Taking wing

No green carpet of grass is laid out for your snappy siesta. Yet, it draws large crowds. However visitors would be well-advised to watch their step as they venture near the lake as the ipomea weed which covers the lake from time to time camouflages the lake from view.

Located on Pashan Road, you may turn to the left at the University Fountain if you are driving on the University Road. The Armament Research and Development Establishment ARDE is the major landmark on your way. Turn to the narrow road right after this institution which will bring you to the edge of the lake. The role of the Pashan Lake is not confined to being just a glamorous one 8211; to make your evenings pleasant. It was a supplier of drinking water to the Governor8217;s house now the Raj Bhavan during the forties, and until recently was a water source for citizens residing in Pashan and Sutarwadi area. Out of the 110 acres expanse that the Pashan Lake glistens on, a little over 60 acres has been devoted to a massive tree plantation programme by the Pune Municipal Corporation. The cool shelter which was missing here, is awaited with much anticipation.

Evenings, when the orange 8211; rust glow of the sun announces its retirement for the day, the scenario is heartwarming. Scores of people drive down upto the banks and are content to drink in the beauty of the ravishing sky that mirrors its magnificence in the waters. A few venture towards it to feel the ripple of the waters. As if to complete the landscape, a couple of fishermen wander in their boats for the prize catch or a buffalo soaks in glory as an egret feast on the fleas on it8217;s back. The backdrop of the hill paints the landscape in green.

This circular, shallow lake has had its reputation of being a muggers8217; hide-out, a few years back. Though the scars are yet to be totally erased, the fear is slowly but surely dissolving. Development in the vicinity that has no more made it a far-out place could be the chief reason.

Now you may forget your worldly worries and be one with the birds from different regions of the world that converge here. The ducks who fed in the Mula-Mutha waters during the day spend their nights in the bosom of Pashan Lake. Dabchick, the smallest swimming bird in the world and the cotton teal, the smallest swimming duck in the world 8211; both meriting mention in the Guinness Book of World Records 8211; are a couple of the popular guests who reside here. The lake is indeed a delightful treat for the bird-lovers, as the lake is host to a myriad migratory and non-migratory birds throughout the year. A casual visitor to this place often encounters some variety of the winged gentry.

The afforestation around the lake is indeed a boon for the harried visitor who is going to benefit from the shadows that the trees will provide. There are different views though about the kind of plantation undertaken. While the concerned authorities firmly believe that a combination of several species is bound to attract more birds, the bird-watchers would beg to differ. The eucalyptus is likely to pollute the lake in the future due to its oil contents, they say. But the Corporation authorities refute saying 8220;out of the 40, 000 trees, only 4,000 of the eucalyptus species have been planted.8221;

Presently, despite its shortcomings of no seating arrangement or its look of wilderness, the Pashan Lake is indeed a paradise where you may rejuvenate yourself with the soothing flow of the waters and the swaying of the rich breeze. The black duck merrily swinging itself and the Kingfisher waiting for its meal, signify its importance in retaining the balance of ecology.