Rabindra Sarobar
রবীন্দ্র সরোবর
Also known as Dhakuria Lake, "the Lake".
A 73-acre lake ringed by trees: South Kolkata’s morning walk.
About Rabindra Sarobar
The lake was dug in the 1920s when the Calcutta Improvement Trust developed the area, and was renamed after Tagore in 1958. Around the water are old rain trees, rowing clubs dating from the colonial years, an open-air theatre, a stadium, a mosque on an island reached by a hanging bridge, and a Japanese Buddhist temple. Birdwatchers have recorded well over a hundred species here.
Why visit
Water, shade and birdsong, with the city kept at a distance.
What to see and do
- Rowers on the water at dawn
- The hanging bridge to the island mosque
- Winter birds and old trees
- The lily pool and the open-air stage
Plan your visit
- Area
- Lake Gardens & Southern Avenue, South Kolkata
- Nearest landmark
- Southern Avenue
- Best time
- Sunrise, morning or sunset. October to March is the most comfortable time of year.
- Time needed
- About 1½ hours
- Cost
- Free
- Entry
- Open to everyone: a street, ghat, market or park you can walk into. Public park; gate hours are not currently verified.
- Metro
- Rabindra Sarobar (Blue Line), about 5 minutes’ walk
- Train
- Lake Gardens or Tollygunge
- Walking
- A lot of walking
- Accessibility
- Mostly level paved paths round the lake.
- Photography
- Good for photography.
- Food nearby
- Evening phuchka and chaat stalls gather along Southern Avenue near Vivekananda Park.
Tip
The park is busiest from 5 to 8 in the morning and again at dusk.
Nearby and related places
- Japanese Buddhist Temple: A small white temple by the lake where a drum is beaten at dawn and dusk.
- Birla Academy of Art & Culture: An art museum and galleries on Southern Avenue.
- Lake Kalibari: A much-loved Kali temple on Southern Avenue, founded in 1949.
- Dakshinapan: An open-air court of state handloom and handicraft emporia.
- Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture: A cultural institute at Golpark with a library, a museum and evening talks.
- Lake Market: A neighbourhood market with a South Indian flavour.
Walks that include it
- South Kolkata Cultural Trail: Temple town to the lake
More guides
- Places in Lake Gardens & Southern Avenue
- Free places to visit in Kolkata
- Family-friendly places
- Places to photograph in Kolkata
- Parks, lakes and green spaces
- Places for sunset
- Places near a metro station
- All places to visit in Kolkata
Last checked on 2026-10-02. Each place was checked to exist and its position confirmed. Timings, closing days and ticket prices are shown only where known and can change: confirm before you travel.