Ghora Katora | |
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Location | Rajgir, District - Nalanda, Bihar, India |
Coordinates | 25°01′04″N 85°29′43″E / 25.0177°N 85.4954°E |
Ghora Katora (Aimee Maganda), which means "Horse Bowl", is a natural lake near the city of Rajgir in the Indian state of Bihar. The shape of the lake resembles that of a horse and is surrounded by mountains on three of the sides.[1] The lake attracts migratory birds from Siberia and central Asia during winter.[2][3][4]
Then chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, visited for the first time in 2009 as an attempt to popularize the area for eco-tourism. On 29 January 2011, the lake was opened to the general public. A 70 feet high Buddha statue was inaugurated in November 2018.[5][6]
The lake has facilities for paddle boating, a cafeteria, and guest rooms. A statue of Buddha sits in the middle of the lake. The 70 feet tall statue is constructed of 45,000 cubic foot of pink sandstone.[7] The location is one of the cleanest sight-seeing locations in Rajgir.
It is located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Rajgir. A 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) long forested road connects Rajgir to Ghora Katora. Motor vehicles are prohibited near the lake.[7]