I had been to this beautiful lake close to Pandavapura in Mandya District way back in 2005. This is a ocean like lake which was constructed by embanking the gorge between two adjacent hillocks. This lake was earlier named Tirumala Sagara after Sri Ramanujacharya, who is believed to have sponsored its design and construction. Locally, this lake is called as Tonnur kere. The height of the dam is about 230 metres and the length is about 150 metres. It is believed that Sri Ramanujacharya broke open a portion of the hillock with the help of his tridanda or walking stick to aid water outflow. Later during the Tipu Sultan era it was renamed as Moti Talab meaning pearl lake.
I have read articles about this lake in Deccan Herald at least three times in three different perspectives. It is interesting how people perceive the same thing. One was about the natural beauty and purity of water. The clear waters which invited adventurous swimmers to dive in.
Another about the temples out there, there are four ancient temples in the village Tonnur in the precincts of which the lake is sited.
Yet another is a general profile of the lake/ tank/ dam. Despite all these writing and publicity little development of infrastructure has taken place there. I wonder why the government of India is not doing anything to promote these locations.
Take the example of lakes in Dallas all of which have private resorts around and offer a variety of activity options including jet skiing, boating, speed boats, fishing, camping, cottage rentals, walking, biking, and other trails. This is great revenue generating option and a wonderful idea to capitalise upon.
Wish our government would wake up soon. Till then we have to just visit and talk about these places.
