Rasheeda's Travel and Food Blog

Rasheeda's travel and food blog

Category: Nagarjunasagar, Telangana

Nagarjunasagar, Telangana / Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Travels in India

Nagarjunakonda, A Trip to Remember

Nagarjuanakonda

This year in Hyderabad, we planned our customary trip to Nagarjunasagar with a difference that it was going to be a day trip. Due to time constraints and various other problems we couldn’t get away for more than a day. Therefore, we decided to book a couch tour with Telangana Tourism. These tours are available only on the weekends. Information  in the Telangana Tourism brochure, and also given by an office staff member included exactly what I was looking for: a visit to Nagarjunasagar dam, Ethipothala, and a boat trip to Nagarjunakonda. I was excited, but wanted to make sure before booking that it was correct information and we were going to be on the right tour. Further inquiry revealed that the Ethipothala was not part of it and the brochure we had was old. The reason given was that since Andhra and Telangana split, Ethipothala was removed from the tour because it is in Andhra State whereas our tour was in Telangana State.And our tour would only include Nagarjunasagar Dam, and Nagarjuna konda Island which houses a Bhuddist Museum. We  settled for what they were offering and booked the tour on Non A/C couch, with a tremor, for Saturday, January 26 for a much needed get away, at least, for one  day. We were not given assurance that the tour will go unless more people book. They needed at least 15 people and there were only 10 booked at that point. But later we got a call informing us that the tour was on as planned.

We left home at 7:30 in the morning by car with Maqsood and Shaheen, my brother and sister-in-law, to the designated pick up area from where the couch was to leave at 8:30. Everything went well, we left on time. The travel through the built-up city area was slow because of the traffic. After an hour’s drive we stopped at a local breakfast place and had south Indian breakfast for which they allotted 30 minutes but it was more than that before we left. We got our real start from there although the bus stopped for about 10-15 minutes for a comfort break. It took us a total of 4 hours to get to Nagarjunasagar where we stopped for lunch at Vijay Vijar Resort which overlooks the Dam. There was hot buffet lunch. Since nothing was mentioned about the lunch when we booked, we packed our lunch; therefore, decided to eat that. After lunch we decided to take some photos before we headed out for our next stop, Nagarjunakonda.Nagarjunakonda used to be a prosperous Bhuddhist town 1700 years ago. Now it is Island in the middle of Nagarjunasagar lake. A man-made lake emerging from the dam and is named after a Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna, who lived there in 2ndcentury AD.

After lunch we headed out to the boat launch station,which was about 15 to 20 minutes’ drive from Vijay Vijar. There was a ticket booth with two windows from where the tickets were being issued; one for the boat ride and the other for the museum entrance. It cost Rs.130/head for the boat ride, and Rs.30/head for the museum. It was a beautiful area, overcast skies were not photo op. friendly but perfect for hanging out there enjoying the surrounding beauty. We were supposed to line up to buy the ticket but 200 people were milling in a crowd pushing and shoving each one with an aim to be the one to buy the tickets and be on board first to get the best seat. However, Feroz, the young man who came along to help us, managed to buy the tickets and we were told to head out toward the boat launch station which meant very long but beautiful walk. We could see a double decker boat approaching the shores of the reservoir to pick up the passengers.

On the way to the boat

When the boat actually anchored, the hell broke loose, people were ready to jump on board from wherever they were.  A man came out screaming at the unruly crowd to move far away to make room for people who were about to disembark before they would allow the waiting passengers to board.  People either didn’t understand because they didn’t speak Telugu, or showed total disregard to what they were asked to do. fortunately, those who were leaving the boat were not fazed by the unruliness of the crowd.

When the boarding started, no one enforced a Q system, or any organized system of boarding; therefore, several people were trying to get in at the same time through sheer muscle power. There was no trained staff to bring some kind of order, while that was going on.  Some of the older boys jumped over the rails and looked very happy with their escapade. But even in chaos there was progress and everyone was on board in surprisingly good time and settled down.

Path from the boat launch station to ferry and back

Many with good seats had a winning smile. Everyone in our group also found seats. And to me the idea of cruising on a large sizzling body of water is always a unique, magical, and even religious experience.  But as awesome as I feel under normal circumstances, I am equally terrified if the weather becomes threatening with rough waves which are whipped up by force of wind and rough water tossing  us around. But this was a beautiful, short cruise and I was excited that we were on the upper deck and that was enough as long as I could stand in a spot to take pictures. But even that turned out to be difficult because most of the young people lined up along the rails with no room to spare, and zero consideration for those other passengers who came on the cruise for the same purpose as they did.

In spite of the overcast skies and other difficulties I already mentioned, I managed to take some pictures of gorgeous views of the Krishna River, the Dam, and the approaching island.

Dropping point at the museium

It took us 50 minutes to get to the Island. We disembarked and walked to the museum which is 500 m from the dropping point. We got to the museum and checked out the collection of stone tools, relics, and carvings narrating the story of Buddha for half an hour of the time allotted to us by our tour operators. On the way back to the boat we reached an incredible looking tamarind tree around which a concrete bench was built. Because it was a cooler day. We were able to sit around the tree and had snacks and drinks which we bought from a stall right in the vicinity, If a hot day, we could have fried an egg on it.

Then we walked back leisurely to the boat and were among the first few passengers to return which meant we would be the ones with winning smiles for grabbing the best seat in the houseIt was not long before the boat was ready to move, and also the clouds were ready to lighten their weight. We saw a few drops and hoped soon skies will clear and sun will shine. Wrong! we didn’t know that the drizzle would turn into a deluge in matter of minutes. My prime seat from where I refuse to move -which is embarrassing looking back-became impossible to hold on to because the rain was coming with full fury.  Soon we realized that we were not just getting sprayed, but getting drenched not because of the open sides but we were standing on the covered upper deck which had a tattered removable top shelter. We were as good as on an open boat with rain pouring through the top.  There were altogether 200 passengers and I believe half of us were on the top. We all had to move to the lower deck causing a very dangerous situation worse, and seemed like it had all the element of disaster in the making. There were no life vests, and no staff, or very negligent staff whose total absence was deeply felt, at least, by us. I would say that the boat was not lake worthy, because the captain was driving the boat, in a heaviest downpour I have ever seen, without even windscreen vipers. Some passenger saw that someone was using a squeegee in place of vipers to clean the wind screen. For 50 minutes of the boat run, it was in danger of capsizing because of grossly uneven weight.distribution. Within 20 minutes from the start someone came and shouted everyone to move toward the front, because the back of the boat was getting heavy as everyone was coming down to the lower deck to escape from rain. Then again after another few minutes someone came again asking people to move to the right side of the boat. The crowd was so lackadaisical that they had to be coaxed by some other passenger into moving to the other side.

I took strength from the attitude of people who were being helpful on the boat. I felt that they must be used to these type of situations and must do this more often without ever having any serious problem. For them it was a Republic day outing. Women were dressed up to the hilt as if they were going to a wedding, or to a religious festival which they celebrate with utmost fervor. And the  kids thought it was the best fun time ever as they pushed through the crowd to run back forth pulling and coaxing their parents to go with them. I guess if you want to tread the footsteps of locals in a downpour, go on the boat to Nagarjuna Konda. It is where the families come to let their children play, and fun aficionados come for cruise and sit with a rare abandon come what may.

 

 

 

Nagarjunasagar, Telangana / Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Travels in India

Fascinating trips to Ethipothala

 

Nagarjunasagar trip first trip

We discovered Ethipothala sometimes in the 90s. It is a great option for a day trip or even better for a weekend. This beautiful spot had a serene, calming and inviting ambience. There was a very basic but very well maintained large guest house  with a large area in the front with two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Furniture was bare minimum. But we were prepared for the fun. we carried our bedding, cooked food,  snacks and munchies to hold us over if we needed something for  an overnight stay with  ten close family members.

The place was clean and there was a skeleton staff to take care of the needs of the guests. They were friendly respectful, loving and kind. In one of the corner of the hall facing the Ethipothala falls was a tea stall where you could buy snacks and tea.

All the men, spread he Shatharangies (heavy Indian style area rugs) along the walls and covered them with clean bedsheet to use it as a sitting  area instead of chairs, sofas etc. which were very few and far between. since we were all hungry after traveling all morning we spread a dusterkawn (floor tablecloth), very similar the one in this picture,

Dustar kawn

and served the food  which we brought with us in stainless steel tiffins. We also brought  cutlery, crockery, and large container of fresh drinking water with us. We had a delicious, and sumptuous lunch to everyones full satisfaction. After cleaning up, we rested for sometime. then refreshed and set out to explore Ethipothala.  We went all the way up trekking towards the foot of the  flow of water. We rested in-between by sitting on the rocks  with the falls in the backdrop, lost in thoughts enjoying nature and even praying before we continued our walk. As we walked someone  came to warn us saying that we are in a dangerous area, which apparently is a breeding ground for the alligators. After their warning we walked back  still getting the  panoramic views of the falls and  taking  some beautiful pictures. We were really lucky to have that amazing opportunity of walking so close to the falls, which is closed to the public now because of the dangers involved.

The day was spent walking around the area which was very quiet, peaceful and beautiful. There are lot of temples around when we walked down towards the river on a cool shady walk. We sat under the trees and talked and enjoyed nature which takes your breath away. when we got back it was rather late and was getting dark. Some of our group members were playing cards and others were sleeping etc.  We organized the dinner by getting the guest house kitchen to make us some fresh rotis (Indian bread), and chana( chickpeas curry) etc. which we combined with our left over food and had a great dinner.

Everyone settled down to whatever they felt like doing, while the men continued to play the cards. Somehow the word got around about the card playing and the police came suspecting that there was gambling going on. Since gambling was not allowed, they confiscated the cards. Everyone one got very upset at their assumption and unfair action, Jaffer went to the police station and  was able to recover the cards as well as permission to continue with their card game.

Next day we got up to a glorious morning in my most favorite spot in the world. We were up early and walked down to the river from the resort. Since the breakfast was not going to start until  8 Am, we decided to get our morning walk until then. We went for a walk which turned out kind of  treacherous and tiring  because it involved walking down on steps plus  walk on rock strewn river bed where you had to watch your steps. We could still see the full flow of the  beautiful falls  displaying their thunderous  glory for everyones delight.

It was most exhilarating feeling to get back to the guest house cafeteria for a  traditional south Indian breakfast, and also steaming hot tea to your hearts content. The day ahead was  cool and fun to exploring and enjoying the beautiful area.  Later that evening  we drove back home which was again like an adventure on a dark, scary road, but altogether the experience of the whole trip was magical.

 

Nagarjunasagar, Telangana / Thumbnails / Travel Blog / Travels in India

Nagarjunasagar

NAGARJUANASAGAR: Weekend Getaway from the City

 

Nagarjunasagar is a man-made lake 149 km southeast of Hyderabad city. When visiting Hyderabad,  Nagarjunasagar is our destination for a quiet weekend or short visit to get away from the city. It is a 3½ hour drive through Ibrahimpatnam. It is a very peaceful and serene spot for relaxing for a couple of days. The lake and the dam are named after a Buddhist philosopher of second century A.D.

On one of our visits, we arrived in Nagarjunasagar at 2 pm. Luckily got accommodation in one of the best resort known as vijay vijar located at a beautiful location. It is a huge, beautifully built building which sits on a high hill side. There are large suites which were originally built for government officials during the construction period. Apparently, even now most of the rooms are usually occupied by visitors on official capacity. Grounds of the resort are planned with great care. Well maintained lawns are lined with low hedges which are beautiful. And a wide variety of plants and shrubs are scattered around which are aesthetically very pleasing. The resort looks out on to the dam.

We had our lunch at the resort restaurant where service and food was mediocre. When we went on a drive, we realized that the entire structure is not only magnificent, but incredible to believe that the ingenuity of man and the hard labor and skill that went into achieving this miraculous result. We went around from the upper road to the lower road which was necessary to see all the earth dams.There is also a broken bridge which was built to divert traffic but it broke down.  There are small villages called Vijaypuri south and Vijaypuri north. Vijaypuri north is bigger with lot more stores to supply various merchandise to the local community.

Broken Bridge in Nagrjuna Sagar’

We wanted to go to Nagarjuna Konda which we thought was a town nearby, but were told that it is an island which can only be reached by a boat. Apparently, it is an area where an archeological dig revealed an ancient town. Further inquiry into how to get there, revealed that at 8: am a staff boat will take us there. Therefore, we planned our visit for the next day. In the morning we ordered a lunch to be packed for us to take with us on the trip. They did that while we got ready and had breakfast. Everything went according to plan and we left to go on the boat at 8: am. On arrival at the docks we were told that the trip was cancelled because of strong winds with a promise that we could still go by the afternoon boat at 1:30 pm, if the winds die down. Now we had 4 hours to spare. Tourist information sighted some options for us during the waiting time in the area. One of the options were Ethipothala   falls, 70 feet river cascade on the Chandravanka river, which is a tributary of Krishna. These falls are made with a combination of river and mountain water and are active throughout the year. During heavy rains they are huge and thunderous but their size and force subsides during dry season.

Ethipothala Falls

We went all the way up tracking the flow of water until someone came to warn us about the alligators in the area. We walked back to the guest house which sits atop a hill and across from it is seen a gorge and river Krishna flows with full fury down in the valley. There are caves around the area where there are lot of temples. These caves run several miles where maharishis live. We spent some time enjoying the beautiful surroundings before we got back hoping to get the boat. We ate our lunch which we brought with us. We also bought dosas with raw onion chopped. It was a good lunch. After all that, as we suspected, the boat trip was cancelled again because the winds were high.

It was only 1:15 pm, so we decided to go to Anapu, a tiny place tucked between the mountains and open on one side of Nagarjuna Sagar. There they have reconstituted a whole village with ruins, stadium, and a monastery.

During the construction of Nagarjunasagar Dam archealogists dug up a Bhddhist site which was going to be flooded by the lake waters. They decided to move it brick by brick to a location in Anapu. Now it is a full-fledged tourist site. There is no charge for visiting. It is neither commercialized nor signposted. To find it one has to ask around. We took one little boy from a surrounding village to show us where it was.

Then we headed to view point where we got information about the dam and got a good look at the dam from a higher point. While there we were asked to visit the Power plant  which supplies electricity for a large part of the State.

Power Plant in Nagarjunasagar

And  8 huge turbines operate to send three phases of electric current through transformers and to huge cables which take it to incredible distances to make life easy for everyone. These turbines were designed by Japanese who also manufactured and exported them. Each one of these weigh 61,400 Kg. An incredible amount of water is pumped into it to turn those monstrous turbines. Apparently they go full circle 158 times per minute making immense amount of electric charge. The building itself is a technological wonder and a monument to efficiency.

Through our travel in India we see great accomplishments, amazing feats in construction and engineering, miraculous archeological discoveries and management and preservation of all that is found.  All made possible with combined effort of rich and poor; educated and uneducated, and  yet there is such a significant problem of poverty, and human suffering which has not been conquered even to a level of some satisfaction, which is a constant thorn under my skin. Then again dualities seem to exist quite comfortably in India.