The Tungabhadra River is formed by the confluence of the Thunga River and the Bhadra

River at Koodli which flow down the eastern slope of the Western Ghats in the state of
Karnataka. The two rivers originate in Mudigere Taluk of Chikmagalur District of Karnataka
along with the Nethravathi (west-flowing river, joining the Arabian Sea near Mangalore), the
Tunga and the Bhadra rise at Gangamoola, in Varaha Parvatha in the Western Ghats at an
elevation of 1198 metres (near Samse Village). According to Hindu Mythology legend,
Varaha Swamy( Third Incarnation of Lord Shri Hari Vishnu) after killing the Demon was
very tired. After that war, He took rest by sitting on present day Varaha Parvatha peak. When
He sat on that Peak, Sweat over flowed from his scalp. The Sweat which flowed from his left
side of Scalp became Tunga River and the Sweat which flowed from his right side of Scalp
became Bhadra River. After emerging from the Source, The Bhadra river flows through
Kudremukh mountain region, Tarikere Taluk and the industrial city Bhadravathi. Where as,
Tunga River flows through Sringeri Taluk, Thirthahalli Taluk and Shimoga Taluk. More than
100 tributaries, streams, creeks, rivulets and the like contribute to the two rivers. The journey
of the Tunga and the Bhadra is 147 km (91 mi) and 171 km (106 mi) respectively, till they
join at Koodli, at an elevation of about 610 metres near Holehonnur, about 15 km (9.3 mi)
from Shivamogga, areca granary of the country. Though both Tunga and Bhadra rivers start
at same source (Gangamoola), they flow separately for some distance and then they later
unite with each other at Koodali village. Hence from there, the name Tungabhadra was given.
From there, the Tungabhadra meanders through the plains to a distance of 531 km (330 mi).
After confluence, The mighty Tunga Bhadra river flows through Honnali and Harihara taluks
of Davangere district. Then It flows through Harapanahalli, Hoovina Hadagali,
Hagaribommanahalli, Hospet and Siruguppa Taluks of Bellary district. In Siruguppa Taluk of
Bellary district, It receives its tributary Vedavathi River. The river forms natural boundary
between Bellary and Koppal districts and then between Bellary and Raichur districts along its
course. After entering Andhra pradesh State, It flows through temple town of Mantralaya and
then through Kurnool City. It receives its tributary Handri river near Kurnool City. Then It
mingles with the Krishna near Alampur Village of Mehaboobnagar district of Telangana
state. The Place of confluence of TungaBhadra and Krishna River is a holy pilgrimage site.
The Sangameshwara temple and Jogulamba temple(dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddessess
Devi respectively) are present near Alampur village. The Varada flowing through Shimoga,
Uttara Kannada and Haveri districts and Vedavathi in Chikkamagalur, Chitradurga and
Bellary districts in Karnataka and the Handri in Kurnool district of Andra Pradesh are the
main tributaries of the Tungabhadra. Many rivulets and streams join these tributaries. There
is a popular saying in Kannada "Tunga Paana, Ganga Snana", which means "Drink Tunga
River water, which is tasty & sweet and Bath in Ganga River, which is holy".[citation needed]

There are many holy places all along the rivers: primarily temples of Saiva Cult on the banks
of the Bhadra and all the cults on the banks of the Tunga. Sringeri, Sarada Petham established
by the Adi Shankaracharya is the most famous one on the left bank of the Tunga, about
50 km (31 mi) downstream of its origin. Manthralayam Sree Raghavendra Swamy Muth in
Kurnool District and Alampur in Mahaboobnagar District, Jogulamba is the presiding deity,
known as Dakshina Kashi are the other important pilgrimage centres. There is a cluster of
Nava Brahma temples constructed by the early Chalukyas.[citation needed]

An important feature of the river banks is the flood protection walls all along the rivers,
constructed by Sri Krishna Devaraya between 1525 and 1527 AD. They are found wherever
there is a possibility of land erosion during the floods. It starts at Sringeri and ends at
Kurnool, just few kilometers from its mouth. They are stone constructions and still intact.
Very large boulders of 3' x 4' x 5' are also used in its construction.[citation needed]
Two coracles in the river

Piles of granite in varying shades of grey, ochre and pink dominate the landscape. The river
has cut through weaker rocky substrata of the Hampi landscape and created a narrow gorge
where granite hills confine the river in a deep ravine.[1]

In this setting the ruins of Vijayanagara and Hampi, the seat of power of the Vijayanagar
empire, overlook this holy river, creating a mythological landscape merging sacred traditions
about a multitude of significant divinities.[2]

The granite outcrops slowly disappear as the river flows south and the land opens into a long,
broad plain ending at the rising slopes of the Sandur hills, rich in iron and manganese, beyond
which is the town of Hosapete. The Tungabhadra Dam was constructed at Hosapete in the
middle of the 20th century to harness the river water, aiding the growth of agriculture and
industry in the region.[citation needed]

The Tungabhadra River then flows east, joining the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh. From here
the Krishna continues east to empty into the Bay of Bengal. The wedge of land that lies north
of the Tungabhadra River, between the Tungabhadra and the Krishna, is known as the
Raichur Doab.[citation needed]

Temples
Main articles: Hampi and Kishkindha

 The Huligema Temple on banks of Tungabhadra River at Koppal district, Karnataka.

 The Markendeshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on banks of Tungabhadra river
at Shivapur village, Koppal district, Karnataka.
 Sri Shringeri Sharadamba Temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi on the banks of
the Tunga River in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka.
 Pampapati Temple in Kampli of Ballari district, Karnataka.
 There are a number of ancient and holy sites on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.
At Harihara there is a temple dedicated to Harihareshwara. Surrounding the modern
town of Hampi are the ruins of Vijayanagara, the site of the powerful Vijayanagara
Empire's capital city and now a World Heritage Site. The site, including the
Vijayanagara temple complex ruins, are being restored.
 The Moola Brindavana of Guru Raghavendra Swamy is located on the banks of the
Tungabhadra river at Mantralayam, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.
 Sri Dakshina Shirdi Sai Baba Temple dedicated to Sai Baba, known as Dakshina
Shirdi on banks of the Tungabhadra River at Kurnool, Kurnool district, Andhra
Pradesh.
  Sri Jogulamba Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi, known as Dakshina Kashi in
Alampur about 25 km from Kurnool, where the early Chalukyas built a cluster of
temples on the left northern banks of the Tungabhadra river. The Nava Brahma
Temples complex is one of the earliest models of temple architecture in India.
 The Sangameswaram Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at place where several holy
rivers meet in Sangameswaram, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. According to the
myth, once the Pandavas of Mahabharata came to Kurnool during their exile. They
decided to install a Shiva Linga in this region after visiting Srisailam Mallikarjuna
Temple. So, Dharmaraya (Yudhishtira) told his brother Bhima to bring a Shiva Linga
from Kashi. Later, they consecrated the Linga at the confluence of the Krishna River
and Tungabhadra River along with other five tributaries. Hence, the Linga was named
as Sangameshwara (Sangama, where the rivers meet).

Dams
A dam was constructed about 15 km upstream from Shimoga at Gajanur across the River
Tunga. Another dam was constructed at Lakkavalli about 15 km upstream of Bhadravati
across the River Bhadra. They are multipurpose dams and irrigate lands in Shimoga,
Chikkamagalur, Davanagere and Haveri.

Tungabhadra Dam is across the river Tungabhadra, a tributary of River Krishna. The dam is
near the town of Hosapete in Karnataka. It is considered a multipurpose dam. Its storage
capacity is 135 Tmcft. Owing to siltation, the capacity has come down by about 30 tmcft. If
there are seasonal and late rains, the dam releases an estimated 235 tmcft. It is filled when
water is let into the canals during the rainy season. The main architect of the dam was
Thirumalai Iyengar, an engineer from Madras; a general-purpose hall was named after him.
(Multipurpose dams help in generation of electricity, irrigation of land, prevention and
control of floods, etc.) It has become a picnic or tourist spot over the years. Tungabhadra
Dam is near heritage site Hampi. One of the major problems and concerns associated with TB
Dam is it has been undergoing lot of silting. Because of silt deposition in the dam, the storage
capacity of the dam is coming down. Another major problem associated with TB Dam is
increased pollution, resulting in decreasing fish population. This is seriously affecting
fishermen, who are solely dependent on the river for their livelihood.

The Sunkesula Barrage near Kurnool city, a long Barrage Dam was constructed across
Tungabhadra River around 1860 by the British engineer, hailed as Bhagiratha Sir Arthur
Cotton for Rayalaseema. Originally it was intended to be used for navigation during British
Raj. The barrage was reconstructed by the Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy as Tungabhadra
Barrage, to provide irrigation supply for Kadapa district. As the road and rail transportation
increased, it is now supplying water for Kurnool and Kadapa districts, through the K. C.
Canal. It impounds about 15,000,000,000 cubic feet (0.42 km3) of water and irrigates about
300,000 acres (1,200 km2) amount of lands in Kurnool and Kadapa districts.

Problems
Industrial pollution has damaged the Tungabhadra River. Industry and mining on its banks in
the Chikkamagaluru, Shimoga, Davangere, Haveri, Bellary, Koppal, Raichur districts of
Karnataka and Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh generate enormous amounts of effluents.
Nearly three crore litres of effluents are being released to the Tunga from Shimoga every
year."[3] This is the contribution of just one city which, unlike Bhadravathi and Hospet,
cannot boast of being an industrial city. It is one of the most polluted rivers in the country.

Downriver from the industries, the water has turned dark brown and has a pungent odor.
Tungabhadra river's pollution has affected 1 million people in the sub-basin as most villages
use the river water for drinking, bathing, irrigating crops, fishing and livestock water,
previously obtained through an ancient tank system. The livelihood of village fishermen has
been harmed by regular fish kills that have exhausted Tungabhadra's fisheries.[4]