File:Shiva shrine, Gangabal Lake.jpg
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Summary
| Description |
English: A small shrine dedicated to Hindu god Shiva carved into a boulder near the high-altitude glacial Gangabal Lake in the Himalayas of the northern Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The lake is located at the base of the Harmukh mountain which is also called the "Kailash of Kashmir" because it is considered to be the Himalayan abode of lord Shiva according to Kashmiri Hindu tradition. The lake, called Gangabal meaning 'place of Ganga' in Kashmiri, is considered sacred by Hindus and used by Kashmiri Hindus to immerse the ashes of their dead after cremation. It has been described as a place of pilgrimage in several ancient Hindu texts, such as the Mahabharata, Vishnu Smriti and Nilmata Purana.
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| Source | Own work | ||
| Author | UnpetitproleX | ||
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| Camera location |  | View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap |  |
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This media was uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 international photographic contest. Other languages:
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Assessment
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This image has been selected as picture of the day on Wikimedia Commons for 19 August 2025. It will be captioned as follows: English: Shrine dedicated to Shiva situated at the shore of the Gangabal Lake, a high altitude glacial lake in the Indian Himalayas. The lake is situated at the foot of Mount Haramukh in Jammu and Kashmir, and is called Gangabal meaning 'place of Ganga' in Kashmiri language. It is considered sacred in Hinduism as an abode of Shiva and used by Kashmiri Hindus to immerse the ashes of their dead after cremation. It has been described as a place of pilgrimage in several ancient Hindu texts and an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the lake starts from a nearby 8th century Shiva temple. The month of Shravan, the fifth and current month of the Hindu calendar, is also dedicated to Shiva. Other languages:
Čeština: Posvátný prostor s výklenkem zasvěceným शिव (Šiva) na břehu ledovcového jezera Gangabal v हिमालय (Himálaj), u hory Haramukh, Džammú a Kašmír (Indie). Hinduisté zde rozptylují popel zemřelých v jezeře zasvěceném bohyni Gaṅgā. Tento a pátý měsíc hinduistického kalendáře je zasvěcen Šivovi. English: Shrine dedicated to Shiva situated at the shore of the Gangabal Lake, a high altitude glacial lake in the Indian Himalayas. The lake is situated at the foot of Mount Haramukh in Jammu and Kashmir, and is called Gangabal meaning 'place of Ganga' in Kashmiri language. It is considered sacred in Hinduism as an abode of Shiva and used by Kashmiri Hindus to immerse the ashes of their dead after cremation. It has been described as a place of pilgrimage in several ancient Hindu texts and an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the lake starts from a nearby 8th century Shiva temple. The month of Shravan, the fifth and current month of the Hindu calendar, is also dedicated to Shiva. Español: Santuario dedicado a Shiva, situado a orillas del lago Gangabal, un lago glacial de gran altitud en el Himalaya indio. El lago está situado al pie del monte Haramukh, en Jammu y Cachemira, y se llama Gangabal, que significa «lugar de la Ganga» en cachemir. Se considera sagrado en el hinduismo como morada de Shiva y lo utilizan los hindúes de Cachemira para sumergir las cenizas de los difuntos tras la cremación. Una peregrinación anual hindú al lago comienza en un cercano templo de Shiva del siglo VIII. El mes de Shravan, el quinto y actual mes del calendario hindú, también está dedicado a Shiva. Euskara: Shivari eskainitako santutegia, Indiako Gangabal aintzirako ertzean. Aintzira glazial hau Himalaian dago, Haramukh mendiaren oinetan, Kaxmirren. Gangabal izenak «Ganga jainkosaren lurra» esan nahi du Kaxmirreko hizkuntzan. Toki sakratua da hinduentzat Shivaren bizitokia delako; gainera, Kaxmirreko hinduek beren hildakoak erre ondoren aintzirako uretara jaurtitzen dituzte errautsak. Français : Sanctuaire dédié à Shiva, situé sur les rives du lac Gangabal, un lac glaciaire de haute altitude dans l'Himalaya indien. Le lac est situé au pied du mont Haramukh au Jammu-et-Cachemire et s'appelle Gangabal, ce qui signifie « lieu de la Ganga » en cachemiri. Il est considéré comme sacré dans l'hindouisme comme la demeure de Shiva et est utilisé par les hindous du Cachemire pour immerger les cendres du défunt après la crémation. Un pèlerinage hindou annuel vers le lac commence dans un temple de Shiva voisin datant du VIIIe siècle. Le mois de Shravan, le cinquième et actuel mois du calendrier hindou, est également dédié à Shiva. Italiano: Piccola area sacra con una nicchia votiva a Siva situata sulla riva del lago Gangabal, un piccolo lago glaciale nella regione himalayana, ai piedi del monte Haramukh, nel Jammu e Kashmir indiano I kashmiri di fede induista usano disperdere le ceneri dei defunti nel lago, consacrato alla dea Gaṅgā, personficazione del fiume Gange. Il luogo è descritto come meta di pellegrinaggio in diversi testi sacri. A Siva è dedicato il quinto mese calendario induista, nel quale ci troviamo in questo giorno. Magyar: Sivának szentelt szentély, amely a Gangabal-tó partján található, egy magasan fekvő gleccsertó az indiai Himalájában. A tó a Haramukh-hegy lábánál található Dzsammu és Kasmírban, és a Gangabal nevet kapta, ami kasmíri nyelven Ganga helyét jelenti. A hinduizmusban Siva lakhelyeként szentnek tekintik, és itt a kasmíri hinduk a hamvasztás után halottaik hamvait szertartásosan szentelt vízbe merítik. A tóhoz vezető éves hindu zarándoklat a közeli, 8. századi Siva-templomból indul. A hindu naptár ötödik és egyben aktuális hónapját, a szávan hónapot szintén Sivának szentelik |
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| Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| current | 22:44, 25 February 2025 | | 6,159 × 3,849 (16.24 MB) | UnpetitproleX | bigger, light adjusted |
| 21:40, 25 February 2025 |  | 900 × 562 (562 KB) | UnpetitproleX | Uploaded own work with UploadWizard |
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- Gangabal Lake
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- Wangath temple complex
- User:UnpetitproleX/POTD
- User talk:UnpetitproleX
- Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/March-2025
- Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Shiva shrine at Gangabal Lake
- Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Places/Others
- Wikipedia:Featured pictures thumbs/84
- Wikipedia:Picture of the day/February 2026
- Wikipedia:WikiProject India/Main page featured content
- Wikipedia:WikiProject India/Recognized content
- Wikipedia:WikiProject Lakes/Recognized content
- Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/February 15
- Template:POTD/2026-02-15
- Portal:India/Recognized content
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