Rewalsar lake is in Mandi district, 24 kms from Mandi town. Shaped quite like a square and with a shoreline of 735 m, this dark jewel rests on a mountain spur and is protected by a variety of dense vegetation. The spot is held sacred by Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists alike. Legend has it that the great teacher and 'tantric', Padmasambhava used his enormous powers to take flight to Tibet from Rewalsar. There are three Buddhist monasteries at Rewalsar. It also has a gurudwara that was built in 1930 by raja Joginder Sen of Mandi. Rewalsar has three Hindi temples which are dedicated to lord Krishna, lord Shiva and to the sage Lomas. A small zoo also is maintained near the lake.