Special moments in Srisailam

Arrival of the monsoon is the perfect time to have a relaxing vacation.When the nature in all its splendour beckons you to come,it is difficult to say no.The same happened with us on our trip to the hilltop temple town of Srisailam.What was intended to be a one day destination turned out to be a three day-full fledged travel experience.The journey itself gave us an insight into what we would experience on our stay there.Roads canopied with trees on both sides,awesome rock formations on the hills and small hamlets dotting the way made it hard for us not to strain our heads peeping out of the window.
The ghat road journey gave us a plethora of scenic views of the Nallamalla forests and valleys.These forests are home to abundant wildlife.But spotting monkeys and rabbits was the only wildlife experience we encountered though.
As we neared Srisailam,the Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy Dam  on the river Krishna greeted us on the way.The water level was below the usual level when we visted but we could imagine what a sight it was when all the gates were opened last year.We just hoped we would have a great monsoon this year so that we could come again and witness the marvelling sight of water gushing out of all the twelve gates of this magnificent dam.
That evening we had darshan at the famous Bhramarambika Mallikarjuna Swamy temple.The river Saraswati that originates in the Himalayas is believed to be flowing underground in this area.The temple architecture left us spellbound.I always felt our ancestors had some divine power in them that reflects in these architectural wonders.The Srisailam temple architecture has reinforced my belief.
When we enquired with the locals about places worth visiting here,two names kept cropping up in many discussions.One was the Akka Mahadevi cave and the other was the Ishtakameshwari temple.The next day, after a sumptuous breakfast we set out on our journey to the Akka Mahadevi cave.To reach this cave,one has to descend about 800 steps to reach Pathala Ganga and from there take a boat journey for an hour.Then we have to trek for about half an hour to reach the cave.This is a natural cave and it is believed that Akka Mahadevi,a woman saint and devotee of Lord Shiva meditated in this cave.The only word that describes this cave experience is THRILLING..It is pitch dark inside the cave and you need either a candle or a torch to make your way in.There are bats too and it is difficult not to get lost if you go alone.There is a crevice deep inside the cave with a Shiva Ling.The narrow passage that leads there allows only one person at a time and it is bewildering and also astonishing how the saint Akka Mahadevi could meditate here for many years.The trek back to the boat and return journey were equally exciting,though we all were a little tired.One thing that would be a memory for many years to come is that we drank the water directly from the river krishna when the boat was almost amidst the river.The water tasted perfectly pure and sweet.We understood that nature has its own water filtering systems.At the same time it was sad to know what we are doing with nature's precious resource near the banks by polluting it and littering it with filth.This was a valuable lesson learnt.
The next day we embarked on our journey to Ishtakameshwari temple in the dense forest range of Srisailam.Private vehicles can never travel to this place.So we hired a Jeep and started to this place.After a journey of half an hour,we took a turn into the forest area.This started the breathtaking experience which we later called a back breaking experience too.This is truly an experience for those high on adrenaline.The bumpy journey literally had all of us jumping out of our seats.The drivers driving these vehicles have amazing experience and deft hands.It is unimaginable to even the most accomplished driver on city roads to even think of such driving.A small temple dedicated to the goddess Ishtakameshwari is the main attraction here.It is said that while applying kumkum to the deity's forehead,you feel as if touching a human forehead.But the pestering pujari inside didnt let us have a leisurely experience of this wonderful phenomenon.Here we also tried our hand at archery with the traditional bow and arrows of the Nallamalla tribals.The drive back was even more thrilling,climbing up inclines and avoiding ditches on the way.We returned to our guest house totally exhausted but also exhilarated because for people like us with a sedentary lifestyle,this was nothing short of testing our limits.Situated on the highest point here,our guest house offered a wonderful view of the dam and the valleys.it made watching the dam a real delight,enjoying the pure air.
Overall this was a wonderful way to unwind.A friendly restaurant owner who served us food which tasted almost like home,the endless cups of tea,a funny driver breaking into a song every now and then-all these added to the special experience of this journey.It took all us of us into a wonderful world where we forgot the mobile phones and mp3 players.Who cared,when nature was singing a sweet song in many voices of the air,water and the birds.It was indeed a vacation that will be cherished for long.

Wonderful Vodarevu !!!

A vacation rejuvenates you always. Travelling to new and unexplored places always fills you with a satisfaction of having the joy of trying something new. Our journey to the beach town of Vodarevu was a similar experience. For any traveler who wants to put Vodarevu on their travel itinerary, an important thing to remember is that vodarevu is not a quintessential beach like the other beaches of India. It is one of the many coastal villages situated on the coast line of Andhra Pradesh. There are no other tourist attractions except for the beach. What makes this place a good travel destination is the warmth of the local people and the laid back attitude of the town. One travel in the local bus and the conductor recognizes you the next time bestowing on you a graceful smile. A breakfast at the idli stall is an experience to cherish always not just for the spongy melting in your mouth idlis but also for the warmth of the girl at the counter who sweetly coaxes you to eat more. The tension and the maddening hustle bustle of the cities is pleasantly missing in this sleepy village. My grandmother always told me of the Harikatha tradition in the temples in her time. Never having experienced this, it was a novel experience to see that this tradition is followed in the temples of Vodarevu even today. Fishing is the prime occupation of the people here and one part of the beach is devoted solely for this purpose. If you do not mind the fishy smell, a walk along the fishing area would compel you to wait a little more and watch the prize catches of the day. My knowledge of fishes was limited to the gold fishes in the bowl on my friend's desk but here I was seeing fishes more than two feet long of varied colours and shapes. I always thought birds and butterflies were the most colorful creations of nature. The fishes here proved me wrong. They were all there in different hues of yellow; blue and even pink couldn't stop wondering what a beautiful artist God really is! If you are lucky, u can spot dolphins too. The auction of fishes was an interesting experience. An elderly gentleman who came there to buy fish even explained to me the scientific names of the types of fishes .Having expanded my aquamarine knowledge; I was walking by the beach only to arrive at a clear stretch of sand free of the fishy smell and the fish business. Though the experience till now was enriching, still not being able to walk into the sea waters was a little disappointing. But now it was just the sea and me and it was an exhilarating feeling. The only regret I had was not being able to travel on one of those tiny fishing boats. I could only console by telling myself that it is for those dare devil adventure freaks which I am definitely not!!!


One word for the travelers’ is-do not expect a routine beach experience from Vodarevu. It is not a regular beach destination. It is a unique experience in itself and I would recommend it for fun with friends. While Vodarevu ranks very high in terms of the warmth and hospitality of the local people, the hygiene part sadly needs a lot of attention. Sticklers to cleanliness like me will have a harrowing time adjusting to it but then Vodarevu comes as a package. Take it or leave it. I would say leave hygiene to the sea winds and soak in the experience. Maybe you will love it. I surely did..!!

Traveler Tips:

Accommodation here has a limited choice. Do not go by the travel guides you find online. Trust the locals. Their judgement is amazing when it comes to accommodation.

ANDAMAINA ANDHRA ARAVINDAM

It was two years since we had a family vacation and a vacation plan in this month was a much needed relief to wind off this hectic year.A week long brainstorming resulted in many tourist destinations of interest.Goa,kerala and even Andamans made a grand entry into our list.But this time we wanted an offbeat trip that would take us into a mesmerising ancient world .We zeroed in on places that were not on the regular tourist map and to give them ample time we decided about places in Andhra Pradesh itself.Yaganti and Ahobilam were our chosen destinations.Having heard from friends about its beauty,we also decided to visit the Golden Laxmi Temple in Siripuram in Vellore.Before setting out on this journey,little did we know that we would return with a beautiful panaroma of memories captured on the lenses of our heart.On a beautiful friday we set out on our journey throbbing with excitement.The beautiful sights of the paddy fields dotting the highway,the occassional flock of sheep crossing the roads,farmers ploughing their fields made us forget the tiresome journey.What caught my eye was a seemingly unending stretch of sunflower fields with the sunflowers tilting beautifully to the side of the sun. The awesome stretch of yellow reminded me of William Wordsworth's Daffodils and I hummed to myself-

"with pleasure my heart fills...
and dances with the daffodils"...though I was looking at the sunflowers.
Travelling thus we reached Yaganti at noon.This place is famous for its Shiva temple and a gigantic monolith Nandi,which legend says,is growing and will come to life at the end of Kaliyuga.

There are huge hills around the temple and in them are spectacular caves that take your breath away.You realise that there is no architect greater than God when you see the magnificience of these caves.The natural caves at Yaganti such as Rokalla cave, Venkateswara cave, Sanka cave, and Veera Brahmam caves add beauty and serenity to this holy place.It is believed that the renowned soothsayer Sri Potuluri Veerabrahmendra Swami had written his monumental work, the Kalagnanam in this cave only. The experience here can only be felt rather than expressed.The sound of many parrots chirping around the temple adds its own special touch to this serene place.Another interesting thing here is the Akasha Deepam that is lighted everyday on a steep hill cliff by a saint living here.The height at which the lamp is placed astonishes you and will make you wonder how a man can reach and light a lamp at that height.There is a beautiful pond in the temple called Agastya Pushkarini.The water into this pond comes perennially from a Nandi's mouth.

After lunch we proceeded to ahobilam from here.Ahobilam is a major piligrimage centre in Andhra Pradesh.It is believed that Lord Vishnu in his Narasimha avatar saved his devotee Prahlad by killing the demon king,Hiranyakaship.This place has nine temples dedicated to Lord Narasimha in his different avatars and the interesting aspect is that many of these temples are in natural caves.Trekking through the hills and forests is the only way to reach many of these temples.The trekking route is dotted with picturesteque rock formations and beautiful waterfalls.The gushing water from these falls rejunevates the body and mind.We could never believe that such a beautiful location with lush green surroundings was resting in the lap of nature tucked away from the hustle bustle of today's life in our very own state.This place is a must see for all nature lovers and improving a few facilities here would make it a tourist heaven.

We resumed our travel to Vellore at noon.On the way we were welcomed by a magnificient sight.Two gigantic statues of Lord Krishna and Lord Hanuman at a temple in a place we didnt know but still we stopped and gazed in awe at the brilliance of the sculptures.We reached vellore in the evening.The next morning we proceeded to the famous Golden temple of Goddess Narayani at Sripuram.The temple exudes a golden aura at night that can be seen from miles away.It indeed is an epitome of modern architectural magnificience and deserves all the glory for its impeccable design and maintanance.

After the ancient brilliance of Yaganti,being in nature's lap at Ahobilam and admiring a modern architectural wonder at Sripuram we travelled to Tirumala to have a darshan of the Lord of seven hills.We walked from Alipiri to Tirumala for the first time.Though the trek was tiring,it was indeed an experience we cherished and enjoyed when we were massaging our sore feet with balm that night.On our return journey we had a short halt at Srikalahasti,the famed Shiva temple.Our visit coincided with a religious occassion called Bonalu for Goddess Ganga.The spirit and enthusiasm of this auspicious event reverberated in the air and we were surprised to see the idols of the Goddess decorated so beautifully at different corners of this town.our return journey also coincided with the Tungabhadra Puskaram.So we had a quick dip in the river before heading home.

Nothing was sufficient to capture the memories we carried home from this trip.Two digital cameras were full.Even my mobile phone's memory card was exhausted but there was one thing that treasured each and every moment of our wonderful vacation.It was our heart that tucked away all our splendid moments in it to make them treasured memories forever.Before this trip,I never knew that Andhra Pradesh could be so beautiful...but now I do and I would recommend everyone to these destinations atleast once because I am sure they will make you fall in love with them...like they did to me.
Traveller Tips:

1)Carry a map with you.It will help you navigate directions when you think you are lost.

2)You can rely on local people for directions.They know their place better than us.

3)People with problems like asthma and blood pressure should take necessary precautions while trekking.

4)Hygiene is not at its best in some areas.keep your mind off it for sometime.

SMILE....

if there is a sea of smiles...i would like mine to be a drop in it...

if there is a heart of smiles..i would love mine to be a heartbeat...

if there is a sky of smiles..i would like mine to be a star twinkling..

even if a smile is nothing..i would still be smiling...:)

.....khwaab..........

khwabon ki duniya me aksar nikalkar....
milte the unse hum yaadon me chal kar...
lagta tha waqt kuch tham sa gaya hai...
kaliyan khili hai, mausam naya hai...
aankhon se unki dekhi thi duniya...
lagta tha mil gayi ab sari khushiyan...
un aankhon me kitna pyar tha gehra..
dil me basa tha bas unka chehra...
aankhen khuli to jaana yeh khwaab hai sach nahi..
par dhadkan kehte hai uske bina hamari zindagi kuch nahi....

DOST.....

dost hote nahi kabhi ghumshuda...
door rehte hai par na hote hai woh judaa....
yehi tho hai dosti ki anokhi adaa...
saath chahe na ho har pal par kehte nahi woh kabhi alvida......

mere dost.......

doston ko anjaan bante hue dekha...
ab ajnabi bhi dost banane lage hai...
apnon ko rishten thodte hue dekha...
ab paraye bhi rishta nibhane lage hai...
har aur faili tanhayi ko dekha....
par dil ki mehfil mein hum gungunaane lage hai...
jab se aap jaise ek dost ko dekha...
saare ghum bhool kar hum muskurane lage hai...