Pampa Sarovar, Sacred lake in Koppal District, Karnataka, India

Pampa Sarovar is a lake in Koppal district, Karnataka, lying in a valley among hills on the road from Hospet to Anegundi, about a kilometre from the foothills of the Hanuman Temple. Its still water is covered by a continuous mat of flat, round lily pads in shades of pale yellow-green to deeper green, with pale pink and white lotus flowers above the surface. A low stone embankment runs along the far edge. A Lakshmi temple and a Shiva temple face the pond, and a small Ganesh shrine stands under a mango tree beside it.

Pampa Sarovar is named among the Panch Sarovar, the five sacred lakes of Hindu tradition, together with Mansarovar, Bindu Sarovar, Narayan Sarovar and Pushkar Sarovar; the group is mentioned in the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana. The Ramayana places it on Rama's southward journey, where the disciple Shabari, who had waited years at the ashram of the rishi Matanga, fed Rama and Lakshmana and sent them to Sugriva and Hanuman.

Hindus count Pampa Sarovar among the five sacred sarovars of the Panch Sarovar, with Mansarovar, Bindu Sarovar, Narayan Sarovar and Pushkar Sarovar, a group also named in the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana. Tradition holds that Pampa, a form of Parvati, performed penance here for Shiva. A Lakshmi temple and a Shiva temple face the water, and a small Ganesh shrine stands under a mango tree beside it.

Pampa Sarovar lies in a valley on the road from Hospet to Anegundi, about one kilometre from the foothills of the Hanuman temple. The Lakshmi and Shiva temples stand facing the pond, and a small Ganesh shrine sits beside it under a mango tree. The surrounding hills make the ground uneven, so watch your footing near the water.

The lake is one of the Panch Sarovar, five sacred lakes that also include Mansarovar, Bindu Sarovar, Narayan Sarovar and Pushkar Sarovar, a grouping named in the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana. Hindu tradition holds that Pampa, a form of Parvati, performed penance here to show her devotion to Shiva.