Papaharni Lake

Papaharni Lake is a small sacred water body located at the northern foot of Mandar Hill in Bounsi block, Banka district, Bihar. Situated beside the hill revered in Hindu and Jain traditions, the lake is regarded as holy and is visited for ritual bathing. Surrounded by the hill slopes, temples and ghats, it serves as the starting point for the ascent of Mandar Hill and is a central feature of the local pilgrimage and sightseeing circuit.

Visitors can expect a shallow, rectangular sacred pond with ghats and steps at the base of Mandar Hill, surrounded by small temples and hill slopes. The area is used for ritual bathing and prayer, with views of the hill and access paths leading to the hilltop temples. The setting is open and pilgrimage-oriented, with space for sightseeing, photography and resting before or after climbing Mandar Hill.

Papaharni Lake is located at the foot of Mandar Hill, which is traditionally associated with the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) narrative where the hill is described as being used as the churning rod. The hill and its surroundings have long been a place of pilgrimage and contain remains and temples linked to Hindu and Jain traditions.

The name Papaharni means remover of sins, and the lake is considered sacred for ritual bathing before ascending Mandar Hill. It is revered by Hindu and Jain pilgrims, with nearby temples on and around Mandar Hill forming an important religious circuit. Bathing in the lake is believed by devotees to have purifying significance.