An artificial lake, Ward Lake is set in the north-eastern city of Shillong in Meghalaya. It is located amidst well-maintained lush botanical garden and offers mesmerizing view of the orchids and other beautiful flowers. The lake is known to be almost a century old and locally called the Pollock"s Lake or the Nan-Polok. It is said that the lake is named after a famous engineer in the pre independence era named Fitzwilliam Thomas Pollock, who played an important role in the planning and designing of the lake.
There are several other accounts relating to the lake, one of these accounts state that the Ward Lake is named after the erstwhile Chief Commissioner of Assam, Sir William Ward, under whom the plan for the establishment of this lake was started. But the lake was later on constructed in the year 1894 by Colonel Hopkins. One of the associated stories to the lake is that a Khasi prisoner developed the area around the Ward Lake to change the monotony is his daily routine.
The lake and the place surrounding it are quite popular among the tourists. Here, people can partake in the activities of their interest like boating, feeding the fishes or just taking a stroll on the cobble-stone path and admire the colourful floral beds in the garden , which are a reminiscent of the British era. In the middle of the lake, there is an ornate wooden bridge, from where the people can enjoy the picturesque view of the lake below and the surrounding areas.
Visiting Information on Ward Lake
The lake is open all round the year but between the months of June and July, tourism is at its peak. The closest railway station is the Guwahati Railway station which is at a distance of 97 km from Ward Lake. And the Shillong Airport is the nearest at an approximate distance of 32 km from the lake. The Ward Lake is just below the Governor"s Residence or the Raj Bhawan and can be easily accessed via local transport.
