JOIN USKrishna river is an important source of irrigation for people in the state. The Almatti Dam across this mighty river, is an oasis with perfectly manicured gardens, writes B V Prakash.
The Krishna river originates in the hills of Western ghats in Maharashtra and flows eastwards to merge with the Bay of Bengal. A large section of the river meanders through Karnataka and has been a perennial life-giver to the state, particularly to the arid regions of the northern parts. Besides irrigation, the fast flowing river has immense potential to generate some much-needed power.
With a view of ensuring a regular supply of water to the districts of Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Bijapur and Bagalkot, an ambitious project was launched by the government through the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd, as early as 1994. Under the scheme called Upper Krishna Project, several dams were set up at strategic locations along the river. Among them, the Almatti Dam in Bagalkot district stands out as one of the major multi-purpose projects of the state. The dam was completed only in 2005.
Dams and reservoirs are generally developed as tourist spots. However, in recent times, for security reasons, many of the dam projects are out of bounds for visitors. So is the case with Almatti. But as an alternative, the place has been developed with gardens, parks and picnic spots besides afforestation of the surrounding area.
Adding to that, a couple of places nearby, with mythological importance have enhanced the touristic value of this small town.
This was what prompted me to explore the surroundings of Almatti during my visit to Bagalkot. Before visiting the dam, I chose to visit two little-known spots around Almatti as suggested by my driver-cum-guide.
Discovering new places
The first was Yelgur, just 4 km away to the east. Though it is just another tiny town, people come here to visit the ancient temple of Hanuman. The priest explained that in olden days, there were seven villages in the surrounding areas and this was the only temple. The deity was called Yelgurdappa, meaning ‘Lord of seven villages.’
The beautiful frescoes here depict scenes from Ramayana. As we drove to Sitimani Hills, we had the first glimpse of the wide Krishna river and the backwaters. The place is associated with the Ashram of Valmiki, where Sita lived with her sons Lava and Kusha.
The Lava-Kusha garden depicts different childhood activities of Lava and Kush like playing in cradle with their mother and learning with their gurus.
The temple of Sita here is modest but devoutly visited. One can see numerous votive cradles hung here by women who wish to have a child. Two tiny ponds are named after Lava-Kusha and so is the theme park. The sprawling garden is punctuated with life-like images of the twin brothers as they grew up.
On the way back is Gopalakrishna Park, named after the river. Here, we could walk through trails flanked by greenery and images depicting childhood pranks of Lord Krishna. Because of Krishna river, Lord Krishna is omnipresent here in terms of design. The pranks, mischief and cleverness are depicted artistically which attracts thousands of tourists. It covers three acres of lawn, hedges, flowerbeds, ground cover, shrubs and trees.
The Entrance Plaza has a palatial look with a 20 feet wide semi-circular corridor. The movement of the visitors is channelised from the entrance via corridor to a wide area of coloured pavements.
Artificial oasis
Along with the gardening works, sculptures of Yashoda Krishna, Gopal Krishna, Rasleela of Krishna, Shanka and Chakra, Krishna Gopika scenes are created and decorated artistically. Even the compound wall gate is decorated artistically related to Krishna and nature.
Below the Almatti dam is a pathway lined with tall trees and marked with beauty spots. The rock garden is a vast picnic spot with dedicated sections for birds, reptiles, folklore and a children’s park.
The Silver Lake, with a boating facility, is panoramic with long paths for walking around it.
The one that steals the show is the Sunrays Park, where the garden is designed in the shape of the Sun.
Watching the setting sun cast a deep orange hue across the sky as well as the vast reservoir, we got back to a huge garden bifurcated into Moghul, French and Italian styles with cascades and waterways.
At dusk, the musical dance fountain is where visitors gather to watch the colourful fountains. With parks and gardens, a lovely river and a reservoir, Almatti Dam is a fine picnic spot that deserves to be visited.
Almatti is 485 km away from Bangalore by road.
By train, Almatti is about 66 km from Bijapur and takes about one hour. Solapur Express and Basava Express are the two trains which touch Almatti.