Chorabari Lake (Gandhi Sarovar)

A glacial lake — or what remains of one after the 2013 disaster — at the foot of the Chorabari Glacier, about 3 km uphill from Kedarnath at 3,900 m. The walk up takes two to three hours each way through alpine meadow with views of the Kedarnath peaks.

The lake itself is now mostly a flat basin of moraine; very little water remains. The walk is still rewarding for the landscape, but go with a guide and check weather conditions — the glacier above is unstable.

things to do sight hiking
A story
Gandhi's ashes were scattered here in 1948 — hence the alternative name Gandhi Sarovar. In 2013 the lake's natural moraine dam burst after heavy monsoon rain, and the resulting flash flood was the immediate cause of the disaster that destroyed Kedarnath town. The lake itself is now largely drained.