Legend of the ancient Renuka Lake in Himachal and why it is a must-visit

The winters in Himachal Pradesh can be quite brutal, but once the summer sets in, one of the most serene places that you can visit in the state is Renuka Lake and the temple in Sirmaur district.
Located about 300 - 310 km from New Delhi and very close to Nahan (52 km), the Renuka Lake and temple is a charming site, flanked by emerald green hills from all sides.

Legend has it that thousands of years ago a powerful king, Sahasrarjuna, killed Maharishi Jamdagni, the ascetic husband of Renuka Devi. There is a belief that the devoted saintly lady jumped into the lake to escape from falling prey to the lust of the tyrant king.; though she did not die. When Parashurama, the invincible son of Renuka and Jamdagni, learnt about the whole episode from his mother Renuka, he marched towards the kingdom of Sahasrarjuna and exterminated the whole race of Kshatriyas.

Experiences at Renuka Lake

Today, the lake in which Renuka Devi drowned herself is a tourist site, where visitors can pursue activities like boating. However, to maintain the sanctity of the lake, no one is allowed to venture into it for boating with their shoes on. It is home to a variety of fish that eagerly welcome food from the visitors. The area is dense with alpine forests, and there are ample opportunities for tourists to engage in activities like trekking, fishing, lion safari, paddle boat rides etc. The boat rides are worth INR 250 - 300 for 30 - 40 minutes. Near the lake is a food stall that serves samosas and jalebis for visitors to grab a bite on the go. There is one restaurant in the area–HPTDC Hotel Renuka–which offers pretty filling vegetarian food.

Renuka Devi Temple

There is a quiet temple dedicated to Renuka Devi and another meant to honour sage Parashurama on the banks of the lake. Adventure and animal lovers can venture into the small zoo located near the lake. The wild inhabitants of this zoo are leopards, Himalayan barking deer, spotted deer, lion-tailed macaques, Nilgai Methuen and barking deer, Asiatic lions, bears and so on. Overall, one can explore the zoo in a span of around 60 minutes.

What lies ahead?

A trip to Renuka Lake and temple requires only a day, but if you want to explore further, consider visiting Sangrah, a village located 26 km from the Renuka Lake. Located 2200 m from the sea level, Sangrah has houses made of slate tiles. Interestingly, there is a house in the village as old as 700 years and has 400 generations living under the same roof!


The house is made from mud, cow dung and a paste made of urad dal, and has survived the impact of many natural disasters in the region.

Haripurdhar, Chopal and Churdhar are also some of the destinations, worth visiting after exploring the Renuka Lake and the temples.