Sumendu Lake

Sumendu Lake, also known as Mirik Lake, is a man-made lake located in the hill town of Mirik in Darjeeling District, West Bengal. Situated at an altitude of about 1,494 metres, it is the central attraction of Mirik. The 1.25 km long lake is surrounded by pine forests, flower gardens and forested hills, with an 80-foot arch footbridge connecting its two sides.

Visitors can expect a calm, pine-fringed lake with clear reflections of surrounding hills and forests. A distinctive arch footbridge (Indreni Pool) crosses the lake, connecting landscaped gardens on both banks. Visitors can walk along the lakeside promenade, enjoy views of Kanchenjunga on clear days, take paddle or row boat rides, horse and pony rides along the lake periphery, and relax in gardens with seating areas.

Sumendu Lake is an artificial lake created in the late 1970s as part of a tourism development project to establish Mirik as a hill station destination by the West Bengal government. The town and lake were developed to promote tourism in the Darjeeling hills, with the lake formed by impounding a natural depression and streams.