The tarmac is smooth, which gives you a silky ride combined with far-reaching sight of rocky hills fitted with wind farms on top decorating the horizon.
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Unique aspect to a trip to Gandikota and Belum caves is that you get to experience breathtaking nature’s beauty both above and below earth surface.For people in cities, vast expanse and limitless vistas are a rare luxury. Gandikota offers this for free and in abundance.When in Gandikota your senses will be pampered with endless horizons all around, unaltered by human hands, often evoking awe. From Gandikota, with its open to sky boundless view, you walk straight down to Belum caves where nature reveals its perfect interior designer skills beneath mother earth’s surface.
Planning
We have been hearing about Gandikota, grand canyons of India from Covid times and Dusshera break this year emerged as a good time to go on a road trip to this place. Drive was about 275 KMs one way , which was ideal distance to drive for us and 2 night getaway seemed right to cover the Canyons and Caves. We set out from Bangalore about 7:30 AM and reached Gandikota about 4:00 PM
Kadri – Pulivendula – Gandikota for Sunset
Kadri is the nearest town before Gandikota and one start sensing the peculiar rock formation from there on. The rocks, whether tiny or massive, are layered elegantly in its cross section and forms a attractive and eye catching design.
The tarmac is smooth, which gives you a silky ride combined with far-reaching sight of rocky hills fitted with wind farms on top decorating the horizon. Nothing but the road, nature, and your own company. No commercial distraction except a few industrial warehouses which do not spoil the landscape view.
Sunset @ Gandikota
The target was to reach Gandikota fort for the sunset which was ~ 6:05 PM. As we drove more towards the fort, the landscape grew more beautiful with winding roads, beautiful wilderness all around. I felt a sudden privilege of exclusivity in road usage, as there is no sign of any traffic for kilometers around you.
Another amazing sight was the goat farmers. As we approached the fort we could see many clusters of herd of goats guided by its masters. There were many make shift goat shelters which reminded scenes from the recent malayalam movie Adujeevtham.These pens had barricades build from layered stones and thorny bushes as fencing for the goats in the night. Otherwise, the goat farmers guided them to vast grazing lands, where they could freely find their food.
After parking our car at Gadikota Fort, we walked up to the temple area to watch the Sun set. The sun just lowered beyond to distant mountains with a gorge for the flowing river.
Sunrise @ Gandikota
Unlike Bangalore, getting ready early in the morning wasn’t tough. We drove back to Gandikota fort, this time to view the Sun rise. As we expected, the sun didn’t wait for us to be at the view point to rise. The air was just a touch cool and the Grand Canyon’s were in its majestic splendor. Table top flat lands with neatly plastered Red soil, dotted with shurbs and boarded by walls of layered rocks forming a gorge for Penna river flowing into the Mylavram Dam.
This terrain is familiar to many, as it is also the location for climax sequence for one of the popular movies Chekka Chivantha Vaanam.
Sitting in silence, watching the rising sun just slows you down. You start to see many beautiful details of the scenic view, like the shape of the river as crafted through the ridges.
Dam crest road and boating
The next stop was the boating club. The last mile is a mud road but well laid. The boat house was empty, there were no sign of people and I called the mobile number displayed on the flex board. The boatman needed some more time to reach. I notice 2 gates on the premises, the first one open to the dam crest road and the other to the wilderness with some partial house structures. The dam road was again a mud road with just enough space for a car. No space for crossing paths, this means if a vehicle comes from the other side you will need to reverse all the way back. The road has vast dam catchment backwater on one side and deep droppings sharply into the valley on the other side. Worst is that there is no railing or protection. This road is a perfect place for a trek or a walk. I must say driving is dangerous.The beauty of this transit is immense. Serene waters on one side surrounded by hills and tranquil valleys stretching to distance as long as you can see on the other side.
https://youtu.be/jGko0tdJrC4?si=nwjKigTaDw5i7DpL
Most of the time, the Penna river is seen from a distance. However with boating, you just get your feet wet and you feel good to get close to the river.
Not Cave yet
Next drive was to Belum caves which was about 60 KM. The cave premises is a well maintained tourist spot with wide roads, shady trees and shelters. The irony is that you will not find any signs of a cave anywhere in that terrain. Once you follow the cave entry signs a small opening appears with a stairway descending into the cave mouth.
However as you enter you will be surprised with the spacious cavern and chambers. The smooth patterns and natural designs formed on the rock covering the passages is an amazing sight. As you walk more you will see more branching, diverting and splitting passages. Some of it getting more congested.The caves are well lit with air being pumped from the surface into the cave. This makes the walk inside less tiring. Cave terminus has a water source called pathala ganga, which gels with one of the theories that these caves were formed by rivers flowing beneath the earth surface for ages all together.
Kadappa Roads , Stone and factories.
That night we stayed in Royal County Resort which was a delightful experience with nice amenities.
When you drive through kadappa district, you get to notice few traits.Firstly the roads, which are mostly two lanes, and well laid giving you smooth ride. These roads often have round about with status of prominent personalities. There are few cement factories, and a towering Raylseema thermal power plant. But the most stand out of all. the Kadappa stones, which is used in walls for fencing and houses. The stones are just piled in layers to make a wall structure.
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