Karanji Lake Nature Park

Originally built more than a century ago as a percolation tank to serve local water needs, the lake was handed over to the Mysore Zoo's management in 1976 after falling into disrepair as a polluted waste site. Restoration in subsequent decades converted its shoreline into a nature park with a butterfly enclosure and, notably, what was at the time India's largest walk-through bird aviary at 20 m high, 60 m long, and 40 m wide. The 90-hectare lake and its surrounding park, set at the foot of Chamundi Hills, now draw roughly 300,000 visitors annually and support conservation education.