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Ousteri Lake (Oussudu)
ஊசுட்டேரி ஏரி
The largest lake of Puducherry, about 800 hectares shared with Tamil Nadu: a man-made tank declared a bird sanctuary in 2008.
A large man-made lake west of the city, named after the village of Ossudu and one of the important wetlands for birds in the region. Puducherry Tourism recommends it as a walk for wildlife enthusiasts.
History
The lake covers about 800 hectares, of which 390 lie in Puducherry and the rest in Tamil Nadu. Like the other tanks of the region, it was built to capture rain for farming, and it once irrigated temple lands at Villianur. It is recognised as an Important Bird Area; the Puducherry side was declared the Oussudu Bird Sanctuary in 2008, and the Tamil Nadu side in 2015.
What to see
- Resident and migratory birds on the open water and the reed beds
- The lake shore paths
Why visit
The best place near the city to see water birds, and a reminder of the old tank system that fed the farms.
- Coordinates
11.953668, 79.741858