Most people who visit Pawna Lake for camping do not think too much about how the lake got here in the first place.
They drive down from Mumbai or Pune on a Friday evening, pitch a tent beside the water, eat barbeque under the stars, and drive back on Saturday morning. And there is nothing wrong with that. That is exactly what we help people do at pawnalakecamps.in, and we love it.
But Pawna Lake has a story that goes far deeper than weekend camping. This lake did not exist sixty years ago. The hills around it have witnessed Maratha battles, Mughal sieges, and British conquests. The water you see today covers entire villages that were once home to farming families. And the camping industry that now draws thousands of visitors every weekend started with just a handful of tents on empty farmland barely a decade ago.
We are Akshay and Ajit. We have been running campsites at Pawna Lake since 2016 — long before it became the Instagram-famous destination it is today. We have watched this place transform year after year. And we think the history of Pawna Lake is a story worth telling properly, because most websites just copy-paste the same Wikipedia paragraph and call it a day.
So here is the full story.
Before the Dam: What Was Here Before Pawna Lake
If you had stood at the spot where Pawna Lake sits today — say, in 1960 — you would not have seen any water at all. You would have seen a river valley. The Pawna River, a tributary of the Mula River, flowed through this stretch of Maval taluka in Pune district, cutting through the hills of the Sahyadri range.
The valley was home to farming villages. Over 2,500 acres of agricultural land stretched across the area, and the farmers here depended almost entirely on rainwater for their crops. There was no organised irrigation. When the monsoon was good, the harvest was good. When the rains failed, the region faced drought. And droughts were not rare in Maval.
What the valley did have, though, was history. The hills around the Pawna River were dotted with some of the most important forts in Maratha military history. But we will come to that shortly.
The Construction of Pawna Dam (1963–1972)
In the early 1960s, the Maharashtra Irrigation Department conducted a detailed survey of the Maval region. The growing population of Pimpri-Chinchwad and its surrounding industrial areas needed a reliable water supply. The Pawna River valley, surrounded by hills on all sides, was identified as the right location for a dam.
Construction of the Pawna Dam — officially called the Pavana Dam — began in 1963. The project had two main purposes: providing drinking water to the Pimpri-Chinchwad area, and generating hydroelectric power.
But the project did not go smoothly.
In 1965, the Indo-Pak War broke out, and construction was halted for roughly a year. Resources and attention shifted to the war effort. After the war ended, work resumed and continued for another six years. Even a second Indo-Pak conflict in 1971 could not stop the project this time around, and the dam was finally completed in 1972.
The numbers tell you the scale of what was built:
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | Earthfill gravity dam |
| River | Pawna (Pavana) River |
| Location | Maval taluka, Pune district |
| Construction started | 1963 |
| Completed | 1972 |
| Length | 1,329 metres (4,360 feet) |
| Height | 42.37 metres (139 feet) |
| Storage capacity | ~10 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) |
| Catchment area | 113.39 sq km |
| Power generation | ~1,250 MW (Pawna Hydroelectric Project) |
| Operated by | Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation |
When the dam gates closed and the backwaters began to fill, the valley slowly disappeared under water. The reservoir that formed behind the dam came to be known as Pawna Lake.
The Villages That Went Underwater
This is the part of Pawna Lake’s history that most camping blogs skip entirely. And we think that is a disservice to the people who lived here.
When the dam was built, approximately 20 to 25 villages in the valley were partially or fully submerged by the rising water. Around 1,200 families lost their homes and farmland. The land they had farmed for generations was now at the bottom of a reservoir.
Under a 1973 government resolution, about 340 of these displaced families were given 4 acres of land each as compensation, mostly in areas like Khed taluka. But the remaining 860-odd families have been fighting for proper rehabilitation for over fifty years. Court rulings have gone in their favour, protests have been held — including a blockade of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in 2011 — but for many of these families, the matter is still unresolved.
There is also the Wagheshwar Temple — a Shiva temple that the locals say dates back to the Pandava era. This temple sits on the bed of Pawna Lake and remains submerged for about eight months of the year. Between March and July, when the water level drops, the temple resurfaces and becomes visible again. If you visit during those months, you can actually see the temple and the Shivling emerging from the receding water. It is a striking sight and a quiet reminder of what this lake replaced.
The Forts: Centuries of Maratha History Around Pawna Lake
Long before the dam, long before the camping, this landscape was shaped by war.
Pawna Lake is surrounded by some of the most historically significant hill forts in Maharashtra. These forts were part of the military infrastructure of the Maratha Empire, and their stories are intertwined with the land you camp on today.
Tikona Fort (Vitandgad)
Sitting just 4.3 km from Pawna Lake, Tikona is the pyramidal fort that dominates the skyline. The name “Tikona” means triangle, which is exactly what it looks like from the ground. It was originally part of the Nizam Shahi dynasty’s territory until 1657, when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured it along with several other forts in the Konkan region. Under Maratha rule, Tikona served as a watchtower for the entire Pawana Mawal region. The Dhamale family, Deshmukhs of the Maval region, were given charge of its security in 1660. After the Treaty of Purandar in 1665, Tikona was one of the 23 forts Shivaji was forced to surrender to the Mughals.
Tung Fort (Kathingad)
Tung Fort sits at 3,527 feet and is visible from many of our campsites at Pawna Lake. Built by the Adil Shahi dynasty, it was later captured by Shivaji Maharaj and used as a watchtower to monitor movements across the Maval region. The name “Kathingad” literally means “difficult fort,” and anyone who has attempted the steep climb will tell you it earns that name. Since the construction of Pawna Dam, the fort has been surrounded by water on three sides. You can actually reach the base village of Tungi by boat across the lake — something that was obviously not possible before 1972.
Lohagad Fort
Lohagad, meaning “Iron Fort,” is one of the most visited forts in Maharashtra, located about 20 km from Pawna Lake. It was a key stronghold during the Maratha era. The fort’s famous “Vinchu Kata” — a scorpion tail-shaped bastion — offers panoramic views of the entire region, including the Pawna backwaters. This fort changed hands between the Marathas, Mughals, and eventually the British.
Visapur Fort
Connected to Lohagad by a ridge, Visapur Fort sits at 3,556 feet and is slightly larger than its twin. Together, these two forts formed a formidable defensive line in the Western Ghats.
The point here is simple: when you sit at your campsite on a Saturday evening and look out at the hills around Pawna Lake, you are looking at over four centuries of military history. These forts were built, fought over, surrendered, and recaptured repeatedly. The same hills that now attract weekend campers once sheltered Maratha soldiers preparing for battle against Mughal armies.
How Pawna Lake Became a Camping Destination
For the first three decades after the dam was built, Pawna Lake was just a reservoir. People from Pimpri-Chinchwad knew it as their water source. The occasional fisherman would cast a line from the banks. A few trekkers visiting Tikona or Lohagad would stop by the lake for a rest. But that was about it.
Tourism around Pawna Lake started picking up slowly in the 2010s. A few local farmers realised that the flat, open land beside the lake — their ancestral farmland — could be used for something other than agriculture. The idea of agro-tourism was beginning to take root in Maharashtra around this time, and Pawna’s location was perfect: close enough to Mumbai and Pune for a weekend trip, far enough to feel like a real escape.
The first few campsites were simple. A few tents on a clearing, a bonfire, some home-cooked food. Nothing fancy. But people loved it. The lake, the forts, the open sky, the quiet — it was everything that Mumbai and Pune were not.
By 2016, when we started pawnalakecamps.in, there were maybe five or six organised campsites around the lake. The roads were rougher then, the options fewer, and most people had not heard of Pawna Lake camping at all.
Then social media happened. Instagram and YouTube travel bloggers started posting photos of tents beside the lake at sunset. The hashtag #pawnalake started trending. Word spread fast.
By 2019, there were over 50 campsites. By 2024, that number crossed 70. Today, Pawna Lake attracts roughly 4,000 visitors every weekend. On long weekends and New Year’s Eve, that number can be several times higher.
The Growth — And the Growing Pains
The rapid growth of camping at Pawna Lake has not come without problems.
In January 2018, after a techie drowned in the lake, the Maharashtra Water Resources Department sent eviction notices to about 250 camping operators. The notices cited illegal activities — unregulated boating, alcohol consumption near the reservoir, and damage to the local ecosystem.
Around the same time, a petition was filed with the National Green Tribunal’s Pune bench against the construction of illegal farmhouses and mansions around the lake by wealthy individuals from Mumbai and Pune. The concern was that unregulated development was destroying the biodiversity around the Pawna Dam backwaters.
And then there was the alligator gar incident. In December 2018, a fisherman caught a giant alligator gar — a predatory fish native to North America — in Pawna Lake. How a North American predator ended up in a reservoir in Maval taluka is still a mystery, but it raised serious questions about the ecological management of the lake.
These issues have not gone away. They are part of the reality of Pawna Lake today. As camp organisers who depend on this lake for our livelihood, we believe responsible tourism is the only way forward. The lake gave this region a second chance after the dam displaced so many families. It would be a shame to destroy it through carelessness.
Pawna Lake Today: Some Numbers
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Distance from Mumbai | ~110–120 km (2.5 to 3 hours by road) |
| Distance from Pune | ~55–65 km (1.5 to 2 hours by road) |
| Distance from Lonavala | ~20 km |
| Number of campsites (approx.) | 70+ |
| Weekly visitors (avg. weekend) | ~4,000 |
| Best months to visit | October to February (winter — cool nights, clear skies) |
| Monsoon experience | June to September (lush green, waterfalls, but rain risks) |
| Summer | March to May (warm days, pleasant evenings) |
| Nearby forts | Tikona, Tung, Lohagad, Visapur, Koraigad, Rajmachi |
| Key activities | Camping, boating, kayaking, fort treks, stargazing |
What We Have Seen Change Since 2016
When we look back at our first year at Pawna Lake and compare it to now, the changes are hard to believe.
In 2016, we had to explain to people what Pawna Lake was. Most of our early guests found us through word of mouth or basic Google searches. The roads to the campsites were rougher. There were no triangle tents or cottages — just basic tents and a bonfire.
Today, guests can choose between regular tents, triangle tents with fans and charging points, wooden cottages with attached washrooms, and even AC rooms. The food has evolved from simple dal-chawal to full barbecue spreads with multiple cuisine options. Activities have expanded from just sitting by the fire to archery, kayaking, boating, volleyball, cricket, and more.
The roads have improved. More local families have entered the tourism business. Pawnanagar, the small village that was formed when the dam displaced the original settlements, has become a proper hub. There are small shops, a petrol pump within reasonable distance, and a growing local economy built around the lake.
For the farming families of Maval who lost their land to the dam fifty years ago, camping tourism has been — in the words of one local we spoke to — “a weapon against poverty.” That might sound dramatic, but for communities that were displaced and under-compensated, the income from camping has genuinely transformed their lives.
Why We Think This History Matters
You do not need to know the history of Pawna Lake to enjoy camping here. The bonfire will still crackle, the stars will still be bright, and the barbecue will still taste good regardless of whether you know about the 1965 construction halt or the Treaty of Purandar.
But knowing the history does something to the experience. When you watch the sunset behind Tikona Fort, it hits differently when you know that Shivaji Maharaj’s soldiers once stood on that summit, scanning the same valley for Mughal movements. When you see the water level drop in summer and the Wagheshwar Temple emerge from the lake, it makes you think about the families who once worshipped there before the dam changed everything. And when a local staff member serves you dinner at the campsite, you realise that this person’s grandparents might have farmed the very land that is now under the water you were boating on that afternoon.
Pawna Lake is not just a pretty camping spot. It is a place shaped by war, engineering, displacement, and reinvention. We think that story deserves to be told.
We have been part of this story since 2016, and we plan to be here for a long time.
— Akshay, Founder, pawnalakecamps.in
Registered Address: Near Pawna Lake, Thakursai Aajiwali Road, Pawnanagar, Maharashtra 410406
Booking: www.pawnalakecamps.in | +91 8390754855 | pawnalakecampsofficial@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Pawna Lake formed?
Pawna Lake was formed after the completion of the Pawna Dam (Pavana Dam) in 1972. The dam was built across the Pawna River in Maval taluka, Pune district. Construction began in 1963 and took about nine years, including a year-long halt during the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
Is Pawna Lake a natural lake or artificial?
Pawna Lake is an artificial lake. It is actually the reservoir formed by the backwaters of the Pawna Dam. Before the dam was built, this area was a river valley with farming villages and agricultural land.
Why was Pawna Dam built?
Pawna Dam was built primarily to provide drinking water to the Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial area and to generate hydroelectric power. The associated Pawna Hydroelectric Project has a power generation capacity of approximately 1,250 MW. The dam also provides water for agricultural irrigation in the region.
Which forts are near Pawna Lake?
Pawna Lake is surrounded by several historic Maratha-era hill forts including Tikona Fort (4.3 km), Tung Fort (Kathingad), Lohagad Fort (20 km), Visapur Fort, Koraigad Fort, and Rajmachi Fort. Most of these forts were captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1657.
What is the Wagheshwar Temple at Pawna Lake?
The Wagheshwar Temple is an ancient Shiva temple that was submerged when Pawna Lake was formed. It remains underwater for about eight months of the year. Between March and July, when the water level drops, the temple becomes visible again and can be visited.
When did camping start at Pawna Lake?
Organised camping at Pawna Lake started gaining popularity around 2015-2016. Before that, the lake was primarily known as a reservoir. Today there are over 70 campsites operating around the lake, and it attracts roughly 4,000 visitors every weekend.
How many villages were submerged by Pawna Dam?
Approximately 20 to 25 villages were partially or fully submerged during the construction of Pawna Dam. Around 1,200 families were displaced. Rehabilitation of many affected families remains an ongoing issue even today.
