Ambutirtha

Ambutirtha is a sacred pilgrimage site located about 16 km from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district, Karnataka, in the Western Ghats. It is regarded as the origin of the Sharavathi River, which emerges as a small spring. The site features a small temple with a Shivalinga and a sacred pond (tirtha) where the river originates, attracting pilgrims and nature visitors.

Visitors can expect a serene forest setting in the Western Ghats with a small temple complex and a stone-lined sacred pond where water emerges as the source of the Sharavathi River. The area includes steps leading down to the tirtha, a shrine with a Shivalinga, and surrounding areca and forest vegetation. The site is quiet and primarily for darshan, sightseeing and photography, with basic amenities.

Ambutirtha is traditionally associated with the origin of the Sharavathi River, one of the major west-flowing rivers of Karnataka that later forms Jog Falls. Local tradition links the tirtha to ancient pilgrimage practices in the Malnad region.

Revered as a sacred tirtha where devotees take holy dip and offer prayers at the Shivalinga shrine. The site is visited by pilgrims as the symbolic source of the Sharavathi and is considered auspicious for religious observances.