Hesaraghetta Lake - Bangalore

Hersaraghetta Lake has become quite popular off late for it is close to Bangalore and it is perfect for a Sunday out. Hesaraghetta Lake is a manmade lake that is located around 18km away from Bangalore. It's a fresh water lake. It was actually made in 1894- so it is quite old. It is made across the Arkavathy River and it was initially constructed in order to ensure supply of water to Bangalore.

By road, the lake is only 26 km away from the city, so it is quite easy to visit. The lake has been built on the Arkavati River, which actually originates in the Nandi Hills at Chikkaballapur district and joins the Kaveri River. Right after it's construction, the lake began to dry up in 1925, and a dam was constructed to ensure continuous waterflow to the Hesaraghetta lake. This lake is integral to bangalore because of the fact that it has continually provided water to the city over the past century. 

Now, the lake is a popular tourist spot. A lot of tourists go here from Bangalore- a lot of Bangalore residents prefer visiting Hesaraghetta lake in the form of a Sunday or a holiday trip. It's a large and beautiful lake surrounded by greenery. It's quite a picturesque place. 

It attracts a lot of important birds as well- including common mynas, the magpie robin, kingfishers, common mynas, purple sunbirds, black drongbos, bulbuls, etc. Around 29 different species of birds have been identified in the area. It's an amazing spot for bird watchers. Even if you are not a bird watcher, the sight of over 2000 birds is rather amazing to behold. If you visit the lake during the winter months, you will be able to spot the spotted eagles and herriers as well.

Right next to the lake, there are a lto of big institutes. There is a Government Aquarium that you would be able to visit. If you do have enough time, you should most certainly go to Nrityagram, the dance village close to the lake. Nrityagram was actually the first gurukul established in India by the famous Protima Gauri, a renowned Odissi dancer. The lake's quality has been deteriorating- as has been the condition of all the lakes in and around Bangalore. But major restoration projects are being undertaken in the area.

The best time to visit the area would be in the winter months- October to February. The winter birds migrate around that time and the area is beautiful to behold. During the winter months, the chances of finding the lake in it's fully glory is high- as the monsoons would have just replenished it's water availability. The best way to reach the lake is through road. It will take about an hour to get there. You will get to the place if you go on NH-4 till Vidyanagar and then get on to the Hesaraghetta Main Road. The road conditions are good. If you do not have your own car, you should be able to hire a car to reach there. There are a lot of car hire options in Bangalore- depending on the size of the car you want and whether or not you want air conditioning, it will cost anywhere between Rs 6 to Rs 18 per kilometer. There are a lot of eateries on the NH4, but the number of eateries does go down drastically in Hesaraghetta Road. If you are planning a picnic in the lake, you should certainly pack your own food.