Beeshazari Lake

Beeshazari Tal — often written Bishazari or Beeshazar, and known in English as the 'Twenty Thousand Lakes' — is an extensive oxbow-lake system lying in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, in the Inner Terai of central Nepal. Administratively it falls within Chitwan District in Bagmati Province, a short distance south-east of the city of Bharatpur, at an altitude of roughly 286 metres above sea level. The wetland sits on the flat, fertile floor of the Inner Terai (the Chitwan Dun valley), hemmed between the low Siwalik (Churia) hills that form the southern wall of Chitwan National Park and the higher Mahabharat range to the north.

The lake's name is a piece of local hyperbole rather than a literal count: the Nepali words bis (twenty), hajar (thousand) and tal (lake) together mean 'twenty thousand lakes', a nod to the maze of interlinked pools, channels and marshes that make up the complex. In reality it is one principal oxbow lake together with a constellation of smaller associated lakes, ponds and seasonal wetlands. Oxbow lakes form where a meandering river cuts a new, straighter course and abandons a looping bend; the cut-off curve is left behind as a crescent-shaped body of standing water. The Beeshazari complex is a classic, well-developed example of this process on the meander-prone plains of the Inner Terai, and is frequently cited as one of the largest natural wetlands of its kind in Nepal.

The whole site is embedded in the Barandabhar Corridor Forest, a band of forest that runs north–south and is bisected by the East–West (Mahendra) Highway. This corridor links the core of Chitwan National Park in the Churia hills with the Mahabharat range, and the lakes occupy its low, water-gathering ground. The Ramsar listing covers a total wetland area of 3,200 hectares (32 km²); the open water of the principal lake itself is far smaller, with much of that figure made up of the surrounding marsh, riverine forest and associated pools that sustain the system.

Beeshazari Tal is one of Nepal's richest lowland wetlands, valued precisely because it combines open water, marsh, grassland and Sal (Shorea robusta) forest within the Chitwan landscape. The Ramsar description characterises it as a typical tropical Inner-Terai oxbow system inside the buffer zone of a World Heritage Site, providing excellent habitat conditions as a water hole and corridor for endangered wild species and for an assemblage of rare large mammals, reptiles and plants. As part of the Barandabhar corridor it is an important wildlife passage between the park's core and the hills to the north.

The wetland is recognised as an Important Bird Area, and birdlife is the keystone of its biodiversity. Surveys have recorded on the order of 270–280 bird species in and around the site, including globally threatened and notable species such as the lesser adjutant, white-rumped vulture, Pallas's fish-eagle and ferruginous duck, alongside Nepal's national bird, the Indian peafowl. A large share of these are wetland and waterbird species, and the lakes are a significant stop for migratory birds in winter. Documented vertebrate diversity also includes a notable range of mammals and a herpetofauna of amphibians and reptiles, together with a community of fish, dragonflies and other invertebrates.

Among the larger animals that use the wetland and the surrounding Barandabhar forest are the Bengal tiger, the greater one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bear, wild boar, smooth-coated otter and Indian porcupine, while the water and its margins shelter the mugger crocodile, the Indian rock python and the king cobra. The vegetation is similarly diverse, spanning the open-water macrophytes of the lake, the reed and grass marshes at its edge and the Sal-dominated forest beyond. This mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, packed into a relatively small area, is what gives Beeshazari its outstanding conservation value.

Beeshazari Tal does not carry the heavy pilgrimage tradition of Nepal's great temple lakes, but it holds a strong place in the cultural and recreational life of the Chitwan plains. For the communities of Bharatpur and the surrounding villages it is a cherished local landmark — a place of quiet water and forest on the doorstep of a busy Terai city — and its evocative name, the 'Twenty Thousand Lakes', has long fed local lore about a wetland too tangled to count.

Today the lake is best known as a beloved spot for picnics, family outings and day trips, especially in the cooler, drier months when groups gather along its shores to enjoy the calm water, the birdlife and the shade of the Tikauli (Barandabhar) forest. Its peaceful setting also makes it a draw for nature lovers and a favourite of birdwatchers and photographers. In this way Beeshazari functions as a green and watery refuge for the people of one of Nepal's fastest-growing urban areas, blending everyday leisure with a growing public awareness of the wetland's ecological importance.

The lakes lie within easy reach of Bharatpur, the regional hub of Chitwan, and are usually approached via the Tikauli area on the East–West Highway and the tracks leading into the Barandabhar forest. From central Bharatpur the wetland is only a few kilometres away — a short taxi ride or a walk — which makes it one of the most accessible natural attractions in the region and a popular half-day excursion for visitors already in Chitwan for the national park. Because the site sits inside the park's buffer zone and the forest corridor, visitors should expect a quiet, low-key experience focused on walking trails, watchtowers and gentle boating, and should be mindful that this is genuine wildlife habitat.

The best time to visit is the dry, clear season from roughly October to March, when the weather is comfortable, the water is calm and migratory waterbirds are present in the greatest numbers; the monsoon months bring heavy rain and high water. Quiet, early-morning visits give the best birdwatching and the best chance of seeing the wetland at its most tranquil.

Conservation of Beeshazari is managed under the Ramsar framework, having been designated a Wetland of International Importance on 13 August 2003 (Ramsar Site No. 1313, covering 3,200 hectares as 'Beeshazar and Associated Lakes'). Stewardship involves the national park authorities, the buffer-zone communities and conservation partners such as the National Trust for Nature Conservation. The wetland nonetheless faces serious pressures: the invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia) and other alien plants such as Southern cutgrass choke the open water, while siltation and sedimentation, eutrophication and declining water quality, together with human disturbance and habitat degradation around its edges, threaten both the birdlife and the long-term health of the lake. Ongoing management aims to control the invasive weeds, reduce siltation and balance recreation and farming with the protection of one of Nepal's most important lowland wetlands.