Agastya Lake
Agastya lake, also sometimes written as Agasthya lake or referred to as Vatapi lake, is an artificial lake built in Badami, Karnataka, South India. It is a popular tourist spot, as it is overlooked by the Badami cave temples.
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. He was a revered sage of the religion.The Mahabharata, a book that frequently talks about Agastya, mentions the lake:
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 wash clothes.
Structure
The lake is fully surrounded by the Badami cave temples. On its east coast, the Bhutanatha group of temples is located. Most of Badami's temples are located nearby or surrounding the lake.The lake is a tourist spot precisely because it is overlooked by the cave temples, providing a view.
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.One source says that a dam was built in to the east of Badami between the bases of the hills forming a large tank to supply of water to the town.
According to religion, as mentioned earlier, it is said that the vedic sage Agastya created the lake.
Incredible India, a government funded tourism website, says that the lake was built as a strategic water deposit to source water to Badami.
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.Incredible India, claims that the lake was built in the 7th century.