Pampa Sarovara is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in Koppal district near

Hampi Hampi or Hampe, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Hampi town, Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th&n ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. To the south of the Tungabhadra River, it is considered sacred by Hindus and is one of the five sacred ', or lakes in India. According to Hindu theology, there are five sacred lakes; collectively called '' Panch Sarovar'';

Mansarovar Lake Manasarovar (Sanskrit: मानसरोवर), also called Mapam Yutso (;) locally, is a high altitude freshwater lake fed by the Kailash Glaciers near Mount Kailash in Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The l ...

, Bindu Sarovar,

Narayan Sarovar Narayan Sarovar or Narayansar is a village and place of pilgrimage for Hindus on the Kori Creek. It is located in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district, Gujarat, India. The ancient Koteshwar temple lies only 4 km away. Temples The temples, ...

, Pampa Sarovar and Pushkar Sarovar. They are also mentioned in Shrimad Bhagavata Purana.
Encyclopaedia of tourism resources in India, Volume 2 By Manohar Sajnani In Hindu scriptures Pampa Sarovar is regarded as the place where Pampa, a form of Shiva's consort

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...

, performed penance to show her devotion to

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. It is also one of the Sarovar's that finds a mention in the Hindu epic,

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

as the place where Shabari, a devotee of

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

waited for the arrival of Ram.

Description

The Pampa Sarovar lake is located in a valley, hidden among the hills on the road to

Anegundi Anegundi previously called Kishkindha is a village in the Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is older than Hampi, situated on the northern bank of the Tungabhadra River. Huchappayana matha temple (with bla ...

from

Hospet Hospet also known as Vijayanagara is the largest city and district headquarters of the Vijayanagara district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River and is 13 km from Hampi. The present day Ha ...

. It is about a kilometer from the foothills of the

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

Temple. The lake is filled with lotuses, and is really picturesque when the flowers are in bloom. There is a

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

temple, as well as a Shiva temple facing the pond. Next to the pond, under a mango tree stands a small

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

shrine.

Related Scriptural Reference

In the

, Pampa Sarovar is mentioned as the place where Shabari (also Shabri), a disciple of the Rishi Matanga, directed

as he journeyed southwards on his quest to redeem

Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...

, his wife, from the demon King Ravana. According to the story, Shabari, a pious devotee of Rama, prayed faithfully everyday to see Rama. She lived in the ashram of her Guru Matanga in the place now known as Matanga Parvat in Hampi. Before her Guru Matanga Rishi died he told her she would certainly see Rama. After his death, Shabari continued to live in the ashram awaiting Rama. 13 years passed by and Shabari became an old woman and finally Lord Rama came to the place and stopped at the ashram on his journey to Lanka. She proceeded to feed Rama and his brother Lakshmana. Touched by her piety Rama and Lakshmana bowed down at her feet. Then, they narrated to her the incident of Sita's kidnapping and Shabari suggested that they seek help from

and Sugriva of the monkey kingdom who lived further south near the Pampa lake. Lord Rama took sacred bath in Matanga Lake.

Notes

Lakes of Karnataka Places in the Ramayana Sacred lakes of India Tourist attractions in Karnataka Hampi Geography of Koppal district {{India-protected-area-stub

Description

Related Scriptural Reference

See also

Notes