Phewa Lake, Phewa Tal or Fewa Lake is a freshwater lake in Nepal located in the south of the Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city; parts of Sarangkot and Kaskikot. The lake is stream-fed but a dam regulates the water reserve, therefore, the lake is classified as semi-natural freshwater lake. It is the second largest lake in Nepal, the largest in Gandaki Zone followed by Begnas Lake. Phewa lake is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) and covers an area of about 5.23 km2 (2.0 sq mi).[3] It has an average depth of about 8.6 m (28 ft) and a maximum depth of 24 m (79 ft).Maximum water capacity of the lake is approximately 43,000,000 cubic metres (35,000 acre·ft). The Annapurna range on the north is only about 28 km (linear distance) away from the lake. The lake is also famous for the reflection of mount Machhapuchhre and other mountain peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges on its surface.The Taal Barahi Temple is situated on an island in the lake.Tal Barahi Temple, located at the center of Phewa Lake, is the most important religious monument of Pokhara.This two-storied pagoda is believed to be dedicated one of the Hindu god known as Vishnu. Mostly it gets crowded in the Saturdays. Baidam is the eastern banks of Phewa lake also known as Lakeside. This part contains seemingly endless strip of hotels, lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops. This side is one of the best known tourist area of nepal. It is also the starting point of the tour to Pokhara. Pokhara (Nepali: पोखरा) is a sub-metropolitan municipality and the second largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, the capital of the nation. Pokhara is the headquarter of Kaski District, Gandaki Zone and the Western Development Region, 200 km west of the capital its altitude varies from 780 m to 1350 m.Three out of the ten highest mountains in the world — Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu — are within a linear distance of 50 km from the city.Due to its proximity to the Annapurna mountain range, the city is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the ACAP region of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas. Pokhara is home to many Gurkha soldiers. It is the one of the expensive city in the country, with the Cost of Living Index of 95. After the occupation of Tibet by China in 1950 and the Indo-China war in 1962, the old trading route to India from Tibet through Pokhara became defunct. Today only few caravans from Mustang arrive in Bagar. In recent decades, Pokhara has become a major tourist destination, it is considered as tourism capital of Nepal. in South Asia mainly for adventure tourism and the base for the famous Annapurna Circuit trek. Thus, a major contribution to the local economy comes from the tourism and hospitality industry. A lot of tourists visit Pokhara every year. Tourism industry is one of major source of income for local people and the city. There are two 5-star hotels and approximately 305 other hotels that includes five 3-star, fifteen 2-star and non-star hotels in the city. Many medieval era temples (Barahi temple, Bindhyabasini, Bhadrakali, Talbarahi, Guheshwori, Sitaldevi, Gita mandir temple, Bhimsen temple) and old Newari houses are still a part of the city (Bagar, Bindhyabasini, Bhadrakali, Bhairab Tol, etc.). The modern commercial city centres are at Chipledhunga, New Road, Prithvi Chok and Mahendrapul (recently renamed as Bhimsen Chok). The city promotes two major hilltops as its viewpoints to view the city and surrounding panorama, World Peace Pagoda built in 1996 across the southern shore of Phewa lake and Sarangkot which is located northwest of the city. In February 2004, International Mountain Museum (IMM) was opened for public in Ratopahiro to boost city's tourism attractions. Other museums in the city are Pokhara Regional Museum, an ethnographic museum, Annapurna Natural History Museum which houses preserved specimens of flora and fauna, and contains particularly extensive collection of the butterflies, found in the Western and ACAP region of Nepal; and Gurkha Museum featuring history of the Gurkha Soldiers.The city also has recently been adorned with a bungee jumping site (second in Nepal) titled Water Touch Bunjee Jumping.Also, a cable car service has begun construction joining Fewa Lake with World Peace Stupa led by the government of Nepal which is expected to boost the tourism industry of the place exponentially.

• published: 12 Jul 2015
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