Tunga River is an important river flowing in the southern state of India, Karnataka. It is also known as Thunga River. With a length of 147 km, the Tunga River is notable for the sweetness of its water. It is also well known for housing a number of religious spots on its bank. These holy spots are frequented by various local as well as distant pilgrims.

Origin and Legend of Tunga River
The river originates in the Western Ghats on a hill called Varaha Parvata. The birthplace of Tunga is called Gangamoola, which is a cave inside Varaha Parvatha. It is believed that Tunga River was born when Varaha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu perforated the earth with his tusk.

Course of Tunga River
After its origin, the river flows through two districts, the Chikmagalur and Shimoga district of Karnataka. The river flows for one hundred and forty seven kilometers and then merges with the Bhadra River at Koodli, which is a small town near the city of Shimoga. From this stage the river becomes the Tungabhadra River, which then starts flowing in the east direction and eventually merges with the Krishna River in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Other than the Chikmagalur and the Shimoga district, the river also flows through the district of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Significance of Tunga River
There is a dam built across the Tunga River at Gajanur, a small village in Shimoga district of Karnataka. There is a larger dam built across the Tungabhadra River at Hospet.

Nearby Attractions of Tunga River
Shringeri a town located in the Chikmagalur district on the banks of the Tunga River has several temples. The Sarada Temple and the Vidyasankara Temple are the most important temples on the bank of the Tunga. The other notable temples include Guddekal temple, Kote Anjeneya Temple, Bheemeshwara Temple, Mailareshwara Temple, Ramana Shreshti Park Ganesha Temple, Ravindra Nagar Prasanna Ganesha Temple, Laxmi Temple and Basaveshwara Temple.

Tourists can also visit various mosques and churches nestled in Shimoga. Mahavir Circle, Millaghatta Sunni Gousia Masjid, Sacred Heart Cathedral church, Ragigudda church, Sharavathi Nagar church and Sagar road church are some of the religious spots present there.