The Tungabhadra Dam And its Spectacular Sight

About Tungabhadra Dam

Tungabhadra dam, also known as Pampa Sagar, is a dam located in Munirabad, near Hospet town, in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka around 22 km from Hampi. Krishna Devaraya, a famous Vijayanagara King constructed Hospet town in memory of his wife, Thirumala Devi, and named it Thirumalapattana. Hospet is the new name of the town.

The Tungabhadra Dam is a multipurpose dam constructed across the Tungabhadra River. It is one of the only two non-cement dams in India. Surki plaster which is a combination of mud and limestone mixture is used in its construction. It has around 33 crest gates, and the TB dam view is spectacular at night when illuminated with rainbow colors. One of the dam’s main attractions is its dancing musical fountain and light show. Apart from that, it has well-kept gardens such as Nandanavana and Anandavana where you can sit on the lawns or benches and relax.

Places to Visit Within Tungabhadra Dam Premises

As you approach the entry point, you will notice two paths with different altitudes leading further into the dam. The higher route takes you to a viewpoint, a dam gate, and the right bank of the channel. The downhill road leads to a children’s park, amusement park, zoo, and musical fountain. These two paths are linked, so entering, either way, makes a loop and allows you to visit all of the locations. However, if you are visiting in the evening and intend to stay for the fountain show, I recommend taking the road at the upper end so that you can see the sunset at Vaikunta Garden and arrive before 7 pm to see the dancing fountain show.

Tungabhadra Dam Crest gates

Right Bank

You will encounter the channel of the dam on the way to the dam. From here, you can see the surrounding mountains. As you climb higher, you will see the crest gates and right bank. We’re not permitted to enter on top of the dam spillway gates. However, it is visible from the Rose garden located at this point. You can also continue up to the viewpoint tower from here to get a clear view.

Viewpoint tower

The view from the viewing tower is spectacular, with a view of the dam’s spillway gates. It is a sunset viewing area where you can watch the sunset over the water of the dam. If you want to see it during the day before 6 pm, a bus will transmit you from the entry gate to the viewpoint for a nominal charge. Aside from taking the bus, there are two ways to get to the viewpoint on foot. However, the road to the viewpoint is long, and the short trek of around 400 steps is poorly maintained. If you are adventurous or enthusiastic, you can climb the steps otherwise take a bus.

Unfortunately, we arrived after 6 pm and had no choice but to climb the stairways. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the viewpoint, it had become cloudy, so we were a little disappointed after climbing these steps. We couldn’t see the sunset, but the dam lights were lit, so we got to see that. There we met another family who shared our sentiments. While climbing down, we discovered that there are no lights. Because of the lack of lighting, climbing these steps after sunset is extremely dangerous. Please exercise caution when climbing with seniors and children and it is preferable to avoid.

Park and Gardens

There are many parks and gardens downstream of the dam to add to the dam’s allure. However, not all gardens are well-kept anymore. Unlike Almatti Dam, there is no separate entrance fee to any of the parks here.

If interested, you can read our post on Almatti Dam by clicking here.

Vaikunta Guest House Garden

Vaikunta guest house and garden are located beside the viewpoint tower. The garden at Vaikunta Guest House is dressy, with flower beds, topiary arches, well-designed fountains, and ornate lawns.

Nandanavana & Anandavana

Nandanavana and Anandavana are small gardens next to each other with opulent lawns. It has a few benches where you can sit and enjoy the scenery.

Deer Park or Mini Zoo

Deer park is adjacent to the Japanese park. It also has a variety of deer, rabbits, and porcupines. The deer park complex includes a small aviary. It is home to a wide range of birds, including peacocks, parrots, and pigeons. The park closes at 6 pm every day and remains closed on Tuesdays. There is also a small Parnaja aquarium nearby, which charges 20 per person.

Japanese Park

The Japanese park is the largest on the premises. The center of this garden showcases a musical dancing fountain. It also has three water ponds and an aquarium for visitors’ enjoyment. Aside from that, there are ornamental gardens and arches.

Musical Fountain Show

The musical fountain show takes place at 7.15 pm and runs for 20 min. Further, if there are more visitors, there will be a repeat performance around 8 pm. During our visit, the path to the musical fountain lacked proper lighting and sign planks. In addition, some of the fountains along the path appeared to be broken. We reached the location after hearing the song and enjoyed the first show, which featured four songs and was visually stunning. However, unlike Almatti Dam, there is no seating available. There are only a few benches, which are insufficient for the number of visitors. To watch the show, we can either stand or sit on the ground. It is similar to Mysore’s Brindavan Garden but on a smaller scale.

Play Arenas

The Children’s park has many games for children, including swings, slides, see-saws, bars, and other items. It is open till 6.30 pm. Near the children’s park, there are some life-sized murals of animals such as deer, elephants, giraffes, and others. A boating and amusement arena is set up the near entrance for people of all ages. A dashing car, a bull ride, a flying chair, bungee jumping, a bouncy castle, and many other attractions are available.

How to Reach Tungabhadra Dam

From Bangalore

The TB dam is 334 km from Bangalore.

By Road

Bike/Car :

• You can take the NH48 or NH50 routes through Bangalore, Tumkur, Hiriyur, Chitradurga, Hospet, and Tungabhadra Dam. It will take around 6 hours.

Bus :

• Several buses run from Bangalore to Hospet both during the day and at night.
• From Hospet, you can take an auto or a city bus to the TB dam which is only 7 km away.

By Rail

• Many trains run through Bangalore and Hospet both during the day and at night.
• You can book tickets for an overnight journey on the Hampi Express, Yeshwanthpur Karatagi Express, or Yeshwanthpur Bijapur Express.

By Air

• Bellary and Hubli are the closest domestic airports, located 58 km and 137 km away, respectively.

Tips to visit Tungabhadra dam

• It is open from 8 am to 7.30 pm, and entry is 20 rupees per person, which includes a visit to the dam, gardens, and musical fountain show.
• The best time to visit Tungabhadra dam is during the monsoon season when the spillway gates are open. You can also go in the winter when the weather is nice.
• There are several ways to get to the TB dam from Hospet. You can take the bus, shared autos, or a hired auto. Buses leave Hospete every 30 minutes. Shared autos are another cost-effective option to prefer.
• The water from each crest gate is a different color between 7.15 and 8.30 pm. To enjoy this view, go to TB dam when the crest gates are open. Moreover, the sunset view of the rainbow color crest gates from the Vaikunta garden viewpoint is spectacular.
• There is a large parking lot near the entrance where you can park your vehicle.
• The administration manages mini-busses that take you to the viewpoint from the entrance. It will cost you 20 rupees, and there are some time constraints if you want to return by the same bus. If you arrive before 6 pm, I would recommend taking the bus instead of climbing the steps to the viewpoint because of its poor maintenance. Because after 6 pm, bus service is only available until the dam gate. During holidays and weekends, you may have to wait in line for the bus due to crowds.
• Within the premises, there is access to drinking water, food, and restrooms.
• The TB dam is a pleasant place to spend half a day or at least three hours on your way to Hampi. For a suggested itinerary of well-known North Karnataka attractions, see our post on North Karnataka Itinerary here.

General Tips

• Carry along hats, water bottles, sunscreen, and goggles.
• You can stay at Hospet because there aren’t many hotels in the dam area. There are numerous lodging options in town to suit all tastes.
• At Hospet, there are vegetarian hotels near the bus and train stations. Only snacks and drinks are available on the TB dam grounds.