Sanapur Lake
A reservoir held between boulders north of the river, where the water is green, the palms lean in, and almost nobody comes before evening.
Open
6:00 am – 6:30 pm
Entry
Free entry
Best time to go
Sunset
Time to spend here
About 1 h 30 min
Crowds
Usually quiet
About 6 km north of the Anegundi bridge, past Sanapur village. Quietest before nine in the morning; busiest for an hour around sunset.
Before you go
Car to the gate
No long walk in
No toilets mapped nearby
Go before you set off
No drinking water mapped nearby
Bring enough with you
About this place
Sanapur Lake is what the Tungabhadra canal leaves behind on the far side of the river: a long sheet of green water held between granite boulders and banana plantations, reached by a road that winds through paddy fields before squeezing under rocks that overhang it. It is not an ancient thing and it is not on the monument circuit, which is exactly why it is quiet. People come to sit on the warm rock at the edge, to take a coracle out, and to watch the light go orange on the boulders opposite. Swimming happens here and it is not supervised: the reservoir is deep, the sides shelve away fast, and there are no lifeguards, ropes or steps. Several people have drowned. Watch the water rather than enter it, and if you do go in, stay in the shallows near others.
Good to know
- The lake is deep with no shelving edge and no lifeguard. Drownings have happened here. If you swim, stay shallow and never alone.
- Coracle rides are offered at the edge; agree the price and the length of the ride before getting in.
- There is no shop, no toilet and no shade at the water. Carry water, and carry your rubbish back out.
- The last stretch of road is narrow with blind bends under overhanging rock. Ride slowly.
How to get there
- By road to the entrance
Go by car, bike or auto to Sanapur Lake
Google Maps takes you by road to the nearest point to the place.
Walking paths and times are from Google Maps. The way in can change on festival days: follow the signs and ASI staff.
Close by
Photo credits
- Sanapur Lake reservoir · VasuVR · CC BY-SA 4.0
