Surha Tal Bird Sanctuaryसुरहा ताल
Ballia's great oxbow lake, thick with wintering geese and duck. No facilities, just birds.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereBallia, Uttar Pradesh
Purvanchal
Purvanchal
Best time to visit15 November to 15 March
Good seasonsWinter (December to February), Post-monsoon (October to November)
DifficultyEasy
Time neededHalf day
Base and nearbyBasantpur, Ballia Junction
EntryFree · no boats or facilities, take a local to show you the edges
About Surha Tal Bird Sanctuary
A 34 sq km shallow oxbow lake north of Ballia town, notified in 1991 as the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary. From November to February it fills with wintering ducks, geese and waders, with large flocks of bar-headed geese, pintail and pochard, and resident sarus crane on the margins. There is no infrastructure: drive to the bund at Basantpur or a village edge and walk. Fishing and farming carry on all around it.
What to see and do
- Bar-headed geese and duck flocks in winter
- Sarus crane on the edges
- Village bunds as watch points
- Lotus in the shallows after the monsoon
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Ballia
- Baleshwar Nath TempleBallia, Uttar Pradesh · Temples & ShrinesThe Shiva shrine Ballia is named after, a ten-minute walk from the Bhrigu temple.
- Bhrigu Ashram & Dadri MelaBallia, Uttar Pradesh · Pilgrimage RoutesSage Bhrigu's temple and the Dadri Mela, India's second largest cattle fair, on the Ganga sands each Kartik.
- Shaheed Smarak, BalliaBallia, Uttar Pradesh · Monuments & HeritageMemorial to the week in August 1942 when Ballia threw out the British and ran itself.
- Sitab Diara (JP Narayan Birthplace)Ballia, Uttar Pradesh · Villages & Hidden GemsJayaprakash Narayan's birthplace on a flood-prone river island where UP meets Bihar.
All places in Ballia · All places in Uttar Pradesh
Jagah Pedia home · All places A to Z · Privacy · Terms
Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.