Lake created by an earthquake: Sangestar Tso, Tawang

Sangestar Tso Lake is a high altitude Himalayan lake in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh in North-Eastern India. The lake is situated at a towering altitude of around 12,500 feet above sea level (3810 m).

This high altitude lake is located at a distance of around 30 km from the town of Tawang. The only option travellers have to reach this lake is to hire a taxi since no government buses ply on those roads.

The journey takes around two to three hours, one way to cover this short distance since after a point there is no road, just a mud track. The route is very scenic and one will see plenty of smaller lakes all along the way and also P.T. Tso which is just 17 km from Tawang.

The history of the Sangestar Tso Lake is that it used to an open pasture where shepherds from nearby villages used to get their flock to graze in the higher parts of the Himalayas during summers. But after a devastating earthquake in 1971 which resulted in the lake being formed. The falling rocks, boulders and trees during the earthquake gave birth to this beautiful lake.

Sangestar Lake as it is also called is one of the most remote lakes in India and has a breathtaking combination of rocky mountains and an ever-present lake whose beauty is beyond what pictures and videos can describe.

It is a sight to behold, tucked between huge mountains in the heart of the mighty Himalayas with plenty of upright pine tree trunks standing in the centre region of the lake. This is an aftermath of the earthquake.

Sangestar Lake suddenly got popular due to its appearance in the Bollywood movie Koyla and is also locally known as Madhuri Lake named after the lead actress from the movie, Madhuri Dixit. Don’t be surprised if your taxi driver stop randomly and points at a spot where the actors danced while shooting for the movie. The movie was the biggest thing to have ever happened to this tiny town.

Sangestar lake also holds a very special place in the hearts of Buddhists from both India, nearby Tibet and Bhutan who come here every year to pray. It’s common to see lamas offering prayers or meditating near the lake during offseason.

There is a proper walking track for tourist to go around the lake. Being a Buddhist place, one needs to always remember to walk in a clockwise direction. The walk takes one over wooden bridges and through the pinewood forest. Because of the high altitude, the cool breeze adds to the feel by aiding in the fluttering of the prayer flags.

Sangestar

Lake is that kind of a place where you will surely find that much needed inner peace. An hour by the lake and one will return back looking fresh physically and mentally. The best time months to visit the lake is from October to April. It is frozen from December to mid-February but that does not really matter too much. The lake is just jaw-droppingly beautiful. A day trip from Tawang to the lake is a must for anyone who is chasing wanderlust.

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