Pykara Lake

Pykara Lake is a popular getaway that is at a distance of about 20 kilometres from Ooty, in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu, India. The Pykara village, along with a beautiful river by the same name, also houses a dam and a power plant. Because of the construction of the dam, the backwaters have formed an enormous lake, which is now known as the Pykara Lake and has become a significant tourist attraction that is visited by large numbers of people all year round. It has everything that a person on vacation can ask for, right from ambience and comfort to scenic beauty. Nature lovers, photographers and adventure seekers should definitely not miss out on this unique and fun-filled place.  The best time to visit the lake is of course during the monsoons, in the months of July and August.

The Pykara is the largest river in the district and is revered by the Todas, an Adivasi community, who consider it to be sacred. The river originates from the Mukurthi peak and then navigates through the hilly terrain to reach the edge of the plateau, where it falls delightfully in a succession of breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls. The last two waterfalls are known as the Pyakara Falls and fall from the heights of 55 metres and 61 metres. The marvellous lake is just 2 kilometres away from these waterfalls.  

The area in the vicinity of the Pykara Lake is surrounded by the shola forests, which is the local name for the forests here. Numerous Kollywood or Tamil Cinema filmmakers have shot movie scenes and songs here, around this picturesque lake. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) also runs a boathouse, rest house and a restaurant in this area. Speedboats and motorboats can be hired to enjoy exciting rides in the lake. The boathouse is a fantastic place to sit back, relax and gorge on some delicious food.