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Mayem Lake
This is the most famous lake
in Goa and also one of the most popular tourist destinations
on the itinerary of all the conducted sight-seeing tours.
The lake is located in Bicholim
taluka in north Goa, east of the market town of Mapusa. The
region in which the lake is located, is mostly unspoilt countryside
full of sleepy villages.
The lake itself sits on wooded
shores in a landscape of low hills. Birdlife is plentiful
here, with a variety of birds making their home on the shores
of the lake.
The placid waters of this lake
are ideal for boating. Small pedal operated boats are available
for a charming boatride on the lake.
The lake has in its grounds
a shady park which boasts of an excellent cafeteria and several
other stalls, the most popular of which are the soft drink
ones.
The GTDC-run Mayem Lake Resort
offers inexpensive accommodation in self-contained cottages
and dormitories.
A short drive away from the
lake is the residence and chapel of the erstwhile count of
Mayem. En route is a small water fountain built in 1927 as
the plaque indicates which still supplies water to neighbouring
residents.
Worth visiting nearby in the
picturesque village of Mayem is the Kumbharwado where villagers
belong mainly to the farming community. But they do not till
the lands until after the celebration of the festival of Ganesh
Chaturthi.
They are engaged in an activity
of an entirely different kind. Most families of the Kumbharwado
locality make Ganesh idols out of terracotta which are shipped
all around Goa for the festival. The idol making is an art
passed on from generation to generation and produces some
of the most beautiful and colourful idols in the state.
See Also Other Waterfalls, Springs &
Lakes:
| Kesarval
Spring | Harvalem Waterfall
| Dudhsagar Waterfall | Mayem
Lake |
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