Sharmishtha Lake

From Kirti Toran, walk back on Patel cross road, turn left at the end of the road and turn left again to reach Sharmishtha lake, about 300 m away.

In a previous story, we spoke about Vadnagar’s remarkable water management system: a network of lakes, tanks, and channels, all linked in a cascading chain.

At the heart of Vadnagar’s water network is the Sharmishtha Lake, the pride of Vadnagar. This lake was made by channeling seasonal waters from the Kapila river into it. Over time, especially between the 10th and 12th centuries, under Solanki rulers like Jayasimha Siddharaja, Sharmishtha lake became a central reservoir that stores water throughout the year.

Kapila is not a perennial river. So, to ensure that this lake never ran dry, it was connected to a network of waterbodies spread across the town. When the monsoon filled one reservoir, the excess was directed into the next tank, and then the next, ensuring that every drop was captured and shared.

Sharmishtha is one of the oldest and largest manmade lakes in India. Legends say that this lake is over 4000 years old. It is named after Princess Sharmishtha, one of the key figures in the Mahabharata. Her story is narrated in Mahabharata's Adi Parva, the first of the 18 books of Mahabharata, as well as in the Bhagavata Purana and the Matsya Purana. According to the legend, Sharmishtha’s youngest son, Puru, would eventually give rise to the lineage of both the Pandavas and Kauravas. This lake got its name because Sharmishtha performed penance here. So according to local tradition, the Mahabharata had its roots in this very place!

History or legend, either way, Sharmishtha lake has been central to life here. And what you see is not just a lake. It is the anchor of a water system that has kept Vadnagar alive when many other ancient cities faded away.