Located in the centre of the city, it is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Shillong.

The lake was planned by the then chief commissioner of Assam, Sir William Ward.

It was designed by Fitzwilliam Thomas Pollok and built by Colonel Hopkins in 1894.

[1] It is said that the area around the lake was developed by a Khasi prisoner who did so to mitigate the monotony of his daily routine.

[2] The horse-shoe-shaped lake lies close to the Raj Bhavan, the Governor's official residence.