An artificial lake or man-made lake created for industrial or agricultural use, for hydropower generation, domestic water supply, aesthetic, recreational purpose.
The man-made lakes in India present some of the most beautiful examples of what mankind is capable of and are places of incredible peace and great beauty. Here are eight of the most popular tourist man-made lakes in India that are worth visiting.

1)Ana Sagar Lake

Ana Sagar Lake is an artificial lake located in the city of Ajmer in the state of Rajasthan in India. It was built by Prithviraj Chauhan’s grandfather Arnoraja (aka Anna) in 1135–1150 AD and is named after him. The catchments were made with the help of local people. The lake extends for 13 km (8.1 mi). The baradari or pavilions were built in 1637 by Shah Jahan and the Daulat Bagh gardens by Jahangir.

2)Banjara Lake

Banjara Lake or Hameed Khan Kunta is a small water body located in the Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
The lake was created in 1930. At that time there were houses and residences of the royal elite in the area. It was once spread over an area of more than a kilometer. The lake receives sewer water from the surrounding areas. Conservation efforts of the lake are ongoing by organizations such as Save Our Urban Lakes.

3)Bhadrakali Lake

Bhadrakali Lake is a lake built by Ganapati Dev of Kakatiya dynasty in Warangal, Telangana. The lake is located or situated near the famous Bhadrakali temple. It was built by Ganapati Dev of Kakatiya dynasty.
The lake is being developed as the largest geo-biodiversity cultural park – with promenades, historic caves, suspension bridges, scenic trails, nesting grounds and ecological reserves. Funds have also been approved for strengthening the dam of the lake under HRIDAY scheme.

4)Lake Foy Sagar

Foy Sagar Lake is an artificial lake located near Ajmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is named after Mr. Foy, an English engineer who built it in 1892 as part of a famine relief project. He built it as part of a famine relief project to deal with the most difficult times of famine. It appears flat, and views of the neighboring Aravalli mountains. This lake is included in the tourist places of the city.

At the time of the creation of the lake, the city of Ajmer was known as Ajmere, as can be seen from the inscription installed on the lake. It has an original capacity of 15 million cubic feet, and water spreads over 14,000,000 square feet (1,300,000 m).

5)Gadisar Lake

Gadisar Lake, also known as Gadsisar Lake, is located in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was built by Raja Rawal Jaisal, the founder of Jaisalmer, in 1156 AD and later rebuilt by Gadsi Singh in 1367 AD. This lake is an artificial lake. The lake is located about 1.5 km away from Jaisalmer Fort. It is said that once the whole city used to get water from this lake. At present, the Gadisar Lake gets its water from the Indira Gandhi Canal, so it never dries up.

Gadisar Lake is an artificial lake. It is located in the southern part of Jaisalmer city. This lake was built by Raja Rawal Jaisal, the founder of Jaisalmer. For this reason it was earlier also called Jaisalsar Lake. At that time it was the only water source of Jaisalmer region. Later this lake was rebuilt by Gadsi Singh and after that its name was changed to Gadisar Lake. At this time a large number of tourists come from abroad. The lake also has many chhatras and temples of Hindu deities.

6)Hazaribagh jheel

Hazaribagh Lake is a series of artificial lakes consisting of seven parts at different levels so that the water spills into another lake through the spill channel. It is an engineering marvel that conserves water and supplies to the people living in Hazaribagh. It was constructed by the British in 1831 when they were building the Central Jail at Hazaribagh. They required a large amount of soil, which led to the formation of four large craters that became lakes.

7)Hussain Sagar

Hussain Sagar (alternatively known as Tank Bund) is a heart-shaped lake in Hyderabad, Telangana, created by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah in 1563. It covers an area of ​​5.7 square kilometers (2.2 sq mi). and is fed by the Musi River. A large monolithic statue of Gautam Buddha, built in 1992, stands on the Gibraltar Rock in the middle of the lake. It also separates the city center of Hyderabad from its neighboring Secunderabad.Hussain Sagar Lake is a popular place for boating, boating and sightseeing.
Hussain Sagar was built in 1563 by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah on a tributary of the Musi River. The lake was named after Hussain Shah Wali, the master of architecture in the state. It is an artificial lake fed perennially by the canals of the Musi River. Hussain Sagar was the main source of water supply to Hyderabad before the formation of the Himayat Sagar and the Osman Sagar on the Musi River.

8)Kaylana Lake

Kaylana Lake is located 8 km west of Jodhpur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is an artificial lake, which was built by Pratap Singh in 1872. The lake has an area of ​​0.84 km (0.32 sq mi). In ancient times this area had palaces and gardens built by the two rulers of Jodhpur – Bhim Singh and Takht Singh. These were destroyed to form Kaylana Lake.

The lake is situated between igneous rocky land formations. It receives its water from the Hati Nehar (translation: Elephant Canal), which is further connected to the Indra Gandhi Canal. The natural vegetation here consists mostly of acacia trees (Acacia nilotica), and various migratory birds such as the Siberian crane are seen here during the winter season. The city of Jodhpur and all the surrounding towns and villages depend on the Kaylana Lake as a source of drinking water.

Mananchira

Mananchira is a man-made freshwater pond located in the center of the city of Kozhikode (Calicut) in Kerala, South India. The pond covers an area of ​​3.49 acres (14,120 m), is rectangular in shape and is fed by a natural spring.
Mananchira was built around the 14th century as a bathing pool by Zamorin Mana Vikram, the feudal ruler of Kozhikode. He built it as a gift to Sayyid Jifri as a source of drinking water during the time of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore. Laterite obtained from the excavation of the pond was used to build two palaces on the east and west.

10)Pashan Lake

Pashan Lake is an man-made lake near the suburb, Pashan, about 12 km from the city Pune, India. The lake was constructed during the British period to accommodate the water requirement of the neighbourhood. The main entrance of the lake is a small river (Ramnadi), which is also controlled by a barrage located to the north of the lake. The river originates from Bavdhan and flows from Pashan, Sutarwadi, Baner to Someshwarwadi before flowing into the main Mula River. The Pashan Lake has a total catchment area of ​​40 square kilometers (15 sq mi), and also serves as a source of water for the Old Pashan village and the governor’s residence. Recent urbanization around the lake has led to a decline in water quality.

11)Pavana Lake

Pawan Lake, also known as Pawana Dam Reservoir and Pawan Lake, is an artificial lake from a reservoir in the Indian state of Maharashtra, created by a wind dam on the Pawana River in Pune district. The reservoir is 25 km from Lonavala and is growing rapidly and is popular as a picnic and camping spot for visitors from Pune and Mumbai.

12)Ramappa Lake

Ramappa Lake is a lake located in the Warangal district of Telangana state, India. The lake is one of the major reservoirs built by the Kakatiya rulers. It is located in Warangal district.

Ramgarh Lake

Ramgarh Lake was an artificial lake located near Jamwa Ramgarh in Rajasthan, India. The lake last received water in 1999 and has been drying up since 2000. It is located at a distance of 32 kilometers (20 mi) from Jaipur, and covers a maximum area of ​​15.5 square kilometers (6.0 sq mi). ) The lake was built by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II in 1876 to provide relief to the residents of Ramgarh. This lake was once the main source of water supply to the city of Jaipur. It was a popular picnic spot, especially after the rainy season.

14)Rihand Dam

Rihand Dam, also known as Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, is the largest dam in India by volume. The reservoir of this dam, which is the largest artificial lake in India is known as Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar. This dam is located in Pipri, which is a concrete gravity dam located in Sonbhadra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Its reservoir area connects the border of two states of India, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the Rihand River, a tributary of the Son River.

15)Rukn-ud-Daula lake

Rukan-ud-Daula Lake or Rukunu Dovala Lake is a historic lake located in the village of Shivarampally near Hyderabad, India.
The lake was constructed in 1770 by Nawab Rukn-ud-Daulah – the Prime Minister of Sikandar Jah – 3rd Nizam of Hyderabad. Originally spread over 104 acres, the lake has been the subject of controversy over claims of encroachment.

16)Sanjay Lake

Sanjay Lake is an artificial lake developed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in Trilokpuri, East Delhi, India, adjacent to the Mayur Vihar II residential area. The lake is spread over an area of ​​about 17 hectares (42 acres) amidst a forested area of ​​69 hectares (170 acres), also known as Sanjay Lake Park. Sanjay Lake was developed by DDA in 1970 and opened in 1982. The lake attracts some migratory birds and has many native trees. A well-maintained fitness track is very popular among pedestrians.

17)Saroornagar Lake

Saroornagar Lake is a lake located in Hyderabad, India. From the year of its construction in 1626, until 1956 when Hyderabad expanded, the lake remained largely clean. The 99-acre (40 ha) lake was renovated by the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority in 2003–04 at a cost of £200 million (US$2.8 million). A few years after the restoration of the lake, a large number of migratory birds returned to the lake.

18)Waddepally Lake

Vaddepalli Lake is a lake located in Hanamkonda, Telangana. This lake as a reservoir meets the drinking water needs of the people of Hanamkonda and Kazipet. In order to attract tourists, the work of beautification of the dam of the lake is being developed. It is also the best place for fishing. And it is situated near a Shiva temple. The Telangana government recognized it and made it a reservoir. Now it pumps water for the city.

19)Ward’s Lake (Shillong)

Ward’s Lake is an artificial lake also known locally as Pollock Lake or Nan Pollock. This lake is located in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Situated in the heart of the city, it is one of the most visited tourist places in Shillong.
The horseshoe shaped lake is located near the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor. The lake is surrounded by a botanical garden with stone pavements and a fountain. The botanical garden houses many orchids apart from other flower species. One of the most prominent features of this lake is a beautiful wooden bridge in the middle of the lake.