Sankey tank is located at the center of suburbs like Malleshwaram, Vyalikaval and Sadashiva Nagar which falls under western part of Bangalore. It’s a manmade lake. The tank spreads about 15 ha i.e. 37.1 acres with the width of 800 m i.e. 2,624,7 ft. and has a catchment area of around 1.254 km. It is under the supervision and care of the state forest department.

The construction of Sankey Lake or tank was done by Col. Richard Hieram Sankey. He was colonel of Madras Sappers regiment in 1882. The main purpose of building this lake was to meet the demand of water supply in Bangalore. Earlier, the government sandalwood depots were located near this lake because of which the tank was also known as Gandhadhakotikere.

History

Water shortage in this area was the main reason for construction of this tank. It was constructed in 1882 with the total costing of around 5,75,000. It was built as a lifeguard against water shortage but the quality of water was not good. It was linked with Millers tank and Dharmambudhi tank.

It harbored various species of birds, ducks, migratory birds and variety of fishes. It was best known for a peaceful sight. The later encroachment lead too many problems related to this lake. The water of the lake was contaminated due to sewage. The lake was chocked with garbage and sewage which indirectly lead to spoiling of its aesthetic beauty. Reduction in number of migratory birds and fishes was spotted.

With the initiative of Bangalore Mahanagar Palika and Bangalore water supply and sewage board, the tank was converted into a park. It also included purification of water, removal of encroachments, landscaped parks, paved walkways, swimming pool, formation of nursery and separate tank for Ganapati idol visarjan.

Location

Sankey tank is located in western part of Bangalore, Karnataka and at the middle of Malleshwaram, Vyalikaval and Sadashiva Nagar.

Attraction

After restoration, Sankey tank has turned out to be a one of the beautiful place in Bangalore which is well known for its beauty and peace. It is one of the main attractions for peace lovers.

It has a beautiful park with varied species of flowering plants and swimming pool towards its south and a forest department nursery towards its north. The covered walkways have made people available to have a leisurely walk in the garden near the pool. KSTDC has started a boat club in a park named as “The Mayura Sankey Boat Club”. This boat club allows a beautiful ride in a Sankey lake and nearby area like island in the middle of a Sankey lake. The island has a view of water surrounded from all side. They offers ride in different boats like row boats, motor boats and pedal boats at a very reasonable rate of Rs 10 to Rs 20. It is one of the ideal place to spend relax time at Bangalore.

The most wonderful thing about the Sankey tank is that during winters, it acts as a nesting ground for migratory birds. The beautiful tank and birds turns to be a wonderful sight to admire. The maintenance of tank has turned this tank into a nature friendly area where many fishes and aquatic plants harbor.

Best Time to Visit

As Bangalore is climate friendly place and it has a beautiful climate throughout the year, the park can be visited at any time of the year. The best season to visit is summers and winters. Avoid rainy season as it restricts many activities like boating.

How to Reach the Sankey Tank

Commuting to Bangalore is easy as it is connected with all means of transport like railway, bus service and airway. So, it becomes easy to reach nearby places in Bangalore easily by just taking a bus or taxi. The lake can be reached easily and effortlessly by taxi, cabs and autos. Several BMTC bus are also available.