Van Ganga Lake and Island Garden

Van Ganga Lake is Silvassa's most photogenic spot, located about 5 kilometres north of town in the Dadra enclave. The Island Garden wraps around and through the water, connected by Japanese-style wooden bridges and stone paths shaded by mature trees. The setting is genuinely attractive: the lake reflects the surrounding greenery, fountains play in the shallows, and paddle boats are available for hire.

The garden covers over 7 hectares and includes thatched rest huts, walking trails, a small cafeteria, and a children's play area. Morning walkers enter free; the rest of the day there is a small admission charge of around 20 rupees for adults. Go in the late afternoon when the light is best and the worst of the midday heat has passed.

The lake has been used as a filming location for Bollywood productions, which makes it one of those Indian attractions that locals are quietly proud of. It is the natural first stop on any Silvassa itinerary.

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The lake sits in Dadra, the tiny enclave separated from the main territory by a strip of Gujarat. The Portuguese lost this corner of their Indian territory in a single day in 1954 — a popular uprising supported by Indian nationalists seized it before the Indian army formally absorbed it. The Island Garden was built here in the 1990s on land that had been empty since the Portuguese left.

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