Karanji lake in Mysore

I just love every kind of flora and fauna. Well, except for insects and lizards. But altogether, yeah, I love being in nature. I always prefer going to places with trees and nature over visiting a city. That’s the reason for rather than going to a club, I went to explore a spice plantation in Goa.

When I was living in Mysore, I visited this lake which is literally not known to many people. Oh, for those who don’t know where Mysore is, it is a city in Karnataka, India. It has many attractions to visit, but famous for the Mysore Palace. But here I am going to showcase the beautiful yet less known attraction site- Karanji lake.

Karanji Lake

Entrance fees: Adult- INR 10, Children (5-15 years)- INR 5
Timings: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM (Closed on Tuesdays)
Location- Google Maps

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This lake is surrounded by a park which has a butterfly park and a walk-through aviary. And not just any aviary. The biggest walk-through aviary in India. I have never been to one. So I was very excited actually. Oh, and they also have a boating facility too.

So, we reached here at around 10 A.M. The sun was just shining and shining. SO DAMN HOT!! I really cursed myself for not checking the weather beforehand. I could have at least brought an umbrella with me. 

Anyways, after getting our tickets, we decided to visit the aviary first. Because well I was just excited to walk among the birds without having to find them in cages. It was more of a huge cage where you enter. And just like in a zoo, there are places allotted for each breed of bird. Even though they were not in cages, it was still a task to spot them.

Right after you exit the aviary, you can spot a treehouse. Well, not exactly a treehouse. It’s more of a watchtower on a tree. We took the stairs leading to it and the view was just wonderful. But it might be a bit scary for people who are scared of heights.

A huge lake with an island in the middle and trees surrounding the lake. Quite a picturesque view from here. 

We stayed there at the top for about 30 minutes. There was not much to see but it felt quite peaceful up there. With a few birds flying here and there and the wind was also delightful. And the best part, it had a shed. Gosh, it was such a relief.

After enjoying the view, we decided to take a shot at boating too. The ticket fee is quite nominal of INR 25 per person. On the way, there are occasional bamboo forests here and there. 

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There were not many boats functional. We got on one boat and pedalled our way into the lake. It felt a bit risky as they did not provide safety jackets and there were not many people on the lookout. Even something happens, I doubt someone would come to our rescue in time.

Apart from the safety factor, it was very peaceful. You could also spot swans swimming along if you are lucky enough. Altogether, it was a ride for about 20 minutes.

This lake is not much famous, so not many people were around. Max to the max, I could only spot 5 families. Pretty saddening. But the first thing I did on returning was to tell as many friends as possible about this place.

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Tips to remember:

• Carry an umbrella
• Keep yourself hydrated
• Do not feed the birds
• If you have acrophobia, you might not be able to enjoy the lake view to the fullest.