Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar

[Shekar]

Hi Friends, 

 

This is the first travel after joining the group and happened on the suggestion of the group in Whatsapp. 

 

I saved a lot of leaves for traveling to the USA this October/November. But due to some reasons, that tour did not materialised and some 13 leaves were left to be utilised in December. First I had availed 3 days leaves from 12th Dec.

 

First day I had attended a marriage engagement at Hyderabad and two more days plus Saturday & Sunday were with me. I wanted to go out only for 2 days and as per the suggestions of the group decided to visit Sagar on 13th & 14th. 

 

I made a booking in Tourism Hotel Vijay Vihar at Vijayapuri in the morning before starting. Me and my wife started at 10.10 Hrs from Hyderabad and reached Sagar by 13.00 Hrs with a stop at OOR exit on Sagar road to meet a family friend for 15 Min. and had a late breakfast at a way side hotel. (another 30 Min). 

 

Had buffet lunch in tourism hotel and out in car by 14.00 Hrs.

My friend in Sagar project arranged for a visit to the dam and inside dam (inspection galleries). Generally visitors are not permitted to go on to earth dam and main dam for security reasons. Mean time local person called me asked us to reach the dam by 15.00 hrs as the staff have gone for lunch.

 

Then we made a round in the hill colony where I had stayed for couple of years in the childhood. With great difficulty I could able to find out the quarters where we had stayed. All the Sagar quarters are now seems to be occupied by locals unauthorised including some top politicians. 

Quarter where I stayed in  childhood 

 

We made a round up to the road bridge on Krishna river in front of the dam and came back to Earth Dam. Took permission from special police and entered on to it by 15.00 Hrs. We were asked not stop the car in between and not to click any photos. So we obeyed. 

 

Views of either side over the road bridge. 

 

When we reached main dam, the security staff received my car number and opened the gate and allowed us over the dam. After speaking to Irrigation AE, we stopped at first tower (Lift). 

 

Then we were guided in to the lift and taken to first inspection gallery at 140 Feet Down from top. There is an exit towards spillways side and a ramp which will lead us to first spill way on left bank. We did not carried the camera, but we took some snaps with mobiles. 

 

 

 

Three more inspection galleries are available below the one we visited. Lift for the same was having some problem and we did not go down further. 

These galleries are used to check the health of the dam. at every 10 Mtrs tel tale vents area available and the water leakage from these will indicate the internal leakages and the health of the dam. These galleries also used for repairing any leakages (How I do not know). We were told that every day morning staff will inspect all the four galleries each is of a length of a 1000 mtrs. 

 

After spending some time inside, we came on to the dam. due to heavy clouds and fog, we could not see the water in dam properly. With great difficulty we could able click some photos. 

 

 

 

 

After thanking the irrigation official we went to Ethipothala falls. We were not expecting any water in the falls but there were some. 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to hotel we had clicked sunset over the Sagar Dam. We could not get it exactly over the gates area. 

 

 

We came back to hotel before it was too dark and spent the time sitting in the balcony with Sagar backwater view. (Though the water is not visible due to fog)

 

End of day One.  

[Shekar]

Day 2, 14-12-2018 Friday, 

 

Surprise or disappointment was in our store. 

 

Without knowing it we got up early and ready by 8 in the morning. Weather is same as yesterday and we could not see the water in Sagar from our room. We just asked reception guy about boat timings to Nagarjuna konda and where can park our car. He told me 9.30 and 14.30 Hrs and it will take about 2.30 - 3.00 Hrs to come back and we can park our cars near temple near launch point. 

 

We had our breakfast at the hotel. Some one wrote that the breakfast here is not good. Yes Idli was not good but bonda and pongal were good. We reached the boat point by 9.00 Hrs only to know that Museum at Konda is closed on Fridays and boat will not run. If more tourists are available (abt 50), they will run a jolly trip taking them close to dam and back. But not even 5 tourists including us were available at that time. I felt bad being so ignorant and all the friends in Sagar with whom I was talking yesterday did not inform me even when I was telling them that tomorrow we will visit Museum.  Yesterday, we had lot time to catch up with 14.30 boat as we were at boating point by 14.00 Hrs. We could have visited the dam today. Else we would have returned to Hyderabad is known at evening. 

 

My Wife said, let's go back home. But I said having come all the way here, let us make a round to opposite side of the dam in to AP. We slowly drove to the bridge over the river and entered AP side. Once we crossed first ghat and reached old bridge area, we had a clear view of the dam. We  took some snaps here before going further.   

 

 

After a little photo session we went further and reached launch point on AP side. There also we got same answer and there are no tourists today. I found a new tourism hotel opened up by Govt of AP.

 

There we a sign boar indicating ANUPU is 8 Kms. One of my friend told me that if you have time pl visit Anupu Buddhist place. Initially we deleted from our mind as the hotel receptionist told it is not worth traveling 24 Kms. But now we have time and it seems we had already traveled 16 Kms towards Anupu. Sowe went further and reached Anupu Buddhist excavated site. 

 

The place is like a small valley amidst small hill all round. ASI is maintaining it in better way. It is so peaceful and pleasant in these days and one can visualise how secluded and peaceful it could have been in those times. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buddhist devotees from Japan came in a sleeper bus of Bihar registration and started prayers in the lawns. 

 

Some wild flowers in the lawns.  

 

In the return journey to hotel we stopped once again at the spot where we took dam photos as more light has come now for quick clicks. 

 

We checked out of the room by 12.00 Noon and stopped at SRIPARVATA ARAMA site. though it was closed for visitors, we entered in to its first enclosure through Sidhardha Hotel. From there entry is closed with steel pipes and we were told the work is in progress and none will allowed further. They also said the ARAMA is likely to be opened for public by Feb,2019. 

 

 

Started from here at about 12.30 and reached ORR before 15.00 Hrs and had our lunch at Sendriya Aharam opposite to RTA office Manneguda near ORR on Sagar Road. Reached home by 16.00 Hrs.

 

Much about roads and food etc has been written for this route. So need not repeat. 

[sagar]

Excellent travel story @Shekar.. Lovely pictures especially the sunset at dam and the Ethipotala falls. I witnessed the falls this beautiful during my 1st visit in school which was almost 15 years ago .

Thanks a lot for sharing.

[sneHavisHal]

Nice travelogue with very good pictures... keep driving and keep sharing your experiences ?

[rkamal]

Nice pics and write-up. nice to see the inside views of dam. we have seen it in Valparai Nirar Dam. the atmosphere and constructions was similar and it was so cool and green on the walls. 

[hsudhir]

Awesome write up and pictures @Shekar.. I have never seen Ethipothala so beautiful during my pasts visits to Nagarjuna sagar. I really feel like visiting this place this coming weekend. Would you suggest the same water flow this month or January ?

 

[raman]

Superb pictures @Shekar. Especially the waterfalls. Where is this SRIPARVATA ARAMA located ? Never heard of it before.. I never visited this place during my previous visits to Nagarjunasagar

[mayank]

Awesome pictures @Shekar.. Keep sharing  

[Shekar]

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 5:10 PM, raman said:

Superb pictures @Shekar. Especially the waterfalls. Where is this SRIPARVATA ARAMA located ? Never heard of it before.. I never visited this place during my previous visits to Nagarjunasagar

Thanks for liking @raman. Sriparvata Arama is few hundred meters before Haritha Vijayavihara (Tourism Hotel) when we are going to Sagar from Hyderabad. Its adjacent to Sidhartha Hotel. What I heard is it is a Japan funded project costing more than 100 Crore. Likely to be open for public in couple of months.   

 

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 2:54 PM, hsudhir said:

Awesome write up and pictures @Shekar.. I have never seen Ethipothala so beautiful during my pasts visits to Nagarjuna sagar. I really feel like visiting this place this coming weekend. Would you suggest the same water flow this month or January ?

 

Thank you @hsudhir. Hopefully water level will be same till middle of Jan. 

 

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 4:43 PM, sagar said:

Excellent travel story @Shekar.. Lovely pictures especially the sunset at dam and the Ethipotala falls. I witnessed the falls this beautiful during my 1st visit in school which was almost 15 years ago .

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Than you @sagar.

[raman]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 8:26 AM, Shekar said:

Thanks for liking @raman. Sriparvata Arama is few hundred meters before Haritha Vijayavihara (Tourism Hotel) when we are going to Sagar from Hyderabad. Its adjacent to Sidhartha Hotel. What I heard is it is a Japan funded project costing more than 100 Crore. Likely to be open for public in couple of months.   

 

Thank you for the quick response @Shekar. Much appreciated  

[Gowtham]

Fantastic report.

Pictures are excellent. 

 

Your photography skill is excellent. 

Thank you for sharing it.

 

Adding the log to home page. 

[Shekar]

1 hour ago, Ranger said:

Fantastic report.

Pictures are excellent. 

 

Your photography skill is excellent. 

Thank you for sharing it.

 

Adding the log to home page. 

Thank you @Ranger for liking.