Where Rama met Shabari
Pampa Sarovar is a sacred lake in the forests of the Dangs, woven deep into the legend of the Ramayana. It is believed to be the lake mentioned in the epic near where Lord Rama, searching for Sita, met Shabari — the elderly tribal devotee who offered him berries she had lovingly tasted to ensure they were sweet, in one of the most beloved stories of devotion in Hindu tradition.
The lake, near Shabari Dham and Subir, is a place of pilgrimage and quiet natural beauty, its waters (seasonal, and often low in the dry months) set amid the green Dangi hills. For pilgrims and visitors alike, it joins the epic past to the living forest.
A sacred lake; seasonal water; a place of pilgrimage.
Pampa Sarovar (seasonal), the Dangs.
Shabari's berries, offered to Rama
The sacred tank in the hills.
Pampa Sarovar is identified with the lake named in the Ramayana, in the stretch of the epic where Rama and Lakshmana search the forest for Sita.
The meeting with Shabari happens here in the telling — the elderly forest-dwelling devotee who had waited years for Rama to come.
She offered him berries she had tasted first to be sure they were sweet, and he accepted them. The episode is read as devotion outranking ritual purity, and it is why the site matters.
Shabari Dham nearby marks the same tradition, and together they make this corner of the Dangs a pilgrimage destination in its own right.
Reasons to make the time
Ramayana lake
The lake is identified with the Pampa of the Ramayana, one of several sites across India that carry the association.
Shabari legend
Shabari's story — berries tasted before being offered, and accepted without hesitation — is among the most retold episodes in the epic.
Pilgrimage
Shabari Dham and the village of Subir are close by and are usually visited in the same trip.
Forest setting
The setting is the wooded Dangi hills, Gujarat's greenest and most sparsely populated country.
Quiet beauty
The water is seasonal and often low after the dry months, so the lake is at its best from August into winter.
Epic link
The appeal is the combination — an epic association in a landscape that still looks like forest.
What to look for inside
THE LAKEPampa Sarovar
The sacred tank itself, ringed by wooded hills and fullest after the monsoon.
THE LEGENDRama & Shabari
The Shabari episode, which is what draws pilgrims to this particular lake.
How to spend an hour or two
See the lake
Walk the edge of the tank, which is the focus of the visit and quietest early in the day.
Learn the Shabari story
Have the Shabari story in mind before you arrive — without it the lake reads as scenery rather than a site.
Visit Shabari Dham
Go on to Shabari Dham and Subir nearby, which complete the pilgrimage circuit.
Sense the legend
Note how the Ramayana is mapped onto this landscape, with local tradition attaching episodes to specific places.
Enjoy the forest
Give the Dangi hills around it some time — this is the greenest country in Gujarat.
Reflect by the water
Come between August and February. In the dry months the water can be very low or gone.
Pampa Sarovar.
A sacred forest lake
Pampa Sarovar is a sacred Dangs lake of the Ramayana, believed to be where Lord Rama met the tribal devotee Shabari — near Shabari Dham and Subir, a place of pilgrimage and quiet forest beauty, its waters seasonal. Where the epic past meets the living forest.
For everything else the district holds, see our the Dangs travel guide.
A Ramayana-linked lake
Where Rama met Shabari
Near Shabari Dham & Subir
A pilgrimage in the forest
When to go
Misty, green and full of waterfalls.
Cool, clear and pleasant.
Cooler than the plains.
⏰ The Dangs are loveliest in and just after the monsoon, when the hills are green and the waterfalls full.
Timings & entry
- Open in daytime hours
- Green in monsoon
- Cool through winter
- Pair with Saputara
- Free to visit
- Water is seasonal
- A place of pilgrimage
- Pair with Shabari Dham
Getting there
By Air
Surat airport (~120 km).
By Rail
Bilimora / Waghai line.
By Road
Saputara / Ahwa.
At Pampa Sarovar
FAITH & FOREST
A lake of legend
What to shoot
The sacred tank.
Setting
Forest hills.
Context
Shabari Dham.
Best light
Morning.
Know before you go
More to see close by
ECO-CAMPMahal Campsite
Riverside forest camping in Purna
WATERFALLGira & Girmal
Gujarat’s mightiest cascades, in full monsoon roar
LAKESaputara Lake
Boating in the heart of the hill town
HILLDon Hill
A higher, quieter Saputara alternative
GARDENWaghai Botanical Garden
A lush garden of native Ghat flora
GARDENStep Garden
Terraced flower beds above the lake
Where to eat near Pampa Sarovar
THALIGujarati Thali
Meals on the plains route.
FARSANDhokla & farsan
Steamed snacks.
STREETSaputara stalls
Corn, snacks & chai.
Tribal Dangi fare
Nagli rotla, bamboo shoots & forest produce.
Pampa Sarovar FAQ
What is Pampa Sarovar?
Pampa Sarovar is a sacred lake in the forests of the Dangs, woven deep into the legend of the Ramayana. It is believed to be the lake mentioned in the epic near where Lord Rama, searching for Sita, met Shabari — the elderly tribal devotee who offered him berries she had lovingly tasted to ensure they were sweet, in one of the most beloved stories of devotion in Hindu tradition.
Where is it?
near Subir, The Dangs.
Is there an entry fee?
Free.
When should I visit?
Monsoon for greenery; winter for cool, clear days.
What's nearby?
Saputara, the waterfalls and the Dangs' forests.
How long does it take?
About an hour.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026