Loading…
Field guides / Azad Jammu and Kashmir / Zalzal Lake
Field guide · Nature
A lake near Chikar formed when the 2005 earthquake's landslides blocked a valley and buried four villages, now a quiet, sobering beauty spot.
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
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.
Pairs naturally with a Chikar stop, use Plan a trip to fit it into a Jhelum Valley side-valley day.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, 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.
Straight-line distance from Zalzal Lake, within 30 km.
