Ambuthirtha

Ambuthirtha is a mountain held sacred about 15 km from Thirthahalli in Shimoga district, Karnataka, and is the place where the Sharavathi River begins. A Shivalinga marks the river's origin, and the hill also has a temple to Rama beside a small pond whose level stays steady all year, kept up by creeks that feed into it.

The name refers to Rama's bow. Legend says that when Sita was thirsty, Rama shot an arrow into the ground and water gushed out, and the river is called Sharavathi from shara, an arrow. Local donations pay for the upkeep of the temple, which the region regards as a sacred site.