River, lake and haor, Chattogram
Mahamaya Lakeমহামায়া লেক
- Time needed
- Two to three hours.
- best months
- Oct–Feb
- Cost
- A small entry ticket; boats and kayaks by the hour.
The country's second-largest man-made lake, 11 square kilometres of water held between the Mirsharai hills by an irrigation dam finished in 2010: boats, kayaks, a waterfall at the far end and green ridges all round.
Plan your visit
- Best time
- October to February; afternoons for the still water.
At a glance
- Area
- About 11 km²
- Dam
- Built 2007–09, opened December 2010, for irrigation
- Where
- Durgapur union, Mirsharai, off the Dhaka highway at Thakurdighi
About
The Water Development Board dammed the Mahamaya stream in Durgapur union of Mirsharai between 2007 and 2009 to irrigate the plain below, and opened the project in December 2010. The lake behind the dam spread over about 11 square kilometres between the hills, and it became a place to visit almost at once: a long embankment to walk, boats and kayaks for hire, and a ride across the water to the small waterfall and caves on the far shore. The hills close in on every side, so the lake feels larger and wilder than it is, and in the late afternoon the water goes still.
It is the easy half-day in Mirsharai, paired naturally with Khoiyachora a few kilometres north, and it works even in winter when the waterfalls do not.
Getting there: Dhaka-bound bus to Thakurdighi bazar in Mirsharai, about 1½ hours from the city, then a CNG 2–3 km east to the lake gate.
Things to do
- Take a boat or kayak across to the waterfall on the far shore.
Good to know
- Life jackets are provided with the kayaks; wear one. Swimming is not allowed.
