Guj: નળ સરોવર naḷa sarōvara
‘Drain Lake’ -Lake/Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat
From Hin/Guj: nal, ‘channel’, ‘drain’; and Guj: sarōvar, ‘lake’.
Nalsarovar is a shallow lake spread over 120 sq. km with 36 islets.
75,000 years ago, Nalsarovar was part of a channel that connected the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambat. It was gradually closed off by sedimentation deposited by incoming rivers.
Today Nalsarovar is a natural wetland sanctuary offering refuge to 225 species of bird. The lake has 360 little islands, submerged when the lake is filled with water draining from the surrounding districts during the monsoon.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Gujarat place names.
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Sheetal Kulkarni
