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Dam

Tungabhadra Dam

Pampa Sagar: a two-kilometre wall holding back the river, with gardens below it and a musical fountain after dark.

Tungabhadra Dam

Open

8:00 am – 7:30 pm

Entry

₹20 entry

Best time to go

Evening

Time to spend here

About 3 h

Crowds

Often crowded

At Munirabad, past Hosapete, about 20 km from Hampi. Busiest at weekends and on holiday evenings, when the fountain draws the whole district.

About this place

The Tungabhadra Dam at Munirabad holds back the river that runs past Hampi, and the reservoir behind it — Pampa Sagar — reaches out of sight. It is not a heritage site and it is not quiet; it is an evening out, and a good one. Below the wall are the gardens the dam board keeps, Nandanavana and Anandavana, with lawns, benches and enough shade to sit through the last of the heat. The musical fountain runs after dark and is the reason most families come. Going up onto the dam itself depends on the day and on security; the gardens and the fountain do not. It is about 20 km from Hampi and an hour each way by auto, so it is an evening rather than a stop.

Good to know

Getting there: Park here, by the shuttle stand. Private vehicles are not allowed up on the dam road — take the shuttle bus to the wall and the gardens, or walk it in about twenty minutes. The last shuttle down goes after the fountain finishes.

  • Roughly ₹20 per person, covering the gardens and the fountain. Bring change.
  • The fountain and light show runs after dark, usually from about 7:15pm. Times shift with the season — ring ahead if it is the reason you are coming.
  • Access onto the dam wall itself is at the authority's discretion and is sometimes closed. The gardens are not.
  • About 20 km from Hampi via Hosapete. Agree the auto fare both ways before setting off, and settle the waiting time too.
  • Drone flying and photography of the dam structure are restricted.

Where it is

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