My fellow Hyderabadis will agree that it’s rather a daunting task to find a weekend getaway that can be enjoyed by the entire family. A wonderfully unique combination of lush green forests and ancient holy shrines, Srisailam emerged the winner hands down.
Srisailam is located in the Nallamala hills of Kurnool, about 235 km from Hyderabad. The last 80 km of the journey is through a thick jungle and permitted only between 6 am and 6 pm. We set off bright and early in the morning our eyes on the road and hands on the wheel and a song on our lips. There are frequent buses run by APSRTC, which shuttle tourists to and fro. On the way we stopped at the Srisailam Tiger Reserve, the largest tiger reserve in India, spreading over an area of 3,568 sq. km. Due to its size and dense tree cover, it becomes a tad difficult to spot the mighty, striped hero of the jungle. You will definitely sight his less illustrious, but equally majestic friends like the leopard, deer, sloth bear, soft-shelled turtles, porcupines and the macaque. I got a taste of the wonderful life that Mowgli must have had!
We bade goodbye to our jungle friends and resumed our journey to the Brahmaramba Mallikarjunaswamy temple. After paying our respects to the deity in this stunning temple, deeply steeped in religious fervour, we retired for the night to the Haritha hotel run by APTDC. The next morning we drove down to the famous Srisailam dam. The water thundering down from the floodgates was a terrific site. I was left gaping at the sheer force of Mother Nature. A little distance away, where the pristine blue water flows peacefully, we stumbled upon some really hospitable fisherfolk and their tiny round boats. We hopped in to one of them and let them take us fishing. They caught the freshest, most delicious fish for us and cooked them just the way we wanted. The beautiful Krishna was too inviting and we went ahead and splashed around in the clear, cool water. The current is pretty strong, so hold on to kids and don’t go too far in. For my mom and me, it was a reminder of the pure, uninhibited fun of our childhood days.
Come Saturday morning, head to Srisailam — to get drenched in spirituality and the refreshing spray of the Krishna River.
The temple of the buzzing bee
The Brahmaramba Mallikarjunaswamy temple is dedicated to Lord Mallikarjunaswamy (a form of Shiva) and Devi Bhramaramba (a form of Parvati). It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Siva and the only ancient temple where people from all religions are allowed to touch the feet of the deity. One can also hear the buzzing of a bee through a tiny hole in the temple, where Parvati, in the form of a bee, is believed to have slain the demon Mahisasura. The temple gained prominence in the 12th century. It is said that the famous poet and social reformer, Akka Mahadevi, achieved salvation in one of the Srisailam caves.
PIT STOP
Boating on the go
One can take the ropeway to Patalganga which gives you some jaw-dropping views and go boating there. The locals consider the Patalganga holy and people flock there to bathe in her waters.
Into the forest
The Ista Kameshwari temple is located deep in the forest. The journey is through a dense forest cover and can be done only by jeeps which can be hired from Srisailam. The trip is fun and will be greatly enjoyed by the adventurous, though the young and the elderly need to be cautious. It is fully worth the effort, as there is a beautiful waterfall just beyond the temple. A wonderful treat for all the senses!
No comments:
Post a Comment