If you were a person who likes water and the shores minus the large sea waves then Dhamapur Lake is the ideal picnic spot for you!.
It is located near the western region of Sindhudurg, Malvan.This is the biggest lake in the district [and perhaps next only to Tadoba lake].
History :This artificial lake was built in 1560 by the then Vijaynagar vassal Nagesh Desai The lake is situated between Are and katta village. This man-made lake was constricted in 1530 by the king Nagesh Desai [A tributary of Vijaynagar dynast] and has beautiful scenic hill ranges on its two sides.. This place also has its own story.They say water level in this lake doesnt change,irresptive of whether its harsh summer or heavy rains! Interesting Haan!! It has another Bharadi Devi temple on it banks. Locals says that our Bharadi Devi & This Bharadi Devi were sisters, both served a noble cause in their own way.
The Dhamapur Lake is famous for crystal clear waters. It’s possible to see the bottom of the lake during clear and turmoil free weather. The lake deserves the special mention because of its “uniqueness”. The lake covers almost 10 acres with water and more with the other related activities including water sports, entertainment and Eateries. The lake apart from water sports also has boating facility for the less adventurous or the more romantics. There also exists a Bhagawati Temple which has been decorated and surrounded by greenery. The surrounding tree cover plays host to a variety of birds, namely the Malabar Pined Hornbill, vcormorants and various varieties of kingfishers.
It has dense plantation of mango mangosteen grcinia indica (kokam) coconut and areca plam. This is typical fruits of kokan region.. Tourist easily feels the change in the atmosphere once they reach the spot. The region has also a rich verity of flaura and fauna. The deans’ forest and orchard surrounding the lake has made this one of the most beautiful lake in Maharashtra
One the west coast of the lake, the Forest dept. runs a tent resort. Now the MTDC has made boating facility available in the lake and walk surrounding the lake the forest depth has also constructed beautiful huts on the bank to enable the tourist staying here to enjoy the panoramic view from their cottages