Field guides / Azad Jammu and Kashmir / Zalzal Lake
Field guide · Nature
Zalzal Lake
Zalzal Lake, Urdu for 'earthquake lake', formed when the catastrophic 2005 Kashmir earthquake triggered landslides that dammed a valley near Chikar, burying four villages beneath the rubble. The resulting lake, roughly 3 km long, is now a quiet, scenic spot, though its origin gives it a weight most lakes don't carry.
Zalzal Lake, Urdu for 'earthquake lake', formed when the catastrophic 2005 Kashmir earthquake triggered landslides that dammed a valley near Chikar, burying four villages beneath the rubble. The resulting lake, roughly 3 km long, is now a quiet, scenic spot, though its origin gives it a weight most lakes don't carry.
Why go
- ✦Formed by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake's landslides
- ✦Roughly 3 km long
- ✦A quiet, reflective stop rather than a developed attraction
A Lake Born of Disaster
The 2005 earthquake was one of the deadliest in the region's history; the landslides that formed this lake buried the villages of Curli, Bhat Shir, Lodhabad, and Padder. Visiting is as much a quiet acknowledgment of that history as it is a scenic stop.
Plan It with GreenPak
Pairs naturally with a Chikar stop, use Plan a trip to fit it into a Jhelum Valley side-valley day.
Planning tip
When to go, April to October for easiest access and clearest water.
Getting there, A short drive from Chikar, itself about 46 km from Muzaffarabad via Hattian Bala.
Allow, 1-2 hours.
