Serolsar lake and its feathered Friend

Serolsar Lake is located in a secluded section of the Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh. The distance from Jalori Pass, which is 11,500 feet above sea level, to this lake is around five kilometers. There is a famous Buddhi Naagin temple next to the lake. By clearing waste from the lake as soon as it enters the water, a sparrow that the locals refer to as 'Aabhi' keeps it clean. Visitors from other countries and tourists are astonished by Aabhi's act of cleaning the lake. Here is the story of this feathered friend of the lake, Aabhi, and why it feels responsible for keeping the lake clean.

The Serolsar lake, Source: Tripoto

<p>The very astounding Serolsar lake, also known as the Saryoskar lake, is located right in the middle of the dense forests of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, this trek is around 1.5 hours from Jalori pass.</p><p>There are numerous stories that have been deeply rooted in these mountains that tell us about their rich history and culture.</p><p><br></p><p>One very famous tale that surrounds this lake is available to read under the title <strong>Serolsar Lake and the Budhi Naagin. </strong>Stories about the Budhi Naagin can be found in books like Naga Cults and Traditions in the Western Himalaya by Om Chanda Handa, Encyclopedia of Oriental Philosophy and Religion: v. 1-5: Hinduism and Judaism by N.K. Singh and A. Mishra and Indian Serpent-lore: Or, The Nagas in Hindu Legend and Art by J. Ph. Vogel. The locals believe that the <em>Pandavas</em> visited the holy lake during the period of their exile, and even planted rice which can occasionally be seen around the area.</p><p><br></p><p>Another such tale of the very popular Serolsar Lake is about its feathered friend that manages the vicinity of this lake. The fallen tree leaves cover the area around the lake.&nbsp;But the lake itself is consistently pristine. One such belief about this lake's cleanliness and birds is that whenever a leaf or twig falls into the water, a small bird by the name of 'Aabhi' cleans the water.&nbsp;The bird is constantly on the lookout for something to fall into the lake so that it can clean the lake as soon as it becomes dirty. The lake is pristine no matter what time of day it is visited. The village residents think that the Aabhi bird is a unique species that can only be found in this area. Rarely do common people get to view this unique bird, which has taken responsibility for maintaining the lake's cleanliness. </p><p><br></p><p>According to the villagers, there used to be a variety of birds living near this lake. These birds used to build their nests on the trees surrounding the lake, which eventually caused the lake to become dirty at times due to bird feathers, twigs, and leaves dropping into it. The Serolsar lake was a holy place for the snakes as they worshipped the Budhi Naagin, the mother of snakes, who lives in her golden palace at the bottom of the lake. The way their place of worship was getting dirty because of the birds made some of the snakes angry, therefore they started destroying the nests on the trees around the lake. They started eating up the eggs and even the birds living in the trees. Eventually, the population of birds started to decrease, dramatically. The area around the lake was home to the birds, and they did not want to leave their beautiful home but they were scared of the snakes destroying their families, and thus, the birds pleaded to the goddess of the lake; Budhi Naagin to save them from the snakes. The goddess heard their plea and came to a treaty that it will be the responsibility of the birds to ensure the cleanliness of the lake, and as long as they are able to do so, no bird would ever be attacked by the snakes again.</p><p><br></p><p>There are leaves and twigs everywhere around the lake, but the lake is clean at all times. Years have gone by, but Aabhi is still busy cleaning. As soon as a leaf or twig falls in the lake, the birds collect it immediately and ensure the cleanliness of the lake, and continue to live in harmony.</p>