Dharwad municipality being a part of Hubli district in Karnataka state, India is an ancient city which is expected to have been established 900 years ago. Quite a historic lineage for this small city situated off National Highway - 4 serving as the entry point for both Bangalore in Karnataka and Pune in Maharashtra. Dharwad underwent several handover under rulers from Maratha emperor Shivaji to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, from Hyder Ali to Tipu Sultan and finally the British East India Company.
Dharwad is filled with historical relics, monuments, man- made lakes and natural lakes as well. Unkal Lake is a scenic tourist spot situated at Unkal in Dharwad district, barely at a distance 3 kilometres from Hubli. Serving as a source of water supply to the districts of Hubli-Dharwad, Unkal Lake is also a renowned picnic spot thronged by local visitors on weekends and holidays. Unkal Lake is situated across 200 acres created almost 110 years ago. The famous tourist attraction at this place is a statue of Swami Vivekananda, the monk which is situated at the middle of the lake. With boating facilities available on the Unkal Lake premises with recreational activities for children visiting along with their parents.
The serene beauty of the lake with lush greenery of the garden and an amazing sunset viewing point will make a visit to Unkal Lake worthwhile. There is a bonus point for visiting Unkal Lake as the renowned historic Chandramouleswara Temple is located very close. Dating back to the Chalukya period, the architecture of the temple is marvellous and beautiful even after 900 years since it was created. The Temple houses the shrine and idol of Lord Shiva along with scriptures and engravings old as 11th and 12th Century. This temple is conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The picturesque beauty of Unkal Lake with cool breeze flowing will fascinate a nature lover with endless opportunities to capture photos from the site. There are hawker stalls around Unkal Lake with endless visitors pouring in throughout the year. Unkal Lake is also popular as Karma Bhoomi of Sri Siddapajja.
