Pampa Sarovar and Tungabhadra Sacred Pilgrimage Heritage of Koppal

Anegundi in Koppal district, on the north bank of the Tungabhadra river across from Hampi, is considered the original Kishkindha of the Ramayana — the monkey kingdom of Sugriva and Hanuman. The area contains Pampa Sarovar (the sacred lake where the sage Matanga and the devotee Sabari are said to have lived), the Anjanadri Hill (believed to be Hanuman's birthplace), and numerous Ramayana-associated sites. This landscape — dramatic granite boulders, the Tungabhadra river, and banana groves — closely matches the Ramayana's description of Kishkindha. Pilgrims come to Anegundi to trace the Ramayana's geography. The Archaeological Survey of India manages numerous historical sites in the area, and Anegundi is part of the Hampi UNESCO World Heritage site buffer zone.