Hyderabad to Deverakonda and Nagrajuna Sagar Back Waters

[Shekar]

It was my first road trip in Covid-19 time. My last trip was in Feb-2020 to Kolhapur and since then I was restless for 7 months in Covid. Normally I used to travel during my birthday in July first week and I was planning for a travel despite Covid-19. But the virus did not like the idea and infected me in the end of June and I was almost sick for a month. 

 

From mid of August, again I started planning for a week end drive. After many changes in destination and dates, finally this trip was materialised with my school buddies.  

 

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It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

 

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Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.

 

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You don't have to have anything in common with people you've known since you were five. With old friends, you've got your whole life in common.

 

Plan was to reach Deverakonda for break fast and proceed to Elleswar Temple in the middle of Nagarjuna Sagar dam waters. about 25 Kms boat ride from Elleswar point or little more from Vizag colony. Elleswar point is not open for general public and it is in Amrabad reserve forest meant for forest and irrigation official. (Google will not show the location. Please see Youtube videos about this temple).

 

It started raining heavily a day before of our journey on 26-09-2020 and it did not stop in the morning also. But we decided to go ahead and we crossed ORR on sagar road by 8.15 and reached Deverakonda IB guest house by 9.15 Hrs. Had break fast and contacted the boat person. It was still drizzling and we were told boats can not go in to Sagar water. We were expecting it since morning. Still we wanted to go up to Pogilla, last village of Nalagonda district on Krishna banks. We were told that there was no motorable road till 2014 elections and ballet boxes were carried by Helicopter.  We found one beautiful water water fall near Pogilla in Youtube. 

 

One of our team member is coming all the way from Kothagudem and he informed us that he will be late by couple of hours and reach us before 12 Noon. 

 

Mean time we thought of exploring Fort at Deverakonda. I had visited this fort way back in 1981. The Fort is almost in the town and it was hardly one Km from where we stayed. 

At IB Gest House

Foot hills of Fort 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was still drizzling and we started our exploration of the Fort. It took us about an hour to reach palace (ruins) area. One Sri Rama temple is on higher hill, but we did not climbed to it. Lot of vegetation obstructing the path as well as structures in side the fort. We found Three lakes and a clear water well in the fort. Local irrigation staff told me that DSLR is not allowed in the fort (though no security check is there, he told me Police station is very close and they create problem later). It was raining and I too do not want to carry it. All the photos in the fort are by Mobile. 

 

Return journey it took us 30 min. and we were at guest house by 12.00 noon. Our partner from Kothagudem reached around 1.00 PM and two more members (Un Planned) reached by 1.30 PM. 

 

We packed our food and started for Pogilla at about 2.00 PM. Rain stopped at Devarakonda though we were informed that it is still raining in Hyderabad. The journey was so beautiful due to rains. It is all green on both side of road and all the hills far away are green.

 

We stopped at first sight of Sagar back water at Pedda Mungal. Pushkar ghat was constructed during last Pushkarams.

 

 

 

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"When I say I miss school, I mean my friends and fun, not the studying part"

From here we crossed another two Pushkar ghats and entered ghat roads. Single roads and mixed quality. We picked up forest person from Kambalapally and reached REKULA VALYAM (Part of Amrabad Tiger Reserve) through forest road.

 

Local forest staff opened the gates. This place is a narrow patch of land between two gorges. I could not take photo properly as we were warned about loose boulders on the edges and every possibility of slipping off.

 

There is not much of forest there but the location is awesome with views of Sagar back water. I have some videos of this journey and will post later. We had a late lunch here and started for Pogilla which is 10Kms away. We reached Pogilla (a settlement of submerged village) at 5.30 PM. Started dark due to clouds.  

 

When we enquired about water falls (google showing 1 Km from Pogilla), local villagers told us that it will take 1 hour to reach Falls and it is not advisable to go there in the dark as wild bears roam all over. It seems even locals will not come out of their houses in the night without "Kagada" (Flame torch). 

 

Without wasting much time we started back and reached Deverakonda by 7.30. Had dinner after fresh up and slept.  

 

Next day plan was to start back to Hyderabad after Break Fast. But when we got up and ordered some coffee, message came through irrigation group that Dindi project is over flowing. Dindi is about 40Kms from Devarkonda and we decided to change our route via Dindi to Hyderabad. 

 

We had a stop at about 30 Kms from Deverakonda at Bapan Kunta Lake which is a balancing reservoir for left canal of Dindi project. Road goes around the lake and at a corner on a small hillock is the Irrigation guest house built by Nizam in 1930. 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a beautiful guest house is abandoned due to staff shortage to man it. It is now used by all anti social activities. 

One inside view will explain.

When we reached Dindi, local Irrigation official guided our cars on to the earth bund and allowed us in to the observation post. We were told that the water over flowing from the Ogy dam (what we see first when goes from Hyderabad) is only 25% and 75% water flows from Weir from other end. We had visited both and and stopped at IB guest house for tea. Later it turned out to be lunch break and we started back to Hyderabad at 3.00 PM and reached home at 5.00 PM. 

Left bank Canal out let. 

View from Earth bund

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gowtham]

3 hours ago, Shekar said:

But the virus did not like the idea and infected me in the end of June and I was almost sick for a month.

 

It is good to know that you recovered and doing well.

 

3 hours ago, Shekar said:

finally this trip was materialised with my school buddies

 

Nothing can beat a road trip with bunch of school friends. Great to see you guys together after so many years.  Great capture

 

3 hours ago, Shekar said:

Such a beautiful guest house is abandoned due to staff shortage to man it

Is it government maintained? Location looks very good. Should have given over to private contractors. 

Thank you sharing your beautiful journey with us. 
Hexa is the only car which can take seven people in comfort. 
Hope to see more travel stories from you guys. 

[LoneRanger]

Wow, the pics are so good, I read your post once, but went through your pictures multiple times. 

 

On 10/9/2020 at 5:49 PM, Shekar said:

But the virus did not like the idea and infected me in the end of June and I was almost sick for a month. 

Yeah, happened with me too. Drains a lot of energy. 

 

On 10/9/2020 at 5:49 PM, Shekar said:

Such a beautiful guest house is abandoned due to staff shortage to man it. It is now used by all anti social activities. 

Govt should come up with PPP model,where some private player gets to refurbish it, and gets to take it in lease. It would be a great weekend getaway. 

[Shekar]

On 10/9/2020 at 9:44 PM, Gowtham said:

 

It is good to know that you recovered and doing well.

 

 

Nothing can beat a road trip with bunch of school friends. Great to see you guys together after so many years.  Great capture

 

Is it government maintained? Location looks very good. Should have given over to private contractors. 

Thank you sharing your beautiful journey with us. 
Hexa is the only car which can take seven people in comfort. 
Hope to see more travel stories from you guys. 

 

Thank you. It is Govt Guest house under Irrigation department. 

[Shekar]

Few photos with my school batch mates during last years September Nagarjuna Sagar trip (1980 class X). We do meet regularly even after we departed from our school 40 Years back. 

 

 

 

 

 

Around 30 members form different fields of life gathered at Nagarjuna Sagar. 

 

Our next trip is to Kaleswaram Project from the beginning to the end on 17th Oct, 2020 for three days. But this time small group. 

 

[sagar]

Excellent travelogue @Shekar and beautiful pictures too.. Any stay options in Devarakonda during you night stay there?

The irrigation project guest house looks beautiful as well.. I wish it was maintained well..

 

Places like Vizag colony and Pedhamungal reminded me of our drive meet up a couple of years ago in the back waters of Nagarjunasagar Sagar.. 

 

 

 

[karthik]

Excellent post sir. Respect you guys for maintaining such a long relation. You can guys will have so much to discuss on the trip. Keep doing such trips. It can inspire people like me.

[Shekar]

17 hours ago, sagar said:

Excellent travelogue @Shekar and beautiful pictures too.. Any stay options in Devarakonda during you night stay there?

The irrigation project guest house looks beautiful as well.. I wish it was maintained well..

 

Places like Vizag colony and Pedhamungal reminded me of our drive meet up a couple of years ago in the back waters of Nagarjunasagar Sagar.. 

 

 

 

 

@sagar Very basic hotels are there in Devarakonda which not suitable for family stay. Irrigation Guest house which was constructed in 1912 (108 Years old) is well maintained and in-charge is my class mate. If any of us want a suit in it, I can arrange as long as my friend is at Deverakonda on nominal charges ( I think Rs. 400/ + Tax). It has got two AC suits with a Dining hall. Food has to be brought from out side. 

 

 

Hijri (Muslim Calender) year.

 

[Shekar]

4 hours ago, karthik said:

Excellent post sir. Respect you guys for maintaining such a long relation. You can guys will have so much to discuss on the trip. Keep doing such trips. It can inspire people like me.

 

We still discuss our childhood days even after 40 years.