Editing Lake Rakshastal

{{short description|Lake}}
{{Infobox lake
| name               = Lake Rakshastal
| image              = Rakshas Tal 06.jpg
| caption            = View South from Rakshas Tal Lake (2006)
| image_bathymetry   = 
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| location           = [[Tibet Autonomous Region]],
| coords             = {{Coord|30.65|81.25|region:CN_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}<!-- Precision 0.05 deg (3') -->
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| pushpin_map        = Tibet
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{{Chinese
|title=Lagngar Co
|s=拉昂错
|t=拉昂錯
|P=Lā'áng cuò
|s2=兰嘎错
|t2=蘭嘎錯
|p2=Lángā cuò
|tib=ལག་ངར་མཚོ
|wylie=lag ngar mtsho
|wzpy=Lagngar Co
}}
'''Lake Rakshastal'''  ({{bo|t=ལག་ངར་མཚོ}}; {{langx|sa|राक्षसताल|translit=Rākṣasatāla|translit-std=iso}}; {{zh|拉昂错}}) is a saltwater [[lake]] in [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], lying just west of [[Manasarovar Lake|Lake Manasarovar]] and south of [[Mount Kailash]].<ref name="Taruna2001">{{cite book | author=Taruna Vijaya | title=Kailash Manasarovar, an odyssey in Tibet | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G3rXAAAAMAAJ | accessdate=2012-07-24 | year=2001 | publisher=Ritwik Prakashan | page = 58| isbn=9788190057127 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111107170717/http://tibettravel.info/ngari/sights/lhanag-tso-lake.html Lhanag Tso(The Ghost Lake), Ngari Tourist Sights], Tibet Travel.Info</ref> The [[Sutlej River]] (also known by the Tibetan name [[Langqen Zangbo]] in this area) originates about 17 km to the west. Rakshas Tal is at 4,575 metres above [[sea level]] whereas the [[Lake Manasarovar|Manasarovar]] is at 4,690 metres.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-27 |title=Kailash Manasarovar: A Higher Plane |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/destination-of-the-week/kailash-manasarovar-a-higher-plane/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name of the lake literally means "lake of the [[rakshasa]]" in Sanskrit. It is also known as '''Ravan Tal''', as it is considered to be the site of the penance performed by [[Ravana]], the rakshasa king of [[Lanka]].<ref name="Pradeep1996">{{cite book | author=Pradeep Chamaria | title=Kailash Manasarovar on the Rugged Road to Revelation | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ftuRYXyX9S4C&pg=PA67 | accessdate=2012-07-24 | year = 1996 | publisher=Abhinav Publications | isbn=978-81-7017-336-6 | pages=67}}</ref>

In [[Buddhism]], Lake Manasarovar, which is round like the sun, and Rakshastal, shaped as a [[crescent]], are respectively regarded as "brightness" and "darkness". Rakshastal is a saline lake. A short, natural river named [[Ganga Chhu]], which connects Lake Manasarovar with Rakshastal, is traditionally believed to be created by [[rishis]] to add pure water from Manasarovar.

There are four islands in Rakshastal, named Topserma (Dose), Dola (the two biggest), Lachato (Nadzhado), and Dosharba.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mt-kailash.ru/en/node/10016 |title=Kailash 2010 &#124; Kailash |accessdate=2010-10-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105114030/http://www.mt-kailash.ru/en/node/10016 |archivedate=2010-11-05 }}</ref> The islands are used by local people as winter pastures for their yaks.

In the Tibetan language, the lake is known as Lagngar Cho or Lhanag Tso, which means "the dark lake of poison".

==Religious significance==
According to [[Hindu scriptures]], Rakshastal was created by Ravana for the express purpose of garnering superpowers through acts of [[bhakti|devotion]] and [[meditation]] to the god, [[Shiva]], who resided on Mount Kailash. It was upon the banks of a special island in this lake that he would make a daily offering with one of his ten heads as a sacrifice to please Shiva. Finally, on the tenth day, Shiva was moved enough by his devotion to grant Ravana his wish to obtain superpowers.

As there are no plants or wildlife around the lake, its lifeless surroundings caused the Tibetans to refer it as "the Ghost Lake". Visitors who approach the lake must be respectful to avoid inauspicious mishaps.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111107170717/http://tibettravel.info/ngari/sights/lhanag-tso-lake.html Lhanag Tso(The Ghost Lake), Ngari Tourist Sights], Tibet Travel.Info</ref>

==Geography==
Rakshastal covers a total area of {{Convert|250|km2}}, at an altitude of {{Convert|4575|m}}. Though absent of nearby [[grasslands]], the white cobbles, the hills and the island colored with dark red, and the deep blue lake water present another distinctive picture absent from many of the places more frequented by visitors. In 2004, Lake Manasarovar and Rakshastal were designated as a single [[Ramsar site|Ramsar Wetland]] complex, under the name 'Mapangyong Cuo'.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bubriski |first1=Kevin |title=Kailash Yatra: a Long Walk to Mt Kailash through Humla |last2=Pandey |first2=Abhimanyu |publisher=Penguin Random House |year=2018 |location=New Delhi |pages=135}}</ref>

== Access ==
{{Main article|Mount Kailash#Pilgrimage}}
Lake Rakshastal lies right next to [[Lake Manasarovar]], and is an integral part of the Kailash-Manasarovar pilgrimage.

==Climate==

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = N
|location = Lake Rakshastal
|Jan high C = -2.7
|Feb high C = -1.5
|Mar high C = 1.3
|Apr high C = 6.7
|May high C = 10.5
|Jun high C = 13.7
|Jul high C = 13.6
|Aug high C = 13.1
|Sep high C = 11.1
|Oct high C = 6.6
|Nov high C = 1.5
|Dec high C = -0.8
|Jan mean C = -8.2
|Feb mean C = -6.9
|Mar mean C = -3.7
|Apr mean C = 0.3
|May mean C = 3.5
|Jun mean C = 7.3
|Jul mean C = 8.5
|Aug mean C = 8.2
|Sep mean C = 5.6
|Oct mean C = 0.2
|Nov mean C = -4.5
|Dec mean C = -6.6
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = -13.6
|Feb low C = -12.3
|Mar low C = -8.6
|Apr low C = -6.0
|May low C = -3.4
|Jun low C = 1.0
|Jul low C = 3.4
|Aug low C = 3.3
|Sep low C = 0.1
|Oct low C = -6.2
|Nov low C = -10.4
|Dec low C = -12.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 58
|Feb precipitation mm = 39
|Mar precipitation mm = 58
|Apr precipitation mm = 34
|May precipitation mm = 29
|Jun precipitation mm = 46
|Jul precipitation mm = 142
|Aug precipitation mm = 152
|Sep precipitation mm = 76
|Oct precipitation mm = 32
|Nov precipitation mm = 8
|Dec precipitation mm = 20
|source 1 = [https://en.climate-data.org/location/968511/ Climate-Data.org]
}}

==See also==
* [[Lake Manasarovar]]
* [[Mount Kailash]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{Lakes of China}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rakshastal (La'nga Co)}}
[[Category:Lakes of Tibet]]
[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites in China]]
[[Category:Indus basin]]