Agasthya Lake — Attraction in Karnataka

‘Badami’ in Kannada means ‘Almond’. Badami is Taluka town in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. Badami was capital of Chalukya kings from 540 to 757 AD. It is situated in a narrow valley at the foot of rocky, red sandstone projecting around Agasthya Lake. Once upon a time there were two demon-brothers called Vathapi and Badami, who had acquired occult powers by which they could assume any form like a sage or animal like goat. Even if their physical bodies were cut into pieces those pieces would congregate collectively and took original form as demons. Badami acting as sage in a hermit would invite guests, while Vathapi assuming form of a goat. He was feeding guests with flesh of goat. After their consuming meal he would call his brother by name Vathapi. Then Vathapi would come out piercing through the abdomen of guests resulting in killing of guests. Those demon-brothers would munch the flesh of guests and were leading such life. Unfortunately for them once Agasthya and his followers were guests. After eating flesh meal of Vathapi, Agasthya uttered “Vathapi jeernobhava” means “Oh Vathapi you be digested in our stomachs”. Accordingly Vathapi dissolved. Then Agasthya killed Badami and got rid of the menace of those demons. Badami was called as Vathapi earlier. There was an attractive idol of Lord Ganesh in Vathapi. Pallava kings brought it and installed in Uthrapathiswaraswamy Temple, near Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu. Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the noted composers in Carnatic music has composed the song ‘Vathapi Ganapatim bhaje hum’ in Hamsadhwani raga which is sung first in all music consorts even today. I visited Agasthya Rishi Ashram in Nasik on the banks of Pravara River in Bhandardara town. His hermit has mythological and historical backdrop. Rama spent more than ten years in thick forest and then proceeded towards Dandakaranya. He sought guidance from Agasthya to know how best he could cross Vindya Mountains without trouble. Agasthya advised him to go to Panchavati, which is close to Nashik in Maharashtra. Agasthya played an invincible role in Ramayana in blessing Lord Rama by giving him a powerful arrow to kill demon Ravana. You will find Agasthya Lake in the outskirts of Badami town, which is surrounded by rocky hills and temples that are wonderfully carved out on natural rocks. Around this lake you can visit many famous temples well known for their architecture and sculptures of bygone days. It is an ideal spot for sightseeing from hill-top that presents a grand sight of Badami. It is believed that Agasthya Lake water has healing powers as such it is suggested to have a dip in this sacred lake. Lord Bhuthanatha temple is situated on northern side. The specialty of Agasthya Lake is that all caves herein are facing it forming beautiful panoramic view of lake. There are visible gaps in sandstone rocks around this lake facilitating visitors a passageway to climb the hill where Badami Fort can be seen. I have visited several temples of Lord Shiva as well as Malegatti Shivalaya of 7th century, Dattatreya temple, Mallikarjuna temple of 11th century, Dargah and Masjid on southern fort. Badami is a heritage city for ‘Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana’ [HRIDAY] scheme of Government of India. Nearest airport to Badami is Belgaum at 190km from where one can hire prepaid taxi or bus to reach Badami. Nearest railway station is Hubli at 100km. There are state buses from Bangalore, Belgaum and Hubli to Badami directly. There are number of hotels and restaurants providing food and accommodation to their customers with...

At a distance of 1 Kms from Badami Bus Station, The Agastya Lake (Tirtha) is a huge lake located beneath the cave temples. Constructed in 5th century, the lake is considered holy due to the healing powers of its water.

Timing: 8:00 AM to SunSet on all days of the week Entry Fee: No entry fee required Photography: Allowed Video camera: Allowed Visit Duration: About 2 hours

The eastern banks of the Agasthya Lake are dotted with Bhoothanatha temples while the caves temples are located on South West part and the fort on North West end. According to puranas, The Pushkarini was a pleasure tank of God in Vaikunta, and is a beloved of Lakshmidevi and Bhoodevi. The Pushkarini was brought and set here by Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. A bath in it is believed to destroy all sins.

The lake is usually crowded by the village residents for washing cloths and bath. The quality of water is okay but not a good place to swim. The surroundings of the lake provide great views of the hills surrounded by the historical monuments. The Bhoothanatha temple which is emerged into the lake is a beautiful sight with a backdrop of...

Good morning

At a distance of 1 Kms from Badami Bus Station, The Agastya Lake (Tirtha) is a huge lake located beneath the cave temples. Constructed in 5th century, the lake is considered holy due to the healing powers of its water.

The eastern banks of the Agasthya Lake are dotted with Bhoothanatha temples while the caves temples are located on South West part and the fort on North West end. According to puranas, The Pushkarini was a pleasure tank of God in Vaikunta, and is a beloved of Lakshmidevi and Bhoodevi. The Pushkarini was brought and set here by Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. A bath in it is believed to destroy all sins.

During rainy time the waterfalls, popularly called Akka-Thanki (Elder and Younger sister) feeding the lake with waters from the Southern hills.

The lake is usually crowded by the village residents for washing cloths and bath. The quality of water is okay. The surroundings of the lake provide great views of the hills surrounded by the historical monuments. The Bhoothanatha temple which is emerged into the lake is a beautiful sight with a backdrop of...