Gulawat — How Pink was my Lotus Valley 🪷
Gulawat is a sleepy village near Hatod town of Indore district. As the title suggests, it is famous for lotuses, lotuses and lotuses 🪷 .
It is located on the backwaters of the Yashwant Sagar Dam ♒. It’s muddy waters contain the most beautiful lotuses you would ever see. Let’s begin with the travel blog :)
Views
There are breathtaking views of lotuses spread across the surface of the lake. You can go on a boat ride, wander in the forest or simply chose to stay put and relax. You may watch the following Instagram Reel made by me, when I was on a visit to the Lotus Valley, for more visual insights:
Apart from the flowers 🪷, the boats 🛶 and the lake 🌊, there is a large area covered by trees which drop the coolest shade on earth. It’s a soothing experience to unwind amidst the trees. Sadly, I did not remember to click photos of the lotus laden lake, so the reel is all I have :/
The surrounding area has an eerie silence, which is sometimes interrupted by people trying to have Pre-Wedding shoots (just kidding 😂). You can do horse-riding 🐴, relax on a hammock, get photos clicked in various locally made frames or do boating 🚤. There are boats of different shapes and sizes, so choose whatever suits you best. There is ample parking space, and a makeshift toilet as well for emergency use.
How To Reach
It is reachable via the State Highway 27, informally known as the Indore-Depalpur Road. If you’re travelling from Indore city, you would have to reach Mars Square near Indore Airport. The road towards Gandhi Nagar suburb, would take you directly to Hatod. You would pass various religious spots such as Pitra Parwat and Gommatgiri on the way. After you reach Hatod, you would have to take the road from inside of the town towards Gulawat village. It has narrow streets, so proceed with caution if you have a four-wheeler.
The nearest major railway station is Indore Junction and the nearest airport is Indore Airport which is roughly 20KMs away. One can hail a cab, or a personal vehicle for covering the distance via road, as public transport is only available upto Hatod, so it wouldn’t fulfil any purpose 😢.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit starts from October, when the lotuses start bloooming. Slowly, the cold sets in, and makes way for the perfect adventure, amidst (or shall I say a-mist) the cool breeze.
The golden period extends upto the end of Spring until March 🌻🌼🌷. However, as the scorching sun starts to heat more and more as the summer sets in, the flowers start to wilt and start fading away. The pictures above were taken in April, and I spotted very few lotuses in the lake. The lake’s there, brimming with water, but without it’s crown jewel 👑, The Lotuses.
Conclusion
It can’t be compared to the magnificent Dal Lake of Srinagar or the glorious Upper Lake of Bhopal for sure, but it isn’t any less beautiful, as beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder :)
Happy Journey !
