AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Powai Lake is a rare sight in Mumbai: a broad, green-ringed body of water sitting right inside the city's eastern suburbs, where you can hear birds instead of horns. Built in 1891 as a reservoir for Bombay's growing population, the lake now serves a very different purpose — a place to walk, watch the sunset, and briefly forget you're in one of the world's densest cities.↗↗
The lake spans about 2.1 square kilometres and is bordered on different shores by the distinctive domed towers of Hiranandani Gardens, the campus of IIT Bombay, and the green hills of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is home to a resident population of mugger crocodiles, seasonal flocks of migratory birds, and the Indian mahaseer fish that conservationists are working to protect here.↗↗
Good to know
- Scenic spot
- Open 24 hoursEvery day
- 6 kmfrom Mumbai center
- Wheelchair accessentrance
- Parking
- 4.3 / 53,792 reviews
- Mumbai
A Reservoir That Became a Retreat
Powai Lake was created in 1891 by damming a stream that feeds the Mithi River, intended to supplement Mumbai's water supply. The experiment largely failed — the water quality deteriorated within a few years, rendering it unsuitable for drinking — and since 1936 the lake has been managed by the Maharashtra State Angling Association primarily as a fishing and conservation site. Today the water is not potable, but the ecosystem it supports has made the lake one of Mumbai's most cherished green spaces.
