake and the salt piles from a distance.

The night sky from the chhatri (cenotaph) near Maa Shakambari Devi Temple also gives you memorable views.

Shakambari Mata Temple is the venue for a popular religious fair in August when people from all over come to attend it.

Devyani Temple & Kund – Devyani Temple dedicated to Ganga is one of the many temples in Sambhar Town.

The entrance leads you to a water pond (Devyani Kund) on which ghats were built and the entire Kund was surrounded by temples dedicated to different deities.

The Kund and temples are also referred to as Chota Pushkar and is a revered site for visitors from near and far.

Jageshwar Temple – Jageshwar Temple, near Devyani Kund, is a centuries-old Shiva temple. According to folklore, the lingam at this temple was dug 80 feet but the Shivling remained without a crack.

Visit Naliasar – The Naliasar excavation site, an archaeological site believed to be Sakambhari, the capital of the Chahamanas.

The INTACH board at the entrance said that excavated terracotta figurines, coins, and seals from the site date back to well-planned settlements from the Kushan and Gupta periods.

Here, you may explore the remains of 45 dwellings at six levels dating from the 3rd-2nd century BC to the 10th century AD.

Where is Sambhar Lake located?

Sambhar Lake is in the state of Rajasthan. The lake covers an area lying between the districts of Jaipur, Nagaur, and Ajmer. It is situated close to Sambhar town and approximately 90 km from Jaipur.

What is the Best Time to Visit Sambhar Lake

The best time to visit Sambhar Wildlife Sanctuary and the lake is from October to March. Avoid travelling to Sambhar from June to September, as this is the monsoon season and neither would you find much wildlife then, nor would you be able to witness much salt production.

Within Rajasthan

By Road: The best way to reach Sambhar Lake is by road in a bus or a car.

You can take a taxi or drive your vehicle via NH48 and NH23. Depending on traffic and road conditions, the ride will take 1-2 hours.

You can take any Nagaur or Kucha­man bound bus from Jaipur Sindhi Camp Bus Stand. The first stop is Sambhar and here you can get down.

By Train: The nearest railway station is Sambhar Salt Lake Station. Most trains stop at this station, however, it will be better to confirm before booking tickets. You can take Leelan Express from Jaipur for 30 min travel.

By Air: The Jaipur airport located in Sanganer is 118 km away from Sambhar. The airport is well-connected to all major flight routes/destinations in India and to international destinations.

From the airport itself, there are many modes of transport like private/public buses and taxis etc that can be taken to reach Salt Lake and its other attractions.

From Delhi

By Road: The driving distance between Delhi to Sambhar Lake is 366 km. It takes approx. 4H50M to drive from Delhi to the Sambhar Lake. The Sambhar Lake is approximately 30 km from the Sambhar Lake Town.

The drive is smooth on the NH-8 in the beginning as the road to Sambhar diverts from the Delhi-Ajmer highway near Bichoon. The road is relatively rugged hereafter and there are a lot of potholes on the road.

By Train: There are around 8 trains that run from Delhi to Sambhar Lake Town daily. Travel time by train between Delhi to Sambhar is 04h 02m and the distance that needs to be covered is 374 km.

By Air: You may book air tickets to Sanganer Airport in Jaipur and then take a cab to Sambhar Lake which will take a maximum of two hours, depending on traffic and road conditions.

Where to stay at Sambhar Lake?

From budget camps to luxury resorts, there is a wide range of accommodation options around Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan.

Many accommodations offer easy access to the lake and its surroundings. Camp Sambhar is a comfortable tented camp, while Sambhar Heritage Resort and Sambhar Lake Palace are more upscale hotels with luxury amenities.

What to eat at Sambhar Lake?

Local eateries near Sambhar Lake offer authentic Rajasthani cuisine, including traditional thalis, kebabs, and curries. Fenni sweet of Sambhar is a local delicacy worth trying.