Shekha Jheel is a scenic lake located in a village named Shekha in Uttar Pradesh. It is a fresh water lake and a perennial one and bird watching is a popular activity here. The upper Ganges Canal flows adjacent to the lake.

Location

Shekha is a small village lying only 5 km from the Grand Trunk or GT Road and about 17 km from Aligarh. Shekha Lake lies near this village and is a famous tourist spot here. It can be reached via the Kasganj-Atarauli Marg also known as Major District Road 86W.

Climate

Being in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Shekha Village experiences a humid sub tropical climate that is majorly influenced by the monsoon season.  This is typical to north-central India. Summers begin in April with the temperature reaching its highest in the month of May and the average temperature during this time is 28o C-33o C. The monsoon season begins during late June and most of the year continues till October and it is really humid during this time. The average annual rainfall is around 800 mm and it is after October that the winter sets in. the winter season lasts till February. The average temperature during this time is 5o C-11o C.
Best time to visit the Jheel is between November and February.

Geography

The area of the lake is 25 hectare and is the perfect place for watching many migratory birds. It is a lake rich in biodiversity. There is also an irrigational canal along and this water body is major source of water for the nearby localities.

Attractions

This jheel is mostly famous for bird watching in winters.  This jheel is surrounded by farmlands on all the sides and besides migratory birds; there are different species of terns, ducks, geese and waders all through the year inhabiting the wetlands.

How to Reach

By Road

Aligarh is well connected city and once you are in the city, you can hire a cab to reach the Shekha Jheel. Aligarh is located at a distance of 140 km from Delhi and you can even hire private cars to reach this place and then go to Shekha Jheel.  There are buses run by UPSRTC that connects Aligarh to other cities of the state and there are also other buses connecting to other states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttaranchal. There are 2 bus stations in Aligarh and both of them are well connected to all the parts of the city.

By Railways

Aligarh Railway Junction is the nearest railway station to Shekha Jheel. It is connected to all the major cities of the country and once, you are in the station, you can hire cabs, auto-rickshaws to reach the lake without much trouble.

By Air

There is no airport in Aligarh and the nearest one is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. This airport is located 140 km from Aligarh and once, you have reached the airport, you can avail bus, train or even cabs to reach Aligarh. Once you are in Aligarh, you will have ample options to reach the jheel.