Birat Anupam 

Having spanned over 152 Bighas of landmass, Barju lake is probably the biggest lake in the whole of Province No. 1, if not in the whole of Terai plains of Nepal. Barju is not just a lake. It is a lake system. Three parallel lakes spanning over 32 Bigha, 45 Bigha and 75 Bigha jointly become 152 Bigha giving an exact area of the lake system.
Barju lake, situated in the southern Sunsari district, is close to the international border with India and is just within half an hour-long drive from the major cities of eastern Terai such as Dharan, Itahari and Biratnagar. Provincial headquarters Biratnagar is very close to Barju lake. It is just 10 kilometres away from Kesaliya Road in Biratnagar.
Barju's tourism glamour was unearthed just before half-decade. These days, it is one of the favoured destinations in eastern Terai. Barju lake is also called Chimadi Braju Taal locally.
The picture-perfect, mesmerising mega lake is sought after travelling point in eastern Terai. The visitors at this lake include incumbent Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He was at the lake on 3 Chaitra 2075 BS (17 March 2019). Binod Chaudhary, the ward chair of Barju Rural Municipality-6 Chimadi, where the lake lies, said PM Oli enjoyed the lake and talked about its natural, cultural and religious significances.
Here are five major activities to allure visitors ranging from PM to commoners at the destination.

Boating
Boating makes an indispensable itinerary at Barju lake. Visitors of all ages can be seen navigating these huge lake waters in their ways. Still, there are certain prescribed rules to comply with while going through boating activities. The scheduled time for boating is just eight hours. The boating times begin at 8 am and ends at 5 pm every day. Nighttime boating is strictly prohibited. Likewise, other prohibitions on boating include swimming and alcoholic paddling. Boaters below the age of 10 and above the age bracket of 60 are prohibited to paddle for themselves alone. They need to be accompanied by some young members. A lifejacket is compulsory for boating clients. The starting price for the boat is Rs. 100.

Bird watching
The birds constitute an awe-inspiring segment of the Barju trip. Birds of all categories like aerial, aquatic and terrestrial are found in and around Barju lake. After Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, which is Nepal's only wildlife reserve, Barju is the best destination for bird watching. In Barju, there are around 200 species of birds to glance at for visitors, says Sanjeev Acharya, the chair of Koshi Bird Society. According to Acharya, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve has 531 recorded species of birds as of the early months of 2021. Due to its location at an isolated place, Barju lake has a unique attraction for birds, says Acharya. ''Barju lake is a sort of mini-Koshi Tappu'', says Acharya.

Children's Park
Barju lake resembles a natural park in itself. However, to lure more kids to the destination, the local government has invested in a park for kids. The park is on the shore of the lake. The attractive and spacious park includes various children-friendly activities and sports. Former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Bijaykumar Gachchhadar on 28 Poush 2075 BS formally inaugurated Park (12 January 2019). The park was built at the expense of a small beget of less than half a million Nepalese rupees, informed ward chair, Chaudhary. For an individual entrance, Rs. 30 is fixed at the park.

Picnicking
To an extent, picnicking is the mainstay of Barju lake arrivals. Picnicking peaks during Nepali picnicking months of Poush, Magh and Falgun. According to Barju Lake's managerial team, there is an instance where the record highest 150,000 picnickers came at the vast lake. Price brackets for picnicking vehicles range from Rs. 300 to Rs. 500. For individual entry, however, the cost is Rs. 20. Despite picnicking preferences at the lake vicinities, some bird enthusiasts are worried about a possible hindrance to birds. Umesh Bhandari, an avid bird watcher and regular cyclist from Dharan, said Barju birds need to be rescued from crowded picnickers and high-pitch sounds from revellers during the picnicking season. ''I am not voicing for picnic-free Barju. What I am meant to say is that picnicking activities must be bird-friendly'', said Bhandari.

Mahabharata meeting
Barju lake is situated close to the ethnic culture and traditions of the Terai plains of Nepal. Barju lake locality speaks volumes about Terai on multiple cultural, religious and anthropological fronts. In addition to this, Barju lake has a Mahabharat connection. Based on local folktales, divine characters of Mahabharat had come to this lake. Even Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli elaborated on these folktales in his visit to the lake some three years ago on 3 Chaitra 2075 BS (17 March 2019).
PM Oli said the five pandavas had arrived at the lake to quench their thirst. He said the question and answer session between Yudhisthira and Yaksha also ensued at the lake. On the religious front, there is a Shiva temple at the lake. The temple was financed and constructed by a team of Nepali Army, said ward chair Binod Chaudhary.

(Birat is a freelancer)