PLACES OF INTEREST

DHAMAPUR

Dhamapur (Malvan T.; 17° 15' N, 73° 35' E; p. 3,432), is a large village, on Karli creek, ten miles east of Malvan, on the road to Kudal and Savantvadi. The nearest railway station is Kolhapur, 88 miles to the north-east. Dhamapur is chiefly interesting for a lake which waters a large area of rice and garden land both in Dhamapur and in the neighbouring village of Kalsa. The lake, one and a half miles long, and on an average a quarter of a mile broad, covers an area of about 125 acres, and on three sides is surrounded by well-wooded hills. The narrow ravine between the steep hills on the south, has been dammed by a solid earthen embankment faced with masonry, 450 feet long, and at its widest ninety-six feet broad. The lake having no sluice or other means for regulating the water, discharge, the channel has every year to be dammed by the villagers with earth and faggots. On the level top of the dam, on a paved terrace with a broad flight of stone steps running to the water's edge, stands a temple of Bhagavati and other minor buildings. The local story that the dam is about 300 years old, is to some extent confirmed by the size and evident age of the trees growing on its top. The tradition is that in former years there was at the bottom of the deep stream, a temple of Bhagavati. Pious Hindus, after praying to the goddess and casting flowers into the stream, had only to utter a wish for any ornament or jewel, and at the same time to lower an earthen vessel into the water, when it would be immediately returned with the wished-for gift. When the dam was constructed a temple of Bhagavati was accordingly built on it. The temple is in good condition. A small yearly fair is held in Chaitra (March-April). About 1,000 to 1,200 people assemble at the fair. The hill slopes round the lake are Government forest.

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