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{{Short description|Sacred lake in Badami, India}}
{{Coord|15|55|11.3|N|75|41|11.5|E|display=title}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Agasthya lake
| other_name = Agastya lake or Vatapi lake
| image = Agastya Lake - Badami, views from caves - hamvrvb102k22 (35).jpg
| location = [[Badami]]
| type = [[Artificial lake]]
| etymology = [[Agastya]]
| date-built = 5th-7th century
}}

'''Agastya lake''', also sometimes written as '''Agasthya lake''' or referred to as '''Vatapi lake,''' is an [[artificial lake]] built {{Circa|5th-7th century}} in [[Badami]], [[Karnataka]], South India.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sc |first1=Subhash C. Biswas D. |title=India the Land of Gods |date=29 September 2014 |publisher=PartridgeIndia |isbn=978-1-4828-3655-4 |page=226 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKQOBQAAQBAJ |access-date=10 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref> It is a popular [[tourist spot]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Lure of an overnight stay at NK |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/lure-of-an-overnight-stay-at-nk/article6810085.ece |access-date=10 November 2025 |work=The Hindu |date=21 January 2015 |language=en-IN}}</ref> as it is overlooked by the [[Badami cave temples]].<ref name="YATRIKA1">{{cite web |title=Badami: Agatsya Lake – A view from the Badami caves |url=https://yatrikaone.com/india-badami-agatsya-lake-view-from-badami-caves/ |website=YatrikaOne |access-date=21 November 2025 |date=18 August 2019}}</ref>

The name Vatapi lake comes from the fact that Badami was previously called [[Vatapi]].
== Holiness ==
According to [[Hinduism]], the sage Agastya was the one that created the lake, thus giving the name.<ref name="AVATHI">{{cite web |title=Agasthya lake |url=https://www.avathi.com/place/agastya-lake/2627 |website=www.avathi.com |access-date=20 November 2025}}</ref> He was a revered sage of the religion.<ref name="Doniger1981p167">{{cite book |author=Wendy Doniger |title=The Rig Veda: An Anthology : One Hundred and Eight Hymns, Selected, Translated and Annotated |url= https://archive.org/details/rigvedapenguincl00anon|url-access=registration | year=1981| publisher=Penguin Books| isbn=978-0-14-044402-5| pages=[https://archive.org/details/rigvedapenguincl00anon/page/167 167]–168}}</ref>

[[The Mahabharata]], a book that frequently talks about Agastya, mentions the lake:

{{blockquote|When he reaches Agastya's lake, a man, devoted to the worship of Gods and ancestors, who stays there for three nights, obtains the fruit of the Laud of the Fire.
|[[Vyasa]], [[Mahabharata]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Buitenen |first1=Johannes Adrianus Bernardus |last2=Fitzgerald |first2=James L. |title=The Mahābhārata |date=1973 |publisher=[[University of Chicago]] Press |isbn=978-0-226-84664-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2QG_ZgsM13IC&dq=agastya+lake&pg=PA375 |language=en}}</ref>}}

The meaning of "the fruit of the Laud of Fire" is unknown.

The water of the lake is considered to be holy due to the origins of the lake. As such, it is frequently used to [[laundry|wash clothes]].<ref name="SVUDA POD">{{cite web |title=India 2007, part 9 (Badami, Pattadakal) |url=https://www.svudapodji.com/en/india-9/ |website=Svuda podji |access-date=21 November 2025 |date=10 January 2020}}</ref>
== Structure ==
[[File:AGASTHYA LAKE- a view from cave temples.jpg|thumb|View of the lake from the cave temples.]]
[[File:Badami - Bhutanatha Group of Temples.jpg|thumb|[[Bhutanatha group of temples, Badami|Bhutanatha group of temples]], surrounded by the lake.]]
The lake is fully surrounded by the [[Badami cave temples]]. On its east coast, the [[Bhutanatha group of temples, Badami|Bhutanatha group of temples]] is located.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chugh |first1=Lalit |title=Karnataka's Rich Heritage – Temple Sculptures & Dancing Apsaras: An Amalgam of Hindu Mythology, Natyasastra and Silpasastra |date=23 May 2017 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-947137-36-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdEkDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Gupta |first1=Hari Prakash |title=Incredible Temples and Sanatan Sanskriti |date=6 May 2023 |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |page=115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cmC9EAAAQBAJ&dq=agastya+lake&pg=PA115 |access-date=10 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Badami cave temple {{!}} Bhutanatha Temple {{!}} Agastya theertha lake |url=https://karnatakatourism.org/tour-item/badami/ |website=Karnataka Tourism |access-date=20 November 2025}}</ref> Most of Badami's temples are located nearby or surrounding the lake.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Abram |first1=David |last2=Guides (Firm) |first2=Rough |title=South India |date=2003 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-84353-103-6 |page=337 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sEhJBfbhTAAC&dq=agastya+lake&pg=PA282 |access-date=10 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Chugh |first1=Lalit |title=Karnataka's Rich Heritage - Art and Architecture: From Prehistoric Times to the Hoysala Period |date=8 April 2016 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-93-5206-825-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JpnoCwAAQBAJ&dq=agastya+lake&pg=PT373 |access-date=10 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

The lake is a tourist spot precisely because it is overlooked by the cave temples, providing a view.<ref name="TTOI" /><ref name="YATRIKA1" />

=== Method of construction ===
It is not exactly known how was the lake built, due to there not being any records of its construction, even though it is well established that it was [[Man-made lake|man-made]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sen |first1=Aloka Parasher |title=Handbook on Urban History of Early India |date=23 October 2024 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-97-6230-9 |page=158 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fOIrEQAAQBAJ&dq=agastya+lake&pg=PA158 |access-date=10 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="T.E">{{cite web |last1=Thammaya |first1=Chaitanya |title=Badami Caves: Exploring The Cave Temples Of Badami |url=https://travel.earth/badami-caves-temples/ |website=Travel.Earth |access-date=20 November 2025 |date=14 October 2020}}</ref>

One source says that a [[dam]] was built in to the east of Badami between the bases of the [[hill]]s forming a large [[water tank|tank]] to supply of water to the town.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fergusson |first1=James |title=The Caves Temples of India |date=1880 |publisher=W. H. Allen |page=405 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5YqEFKdU8FEC&q=agasthya&pg=PA405 |language=en}}</ref>

According to religion, as mentioned earlier, it is said that the vedic sage Agastya created the lake.<ref name="AVATHI" />

[[Incredible India]], a [[Government of India|government]] funded tourism website, says that the lake was built as a strategic water deposit to source water to Badami.<ref name="INCREDIBLE">{{cite web |title=Explore Badami The Ancient City of Karnataka |url=https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/karnataka/badami |website=[[Incredible India]] |publisher=[[Government of India]] |access-date=11 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Date of construction ===
It is widely debated when was the lake built. Many sources place the date in the 5th century, but others place it around the 6th or 7th century.<ref name="TTOI">{{cite news |title=10 caves in India that carry valuable secrets of their historical past |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/10-caves-in-india-that-carry-valuable-secrets-of-their-historical-past/photostory/125244736.cms?picid=125244760 |access-date=21 November 2025 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=13 November 2025}}</ref>

Incredible India, claims that the lake was built in the 7th century.<ref name="INCREDIBLE" />

== Flood ==
In September 2022, after [[Heavy rain (meteorology)|heavy rain]], along with other rivers and lakes, Agasthya lake flooded, damaging the Badami cave temples.<ref>{{cite news | agency = Times News Network (TNN) |title=Dharwad: 50,000 hectares flooded, 1,172 buildings damaged |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/50k-hectares-flooded-1172-buildings-damaged/articleshow/94040107.cms |access-date=10 November 2025 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=7 September 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Artificial lakes of India]]

Agastya Lake - Revision history

Gheethivf: added a pg