Tarsar Lake, Alpine lake in Anantnag district, India.

Tarsar Lake is a high alpine body of water in the Anantnag region that sits at approximately 3,795 meters elevation. Mountains encircle it and reflect in the clear water, creating mirror-like surfaces especially visible during summer months.

The 16th-century Kashmiri ruler Yusuf Shah Chak mentioned Tarsar and its neighbour Marsar in a poem addressed to his beloved, comparing the two lakes to her tresses: "When I remember the two tresses of the comely beloved, tears begin to flow from my eyes like streams from Tarsar and Marsar." The pair are known as the twin sisters.

Yusuf Shah Chak, the 16th-century Kashmiri ruler, wrote a poem comparing the two lakes, Tarsar and Marsar, to the twin tresses of his beloved, saying tears flow from his eyes like streams from Tarsar and Marsar. The pair are called the twin sisters, and the Marsar Lake drains in the opposite direction from Tarsar.

Treks are open only from June to mid-September; heavy snowfall closes them in winter. From Srinagar a 102 km motorable road runs through Anantnag and Pahalgam to the Aru trekking camp, and Lidderwat meadow, halfway on the two-day walk, serves as the usual basecamp. The lake can be visited and the basecamp regained in one day. Approaching by Aru-Lidderwat and returning via Surfraw in the Sind Valley is preferable because of the steepness.

The water shifts through different colors as daylight progresses, created by how sunlight interacts with the lake's characteristics and mountain reflections. This color show results from the purity of the water and the surrounding peaks.