Exploring our own backyard

BY J.R.PRASAD Hyderabad, Nov. 26: For most people, a great holiday means a trip to some other state or even a foreign country. But the fact remains that very few have explored the attractive locales and historic monuments in their own state. For instance, not many people in Andhra Pradesh are not aware of the Pasupathinatha temple located in Bondakal near Rayadurgam in Anantapur district. The only other Pasupathinatha temple in the world is in Nepal. Similarly, the Maha Mruthyunjayeshwara temple located at Jittuga, 13 km near to Tanuku, is the only one temple of its kind in the country. Tour operators point out that starting from the Kolleru lake to the beautiful Borra caves in Visakhapatnam, there are a great number of tourist attractions in the state which many people have not visited. History enthusiasts, for instance, will enjoy a trip to Keesaragutta, situated about 35 km from Hyderabad. It is a historic temple village that was once the capital of the great Vishnukundin dynasty. Kondaveedu Fort is about 25 km from Guntur. It was built during the rule of the Reddy kings. Located on a hilltop, this historical fort has around 21structures. The Guttikonda Bilam, which is also popularly known as Dakshina Kasi, is also nearby. Bellum caves, which are 320 km from Hyderabad, is the largest cave system in the plains of India. The stalactite and stalagmite formations in these caves are major attractions. Other unexplored locales include Alampur, home to the very ancient Navabhramma temples; Mahanandi, which is surrounded by the Nallamala forest; Ananthagiri Hills, a breathtakingly beautiful resort near Vishakapatnam; the Thousand Pillar Temple in Warangal and; the mammoth Gothic church in Medak. "We are taking all steps to attract tourists to these places," said the tourism minister, Mr A. Ramanarayan Reddy. "We are building 30 budget hotels in 22 districts for this purpose," he said. Unexplored getaways Hyderabad, Nov.26: Andhra Pradesh has several exciting weekend destinations for people looking for short breaks. Within a reasonable budget, one can have a memorable holiday. The best options would be tours to offbeat destinations not frequently visited by tourists. They include: Located in Konaseema area in Godavari delta, this locale is famous for its lush green paddy fields and coconut groves. You can plan a two-day tour to this island. If you take the Secunderabad-Narsapur express train at the evening, you will land at Bhimavaram next morning and can have breakfast there. At Gunupudi in Bhimavaram there is an ancient Shiva temple, one of the "Pancharama Kshetras" in the state. After darshan, one can move on to Palacole, 20 km away from there. Traversing through sun streaked riversides enjoying the musky fragrance of earth would be a great experience. There is another Shiva temple in Palacole, where the idol is believed to have been installed by Lord Rama himself. From there, one has to travel towards Narasapur and Mogalturu to reach the breathtaking Perupalem beach. Once you cross the Chinchinada Bridge you will reach Dindi village. Visitors can enjoy a boat cruise or a boat ride up to Papikondalu and can also visit the umpteen temples near Amalapuram/Kakinada. The Harita coconut resorts being maintained by the APTDC in Dindi are very popular. AP Tourism makes the Konaseema experience even more memorable with its air conditioned houseboat cruises. You can even stay the night in the boat which will be anchored near the resorts. You can return via Antarvedi beach and can pay a visit to Venugopala Swamy temple in Saketipally. The small and dusty village in north Telangana region, 30-km from Nizamabad, is situated on the banks of Godavari River. It has one of the oldest temples of Goddess Saraswati in India. It takes only five hours from Hyderabad to reach Basar. En route, pilgrims can visit Ramalayam at Dichpally, Alisagar at Thanakalan, and the Lakshminarasimha Swami temple. The temple in Basar has no intricate carvings but pilgrims vouch that it gives a spiritual high. The presiding deity, Gnana Saraswati Devi, is in a seated position with a veena in hand and bedecked with turmeric. During the return journey from Basar, once can take the Kanyakumari route and enjoy the Kuntala waterfall, the highest in the state. Pochera waterfalls is 12.5 kms away from Kuntala. Travel buffs can also visit Raghunathalayam Quilla in Nizamabad and Kalabairava Swamy Temple near Kamareddy. This is a beautiful temple town close to Nandyal in Kurnool district at the foothills of Nallamala forest range. The centuries-old shrine is surrounded by lush forest and gentle streams. To reach this place, one has to travel 270 km from Hyderabad to Nandyal by road. Mahanandi is located 20 km from Nandyal. The ancient temple dates back to over 1,500 years. Inscriptions indicate that the temple was repaired and rebuilt by many kings. The temple tank is 60 square feet with a Mantapa in the centre. The inlets and outlets of the tank are so arranged that the depth of the water is constantly kept at five feet. The source of water is still a mystery. One specialty of the temple is that every devotee, irrespective of his caste or creed, can touch the linga and pray at the Garbhagruha. Those with a religious bent of mind can also visit Ahobilam which is located 50 kms from Nandiyal. The temple consists of nine shrines to Lord Narisimha. If one stays back at Nandyal, the visit could be rounded off with a trip to the Bellum caves on the Kurnool-Nandyal road, the biggest cave system in the plains of India. Bhadrachalam, the abode of Lord Sri Rama is 300 km away from Hyderabad. You can either board the Machilipatnam Express from Secunderabad at night or hire a cab to reach the spot. Train travellers can get down at Kottagudem. From there then can take a cab to reach Bhadrachalam. The early morning darshan of Lord Rama usually sends devotees to an ecstatic mood. Next morning, one can move towards Sriramagiri, from where there are boat rides to Papikondalu, a hill range located between Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry. You can have food on the boat watching the splendour of the lush green hills and the majesty of the Godavari. One can leave in the night by either Bangalore Express or by Yashwanthapur Express and get down at Hindupur, in the early hours of next morning. There are good hotels in the town. Take a cab and proceed to Lepakshi which is just 13 km away from Hindupur and have darshan at the Veerabhadreswara Swamy Temple built in 13th century by the rulers of great Vijayanagara kingdom. One can spot the 25 feet long, 15 feet high mammoth bull near the temple, who is called Basavayya in the local dialect. The temple also has a unique hanging pillar. While other pillars have their base in the mandapam, one pillar literally hangs. Near Lepakshi there is Veerapuram village, where the Siberian migratory birds come to roost, offering a feast to the eyes. Once can then proceed to Penukonda , which was considered the second capital of Vijayanagara kingdom. There one can get to see the 100 feet long 15 feet high reclining statue of the demon Kumbhkarna. Tourist influx increases Hyderabad, Nov. 26: Despite their hectic lives, most new-age parents are giving priority to travelling with their children. Thanks to this trend, tourist flow to various historical, religious and scenic spots in the state is on the rise despite the global meltdown. “Most of the tourists in the state are domestic travellers,” said Mr P.V. Ramana Reddy, the executive director of the APTDC. “So the recession has had no effect on our tourism sector.” In fact, tourist arrivals have only increased. “We used to run 20 buses of 30-seat capacity to tourist spots per week,” said Mr K. Simharayalu, a private tour operator of Hyderabad. “Now, we are running 25 buses per week,” he said. Interestingly, there has also been a sharp increase in pilgrims to various temples of the state.