Barre and jarre
Pilgrims pull long fern-like leaves from the lake and keep them as the deity's blessing.
After the trail · the almanac
The trek in four numbers
Prashar is an easy, short trek you can do in any season.
2,730m
Prashar Lake
18km
Walking, over 2 days
1island
That drifts
3tiers
Pagoda temple
💪 Easy📅 All year❄️ Jan–Feb snow⛺ 1 camp
Day by day
Two days, step by step
This is Bikat Adventures' plan. Other guides give 7.5–9 km one way.
How high you are on each kilometre
- Day 1Bagi → Prashar Lake → SukhasarForest, then meadows7 km up + 4 km side trip🛏️ Tents by the lake
- Day 2Prashar Lake → BagiBack down7 km · about 3 h🚌 Mandi
Stories and nature
The sage's lake
Saur and Bhadrapad
Big fairs are held on Ashadh Sankranti and on the sage's birth festival in Bhadrapad.
A lake at risk
In August 2024 locals reported ground cracks and creeping landslides around the lake, and the temple committee warned that it could burst.
When to go
Any season
Each season changes the trek.
Jan–Feb
The snow trek. The road past Bagi is often blocked.
April–June
Pleasant days.
July–September
Slippery trail and leeches; watch the weather alerts.
Sep–Nov
The most comfortable, by Explurger's reckoning.
Plan your trip
Getting to Bagi
Mandi is the base, an overnight bus from Delhi.
- Delhi🚌 ~430 km, 9–10 h overnight
- Mandi🚌 24–27 km, about 2.5 h
- Bagi
The road leaves the Mandi–Jogindernagar road just outside Mandi and climbs via Kataula and Kandi. Nearest airport: Bhuntar.
Cost
Tents near the lake cost ₹500–1,500 a person; the forest rest house ₹1,000–1,500 a room.
Rules
No tents inside the fenced shore and no bonfires.
Cash
No ATMs near the lake.
Winter
In December 2021 sudden snow stranded about 150 tourists here. Go with a guide in winter.
Good to know
The small things
Cash, signal, water, permits and help on the way. Checked October 2026; confirm with your operator.
Little phone signal
Only BSNL and Jio, on and off at the lake. No signal on the trail. Airtel and Vi don't work. UPI may fail too. Discover with Dheeraj
Fill up early
The only reliable water on the trail is about 15 minutes from Bagi. Fill your bottles there and carry at least 2 litres. Discover with Dheeraj
Food
No food on the trail. Eat at the small shops in Bagi. Cafés at the lake serve tea for ₹30–50 and meals for ₹80–150, with fewer open in winter. Discover with Dheeraj
Temple dormitory
The temple committee keeps a basic dormitory by the lake. Ask the pandit. A donation of ₹100–200 is usual. Discover with Dheeraj
Bus to Bagi
An HRTC bus leaves Mandi at 8 a.m. and reaches Bagi around 10:30, for about ₹50–80. It goes on to the lake and leaves there at 1:30 p.m. A taxi to Bagi costs ₹800–1,200. Discover with Dheeraj
Temperatures
April–June: days 15–21 °C, nights 5–10 °C. October–November: days 8–15 °C, nights 0–5 °C. December–February: nights −10 to −5 °C. Discover with Dheeraj
Permits
Treks and Trails includes forest permits and entry fees. Carry valid photo ID. Treks and Trails
Offloading
Himalaya Shelter charges ₹800 a bag per day to carry your bag. Himalaya Shelter
What to pack
Your checklist
Tick items as you pack. Your ticks stay saved on this device.
Clothing
Shoes
Gear
Papers and money
Health
List from Himalaya Shelter: what to carry for Prashar Lake.
Who runs it
Choose an operator
We found 4 operators with a Prashar Lake price in October 2026. Bikat lists it only as do-it-yourself. Routes differ: Himalaya Shelter starts at Kantlu and Thrillophilia at Jawalapur, not Bagi.
Prices are base prices from each operator's own page (October 2026); most add 5% GST. Ratings are what each operator shows, not an independent audit. Names marked † show last season's price or one seen only in a search snippet.