Karanji lake- where love is in the air!

One of the important land marks in Mysore, Karanji Lake is known for its pristine environment, bird watch tower and Butterfly Park, and most importantly, the lovers.
While tourists from across the world come to Mysore to see its heritage structures and scenic beauty; people in love, young and old, find it the perfect place to spend quality time together with the least disturbance. Be it a long walk amidst the trees holding hands; cuddling on the lawn by the lake or standing atop the bird watch tower and joking about jumping into the deep waters and dying for their love; the place is just about ideal.
Karanji lake is situated in the outskirts of Mysore and is the home to several species of birds like the hornbill, pelican, different species of ducks, peacocks and many more. A vast lawn by the lake stretches under the canopy of trees and is sprinkled with a few benches, and thankfully, large dustbins. An intermittent ‘Beware of Snakes’ board by the pavement sends shivers down our spine, but a few more steps into the beautiful wilderness make us forget the fear. The crystal-clear lake water is occasionally tugged at by duck or a crane trying to catch fish. Uniform ripples on the water surface distort the perfectly neat reflection of trees and birds sitting on its branches feeding their little ones. By the time the sun turns white hot to a soft golden-orange and begins to dip down the horizon, the sky over the lake is filled with different kinds of birds returning to their nests after a long day’s work.

It is the place where cupid flies around with flowery arrows, a place from the dreams of many head-in-the-clouds youngsters. People come to confess their love to one another, share it and nurture it with colourful dreams of tomorrow, and promises made with the nature as witness. More practically speaking, with the cities getting crowded and decent eat-outs getting expensive, young couples prefer a quite place where the outside world is muted.
However, they are not the only visitors attracted by Karanji lake. Photographers too visit the place hoping to shoot the birds, capture some fluttering butterflies and sometimes even the snakes. At any time of the day, this place refreshes the mind and body. Anyone who enters falls in love; it may be with the trees or the squirrels scampering on them, or the birds or the water; it is a place where, love is in the air!