Route to Nagarjuna Sagar from Hyderabad:
LakdiKaPul - Koti - Nalgonda "X" Roads (Take the flyover here) - Santosh Nagar (Take left from here) - Sagar Highway - Ibrahimpatnam - Wanaparthy - Takkallapally - Chintapally - Nagarjuna Sagar
The state highway is a good one with limited traffic.
This route is famous for local drink called "Kallu". Kallu is a liquid extracted from "Thaati Chettu" (Sugar Plan Tree). It is a good drink if consumed before sunrise.
Best time to visit:
* During rainfall, entire Hyderabad city would be here watching the lifting of gates of the Dam. So, don't go at this time as you would not find food and accommodation. You can try if it is just a one day tour.
* Best time is between August - January.
* You can book the AP Tourism Hotel at Nagarjuna Sagar or at Ethipothala. Ethipothala has just 10 rooms. So, book them atleast one month prior to your visit. Try to book at Ethipothala only as the location is too good.
You can book for the room from any of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Offices in the country.
AP Tourism, Ethipothala: 08680-277361
AP Tourism, Punnami Hill Colony: 08680-276540
AP Tourism, Vijay Vihar: 08680-277363/277363
The image on the right gives you the details for how to book for accommodation at AP Tourism Hotels at Nagarjuna Sagar and Ethipothala.
About Acharya Nagarjuna:
Acharya (Monk) Nagarjuna was the person who started Mahayana Buddhism and he preached it through India wandering. The Buddhists built a Monastery at Nagarjuna Konda where Nagarjuna taught.
You can know more about here Acharya Nagarjuna.
About Nagarjunasagar:
Nagarjuna Sagar, an erstwhile prominent Buddhist center, is the most attractive tourist spot in Andhra Pradesh. Named after the Buddhist monk, Acharya Nagarjuna, it is today the major hydel power station in Andhra Pradesh.
It is the tallest masonry dam in the World, constructed on the river Krishna. Nagarjuna Sagar dam is located on the border of Guntur - Nalgonda districts. The dam was completed in 1966 and it is 124 meters high and 1 km long.It is built across the river Krishna and has one of the largest networks of canal systems irrigating over 2,000,000 acres of land in Guntur, Prakasam, Nalgonda and Krishna districts. 4 kms away from the dam, is the viewpoint, where a panoramic view of the amazing landscape, is simply a feast to the eyes. One can find the image of Nagarjuna, on a pylon not too far from the dam.
Places Around Nagarjuna Sagar:
There are many places of tourist interest near this place like Ethiopothala waterfalls, and the thick forest of the Srisailam Wildlife Reserve. This reserve is part of Project Tiger, and supports a variety of animals, birds and reptiles.
The dam is a spectacular sight and attracts a lot of tourists, during the floods in Krishna. Centuries ago, a city named Vijayapuri flourished in this area as a center of Buddhist studies. The city later served as the capital of the Ikshvaku kindom, and, today, the town bears the name Nagarjunasagar, in tribute to Acharya Nagarjuna, the founder of Mahayana Buddhism. In this beautiful township are found the sacred remains of one of the most ancient civilizations in the world.
The Nagarjunasagar Dam is a symbol of modern India's architectural and technological triumphs. The construction of the dam resulted in the formation of the world's largest man-made lake and a captivating vista of India's natural beauty.
Anupu:
Anupu is 8KM from AP Tourism Boating Station.
Anupu is the place where Acharya Nagarjuna preached Mahayana Buddhism. He is the founder of Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had re-constructed the entire area which consists of a University with class rooms, rooms for teachers, lecture hall and an amphi theater.
Reconstruction and Formation:
The reconstructed stupas have circular brick or rubble walls, which have cladding of limestone slabs or plaster. The Simha Vihara has two Chaitya halls, one encircling a Buddha image. The Chaitya Halls and monasteries had limestone column set in to brick or stonewalls. However only the lower portions including the pavement slabs and access steps survive.
Nagarjunakonda also has remains of some Hindu shrines. The island has an archaeological museum rich in sculptures mainly from the 3rd - 4th century AD and also a few pieces from much later periods. The reconstruction sites are at Anupu on the east bank of the river, which include a temple, monasteries and a Stadium. The monastery has also a refectory, a store and a bath. The stadium has tiered galleries providing around a rectangular court.
This is a very huge place and we were informed by the security guard there that the people living in Anupu village were re-located to enable the re-construction.
The Security Guard took us round the entire place giving us some insight about the place. Apart from a notice board that contains a very few lines about the place, Andhra Pradesh Tourism had not done anything that would lead to increase in visitors to the place.
In 2006, His Holiness, The Dalai Lama visited the place and planted a Bodhi Tree (Hindus from ages call this tree as Raavi Chettu or Peepal Tree). Almost every Hindu Temple would have this tree. Being a copycat religion, Buddhism had copied lot of things from Hinduism.
The interesting part is that we saw the road leading towards the river banks. We took this road which is just 5 Feet Wide. The road was good to some extent and later it was a bit bumpy and it directly led us to the Krishna River banks. This was one part of the journey where we enjoyed the scenery. The road was quite narrow and thick foliage surrounded the road. There are lot of garden lizards at this place and I had to slow down the car to make sure Iam not killing them. One of them saved our lives as I stopped the car for it to cross and in the opposite side from a blind curve, a Tata Sumo was coming towards our direction with considerable amount of speed.
The guy saw our car in the last minute and he slowed down while I already started to move back using the reverse gear. We found out that there is a road that directly leads us to Macherla without driving through Nagarjuna Sagar. From Macherla, there is a direct road to Ethipothala, where we booked rooms.
This road is just 10 feet wide, near zero traffic and surrounded by hills and wide plains. Gave a real good thrill driving on this road. Must road to take-up if you are put up at Ethipothala Water falls.
Macharla Chenna Kesava Swamy Temple:
This temple was built in 1113AD as a Shaivite Temple. During the reign of Brahma Naidu, it was converted into a Vaishvanite Temple.
One of the main reasons why lot of Hindus converted into Buddhism is the animosity between the those worshiping Lord Vishnu and those worshiping Lord Shiva. People got fed up with this constant conflict between both the sects and converted.
Lucky for us, Adi Shankaracharya preached Advaitha Philosophy which says God is One and God is none but YOU. After his preachings, Hindus who converted into Buddhism returned to the fold and thus Buddhism vanished from India.
Ethipothala Water Falls:
Located 11 Kms. from the Nagarjunasagar is the picturesque Ethipothala waterfalls. The cascading waterfalls are formed by the water flowing down from Chandravanka Mountains from a height of about 70 feet and are a spectacle worth watching. They are a radiant sight of the power and beauty of nature. This is a famous picnic spot, set in a beautiful valley. Here the Chandravankas stream plunges into a lagoon. The rising place of the river Chandra Vanka is at Muthukuru, on the eastern part of the Nallamala hills. The river falls from a great height before it joins the Tumurukota reserve forest and this place called "Ethipothala water falls" finally joins the Krishna river.
The meaning of Ethipothala is - Ethi (we call then Yathulu in Telugu) means Rishis and Thapothala means Place of Penance - Where Rishis did penance.
By the time we reached Ethipothala Water Falls, it was around 5PM. We checked into our rooms and immediately set off to Dattatreya Swamy Temple which is located very near to the water falls.
Actually, rainy season starts in the month of June. But, the South Eastern Monsoon failed and there were no rails till now. So, hardly any water in the water falls. The route to this temple starts just beside the main gate to the water falls. We need to take couple of stairs down into the valley and then rough pathways.
We were on high alert as there is a crocodile breeding farm below the water falls. Also, we were expecting snakes on our way as it is completely covered with bushes. We went till the Temple. But there were too many monkeys making noise and we were least interested to bother them. We didn't had the Darshan of the Lord.
From there, we slowly went towards the waterfalls. Since there is hardly any water, it was quite easy for us to go till the waterfalls. But, the entire place is full of bushes and shrubs making our movement very slow and tension filled.
We were informed that there are crocodiles near the waterfalls. But, we found none of them. Maybe our luck or bad luck!!
We carefully started walking back to the stairs and we found ourselves surrounded by Monkeys. There are lots and lots of Monkeys here. Sometimes amusing but most of the times, they are aggressive. Except for this, the location is absolutely stunning (if water is there). If not, it is "okay". Lucky for us, they were not aggressive enough for us to panic and we safely reached our hotel rooms. Early in the morning, these Monkeys run on the tin roofed rooms waking you up early in the morning.
We played around in the garden for sometime and then went inside our rooms to freshen up. If we need dinner, we need to give the order by 7PM as the entire staff would not be present at that remote location. To give us company, only two security guards would be there for the entire night. Whatever happens, they have to take care. Since there were no rains, there is acute power shortage here and power would be given only for 6-7 hours per day. Power would be there during the nights and not guarantee during the day time.
Before planning to stay at AP Tourism Hotel at Ethipothala (Phone Number: 08680-277361) it is advisable to call the guys there and inquire about:
* Water levels in the waterfalls
* Power problems
* Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner timings.
While going there, better carry the following with you:
* Blankets
* Torch Light
* Mosquito Repellents
* Emergency Light - if possible
* Battery powered fan - if possible
There is no problem with food at this location nor problems with water and cool drinks. Since there is no Pub / Bar, it is better you buy all your Beers and hot drinks from Nagarjuna Sagar itself or from the city you are coming or from Macherla.
Cell Phone Coverage:
Till date, Government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) coverage is very good at Nagarjuna Sagar and Ethipothala. Very limited or negligible coverage of private operators like Airtel, Tata Idea or Vodafone. Airtel's nearest tower is located at Macherla. So, very limited connectivity.While there are lot of Telephone coin boxes at Nagarjuna Sagar, the same is not present at Ethipothala.
Power went off at around 9PM and the guys at AP Tourism have switched on the generators. They switched it off at around 5AM and power came back at 9AM. We had our breakfast (only Poori is available) there and vacated the room at 10AM.
Nagarjuna Konda:
Remnants of a rich bygone era, unearthed from the excavations carried out by archaeologists at Nagarjunasagar, have been preserved in a museum on a beautiful island hill called Nagarjuna Konda.
Situated in the middle of the man-made Nagarjunasagar Lake, Nagarjunakonda is a unique island museum. Constructed in the shape of a vihara, or a monastery, the museum houses an impressive collection of Buddhist relics. The main stupa of Nagarjunakonda is purported to contain the sacred relics of Buddha himself.
By the time we reached Nagarjuna Sagar from Ethipothala (15 KM of winding roads), it was around 11AM. We directly went to the Launch Station to alight the Launch (big boat) which takes us to Nagarjuna Konda where ancient Buddhist relics were found and a 40 year old Museum is located. We were informed that AP Tourism would run the launch only if there are a minimum of 50 people available.
Launch would be available 3-4 times in a day during weekends. On weekdays, it would be maximum twice. It is advisable to immediately go to the launch station once you reach Nagarjuna Sagar and find out the timings of the launch to Nagarjuna Konda.
These boats can carry from 150 - 300 people. Nagarjuna Konda is around 20KM upstream Krishna River and the journey takes an hour. One hour on the Nagarjuna Konda and one hour return journey. There is a cafetaria on the island and you can get eatables there - just in case you forgot to take any with you.
Once we are on the island, we were told to come back to the boat within one hour after going through the museum and the excavated sites. I felt one hour is a too less time. The museum has an awesome collection of Buddhist artifacts and the lineage of the Kings who ruled Nagarjuna Sagar and also a beautiful chart depicting how Telugu language changed according to ages.
Lot of research has been done and the entire research was presented in this museum. This would be a very interesting museum for young researchers.
There is a beautiful Saibaba Temple at Chintapalli. This is a MUST visit.
LakdiKaPul - Koti - Nalgonda "X" Roads (Take the flyover here) - Santosh Nagar (Take left from here) - Sagar Highway - Ibrahimpatnam - Wanaparthy - Takkallapally - Chintapally - Nagarjuna Sagar
The state highway is a good one with limited traffic.
This route is famous for local drink called "Kallu". Kallu is a liquid extracted from "Thaati Chettu" (Sugar Plan Tree). It is a good drink if consumed before sunrise.
Best time to visit:
* During rainfall, entire Hyderabad city would be here watching the lifting of gates of the Dam. So, don't go at this time as you would not find food and accommodation. You can try if it is just a one day tour.
* Best time is between August - January.
* You can book the AP Tourism Hotel at Nagarjuna Sagar or at Ethipothala. Ethipothala has just 10 rooms. So, book them atleast one month prior to your visit. Try to book at Ethipothala only as the location is too good.
You can book for the room from any of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Offices in the country.
AP Tourism, Ethipothala: 08680-277361
AP Tourism, Punnami Hill Colony: 08680-276540
AP Tourism, Vijay Vihar: 08680-277363/277363
The image on the right gives you the details for how to book for accommodation at AP Tourism Hotels at Nagarjuna Sagar and Ethipothala.
About Acharya Nagarjuna:
Acharya (Monk) Nagarjuna was the person who started Mahayana Buddhism and he preached it through India wandering. The Buddhists built a Monastery at Nagarjuna Konda where Nagarjuna taught.
You can know more about here Acharya Nagarjuna.
About Nagarjunasagar:
Nagarjuna Sagar, an erstwhile prominent Buddhist center, is the most attractive tourist spot in Andhra Pradesh. Named after the Buddhist monk, Acharya Nagarjuna, it is today the major hydel power station in Andhra Pradesh.
It is the tallest masonry dam in the World, constructed on the river Krishna. Nagarjuna Sagar dam is located on the border of Guntur - Nalgonda districts. The dam was completed in 1966 and it is 124 meters high and 1 km long.It is built across the river Krishna and has one of the largest networks of canal systems irrigating over 2,000,000 acres of land in Guntur, Prakasam, Nalgonda and Krishna districts. 4 kms away from the dam, is the viewpoint, where a panoramic view of the amazing landscape, is simply a feast to the eyes. One can find the image of Nagarjuna, on a pylon not too far from the dam.
Places Around Nagarjuna Sagar:
There are many places of tourist interest near this place like Ethiopothala waterfalls, and the thick forest of the Srisailam Wildlife Reserve. This reserve is part of Project Tiger, and supports a variety of animals, birds and reptiles.
The dam is a spectacular sight and attracts a lot of tourists, during the floods in Krishna. Centuries ago, a city named Vijayapuri flourished in this area as a center of Buddhist studies. The city later served as the capital of the Ikshvaku kindom, and, today, the town bears the name Nagarjunasagar, in tribute to Acharya Nagarjuna, the founder of Mahayana Buddhism. In this beautiful township are found the sacred remains of one of the most ancient civilizations in the world.
The Nagarjunasagar Dam is a symbol of modern India's architectural and technological triumphs. The construction of the dam resulted in the formation of the world's largest man-made lake and a captivating vista of India's natural beauty.
Anupu:
Anupu is 8KM from AP Tourism Boating Station.
Anupu is the place where Acharya Nagarjuna preached Mahayana Buddhism. He is the founder of Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had re-constructed the entire area which consists of a University with class rooms, rooms for teachers, lecture hall and an amphi theater.
Reconstruction and Formation:
The reconstructed stupas have circular brick or rubble walls, which have cladding of limestone slabs or plaster. The Simha Vihara has two Chaitya halls, one encircling a Buddha image. The Chaitya Halls and monasteries had limestone column set in to brick or stonewalls. However only the lower portions including the pavement slabs and access steps survive.
Nagarjunakonda also has remains of some Hindu shrines. The island has an archaeological museum rich in sculptures mainly from the 3rd - 4th century AD and also a few pieces from much later periods. The reconstruction sites are at Anupu on the east bank of the river, which include a temple, monasteries and a Stadium. The monastery has also a refectory, a store and a bath. The stadium has tiered galleries providing around a rectangular court.
This is a very huge place and we were informed by the security guard there that the people living in Anupu village were re-located to enable the re-construction.
The Security Guard took us round the entire place giving us some insight about the place. Apart from a notice board that contains a very few lines about the place, Andhra Pradesh Tourism had not done anything that would lead to increase in visitors to the place.
In 2006, His Holiness, The Dalai Lama visited the place and planted a Bodhi Tree (Hindus from ages call this tree as Raavi Chettu or Peepal Tree). Almost every Hindu Temple would have this tree. Being a copycat religion, Buddhism had copied lot of things from Hinduism.
The interesting part is that we saw the road leading towards the river banks. We took this road which is just 5 Feet Wide. The road was good to some extent and later it was a bit bumpy and it directly led us to the Krishna River banks. This was one part of the journey where we enjoyed the scenery. The road was quite narrow and thick foliage surrounded the road. There are lot of garden lizards at this place and I had to slow down the car to make sure Iam not killing them. One of them saved our lives as I stopped the car for it to cross and in the opposite side from a blind curve, a Tata Sumo was coming towards our direction with considerable amount of speed.
The guy saw our car in the last minute and he slowed down while I already started to move back using the reverse gear. We found out that there is a road that directly leads us to Macherla without driving through Nagarjuna Sagar. From Macherla, there is a direct road to Ethipothala, where we booked rooms.
This road is just 10 feet wide, near zero traffic and surrounded by hills and wide plains. Gave a real good thrill driving on this road. Must road to take-up if you are put up at Ethipothala Water falls.
Macharla Chenna Kesava Swamy Temple:
This temple was built in 1113AD as a Shaivite Temple. During the reign of Brahma Naidu, it was converted into a Vaishvanite Temple.
One of the main reasons why lot of Hindus converted into Buddhism is the animosity between the those worshiping Lord Vishnu and those worshiping Lord Shiva. People got fed up with this constant conflict between both the sects and converted.
Lucky for us, Adi Shankaracharya preached Advaitha Philosophy which says God is One and God is none but YOU. After his preachings, Hindus who converted into Buddhism returned to the fold and thus Buddhism vanished from India.
Ethipothala Water Falls:
Located 11 Kms. from the Nagarjunasagar is the picturesque Ethipothala waterfalls. The cascading waterfalls are formed by the water flowing down from Chandravanka Mountains from a height of about 70 feet and are a spectacle worth watching. They are a radiant sight of the power and beauty of nature. This is a famous picnic spot, set in a beautiful valley. Here the Chandravankas stream plunges into a lagoon. The rising place of the river Chandra Vanka is at Muthukuru, on the eastern part of the Nallamala hills. The river falls from a great height before it joins the Tumurukota reserve forest and this place called "Ethipothala water falls" finally joins the Krishna river.
The meaning of Ethipothala is - Ethi (we call then Yathulu in Telugu) means Rishis and Thapothala means Place of Penance - Where Rishis did penance.
By the time we reached Ethipothala Water Falls, it was around 5PM. We checked into our rooms and immediately set off to Dattatreya Swamy Temple which is located very near to the water falls.
Actually, rainy season starts in the month of June. But, the South Eastern Monsoon failed and there were no rails till now. So, hardly any water in the water falls. The route to this temple starts just beside the main gate to the water falls. We need to take couple of stairs down into the valley and then rough pathways.
We were on high alert as there is a crocodile breeding farm below the water falls. Also, we were expecting snakes on our way as it is completely covered with bushes. We went till the Temple. But there were too many monkeys making noise and we were least interested to bother them. We didn't had the Darshan of the Lord.
From there, we slowly went towards the waterfalls. Since there is hardly any water, it was quite easy for us to go till the waterfalls. But, the entire place is full of bushes and shrubs making our movement very slow and tension filled.
We were informed that there are crocodiles near the waterfalls. But, we found none of them. Maybe our luck or bad luck!!
We carefully started walking back to the stairs and we found ourselves surrounded by Monkeys. There are lots and lots of Monkeys here. Sometimes amusing but most of the times, they are aggressive. Except for this, the location is absolutely stunning (if water is there). If not, it is "okay". Lucky for us, they were not aggressive enough for us to panic and we safely reached our hotel rooms. Early in the morning, these Monkeys run on the tin roofed rooms waking you up early in the morning.
We played around in the garden for sometime and then went inside our rooms to freshen up. If we need dinner, we need to give the order by 7PM as the entire staff would not be present at that remote location. To give us company, only two security guards would be there for the entire night. Whatever happens, they have to take care. Since there were no rains, there is acute power shortage here and power would be given only for 6-7 hours per day. Power would be there during the nights and not guarantee during the day time.
Before planning to stay at AP Tourism Hotel at Ethipothala (Phone Number: 08680-277361) it is advisable to call the guys there and inquire about:
* Water levels in the waterfalls
* Power problems
* Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner timings.
While going there, better carry the following with you:
* Blankets
* Torch Light
* Mosquito Repellents
* Emergency Light - if possible
* Battery powered fan - if possible
There is no problem with food at this location nor problems with water and cool drinks. Since there is no Pub / Bar, it is better you buy all your Beers and hot drinks from Nagarjuna Sagar itself or from the city you are coming or from Macherla.
Cell Phone Coverage:
Till date, Government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) coverage is very good at Nagarjuna Sagar and Ethipothala. Very limited or negligible coverage of private operators like Airtel, Tata Idea or Vodafone. Airtel's nearest tower is located at Macherla. So, very limited connectivity.While there are lot of Telephone coin boxes at Nagarjuna Sagar, the same is not present at Ethipothala.
Power went off at around 9PM and the guys at AP Tourism have switched on the generators. They switched it off at around 5AM and power came back at 9AM. We had our breakfast (only Poori is available) there and vacated the room at 10AM.
Nagarjuna Konda:
Remnants of a rich bygone era, unearthed from the excavations carried out by archaeologists at Nagarjunasagar, have been preserved in a museum on a beautiful island hill called Nagarjuna Konda.
Situated in the middle of the man-made Nagarjunasagar Lake, Nagarjunakonda is a unique island museum. Constructed in the shape of a vihara, or a monastery, the museum houses an impressive collection of Buddhist relics. The main stupa of Nagarjunakonda is purported to contain the sacred relics of Buddha himself.
By the time we reached Nagarjuna Sagar from Ethipothala (15 KM of winding roads), it was around 11AM. We directly went to the Launch Station to alight the Launch (big boat) which takes us to Nagarjuna Konda where ancient Buddhist relics were found and a 40 year old Museum is located. We were informed that AP Tourism would run the launch only if there are a minimum of 50 people available.
Launch would be available 3-4 times in a day during weekends. On weekdays, it would be maximum twice. It is advisable to immediately go to the launch station once you reach Nagarjuna Sagar and find out the timings of the launch to Nagarjuna Konda.
These boats can carry from 150 - 300 people. Nagarjuna Konda is around 20KM upstream Krishna River and the journey takes an hour. One hour on the Nagarjuna Konda and one hour return journey. There is a cafetaria on the island and you can get eatables there - just in case you forgot to take any with you.
Once we are on the island, we were told to come back to the boat within one hour after going through the museum and the excavated sites. I felt one hour is a too less time. The museum has an awesome collection of Buddhist artifacts and the lineage of the Kings who ruled Nagarjuna Sagar and also a beautiful chart depicting how Telugu language changed according to ages.
Lot of research has been done and the entire research was presented in this museum. This would be a very interesting museum for young researchers.
There is a beautiful Saibaba Temple at Chintapalli. This is a MUST visit.
Very Useful Information.
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteNagarjuna Sagar and Nagarjuna Konda are famous history places like Tirupati. It is very useful to every one. It is one of the great dam in our India. Thanks for sharing nice information.
If you are travelling somewhere by plane, you can often get the best price if you book a hotel room with your airfare.
ReplyDeleteBariloche Hostel