I woke up early in the morning; the car
that would take me to Nagarjunasagar hasn’t arrived yet. Its so boring to wait!
I decided to stroll around the Taramati Baradari complex where I was staying.
Once out I was greeted by the quiet scerene morning sky, the freshness of the
greenery all round and song of birds.
Abdullah Qutb Shah, the seventh Sultan
of Golkonda, was born in 1614. He became the Sultan at the age of twelve and
ruled till 1676. He adored his favourite courtesan Taramati, through the
Baradari ………. Open pavilion with twelve doorways. Here she sang and danced for
him. Legends say the Sultan could hear her sing at the Baradari from the Fort.
Located on way to Osman Sagar
(Gandipet) at Ibrahimbagh, away from the din and bustle of the city. Yet Taramati
Baradari is only 22 km from Hydrabad
City. The setting
couldn’t be more picturesque. The Golkonda Fort at the backdrop, verdant green
canopy all around and of course the Baradari ………….. with its terrace garden.
Even at night the tasteful illumination of the Baradari creates a unique
ambience. An amalgam of romance and grace ……………
The jeep I was waiting for arrived,
almost twenty minutes late, giving me ample time to explore the early morning
freshness of the Taramati. Within a few
minutes my jeep was speeding down Necklace
Road. The Hussain Sagar, with the huge Buddha
statue at its centre, to our left. The sun was just rising in the east and some
young sportsmen, busy rowing in the Hussain Sagar waters.
With the speedometer needle touching 80
Km per hour we entered a State
Highway, crossed the Rajiv Gandhi
Aviation Academy
and reached Ibrahimpatnam. The city bus plies up to this place. As we
progressed further at high speed slowly the din and bustle of city was left
behind and we were into the country side. The scenic beauty on either side was
a treat for the eyes. Green paddy fields, fruit orchards, poultry farms and
occasional long rows of the palm trees. The driver Ramesh, informed the sweet
palm juice is used to make. the local sweet ‘gur’ and country liquor.
Occasionally our jeep had to stop to let the huge herd of cattles cross the
road.
My next stopover was at the first sight
of Nagarjunasagar and was fascinated by its beauty. The huge expense of the
blue lake surrounded by small and big hills of the Nallamalai range seemed to
come out of a picture post card. There were fishermen at the bank mending their
round basket shaped bamboo boats- locally called ‘Booty’.
Andhra Pradesh Tourism’s luxurious
resort Vijay Vihar is about 151 kms from Hyderabad.
If you are clueless about a dream holiday destination, then a short story at
Vijay Vihar can make your holiday memorable. The beautiful Nagarjunasagar can
be viewed from the balcony of all the rooms. And if you are there on a full
moon night, the experience can be magical ! The long row of halogen lamps, on
the dam, gives the impression of a pearl necklace, at night. The resort is
unique in location packed with modern facilities. Nagarjunasagar is a massive
irrigation project on River Krishna. At 124 metres it is the tallest masonry
dam in the world and one of the largest man made lakes, with an area of 110 sq.
miles.
Buddism spread in the Telegu land as
early as the 3rd century B.C. as borne out by the stupas in various
parts of Andhra Pradesh. Sometimes during the 2nd century A.D.
Acharya Nagarjuna founded the ‘Mahayana’ stream of Buddhism and established a
centre of learning at Vijaypuri. The capital of the Ikshvaku kings.
The Ikshvaku kings were followers of
Brahmanism and performed vedic rituals while, the womenfolk followed Buddhist
preaching closely.
From Vijaypuri or ‘Sriparvata’ and
Amravati downstream of River Krishna Buddhism spread to the Far East including
China, Japan and Sri Lanka.
In the mid 1950’s a major
hydro-electric project was planned on River Kirshna at Vijaypuri. It was then
found that an ancient Buddhist site would get submerged by the water of
Nagarjunasagar. Hence a special project was taken up to excavate the site and
transplant the structures to the hill called Nagarjunakonda. As many as 52
villages and about 17700 villagers had to be rehabilitated from the valley
also.
The 14 kilometres long road from Vijay
Vihar goes over River Krishna, surpasses the lock gates of the dam and reaches
the jetty. From here Andhra Pradesh Tourism runs trips to Nagarjunakonda Island.
The cruise takes about 45 minutes on the Nagarjunasagar water with the
beautiful Nallamalai range all around the lake.
The island of Nagarjunakonda
is about 144 acres in area and divided into three parts - the garden, the
museum and the monument. The island is as picturesque as one could imagine,
with verdant green canopy all around giving the impression of a natural park.
The museum is shaped like a vihara and contains precious artefacts of all
cultural periods through which the valley has passed. Archeological survey of India’s
determined effort virtually transplanted nine monuments from the valley to
Nagarjunakonda in almost their original form.
There are other places of interest very close
to Nagarjunasagar, Anupu about 8 kilometeres from the jetty, was chosen for
relocation of a Buddhist University. The ruins of which were found during
excavation in the valley. The reconstruction technique, adopted for the first
time in the country, was along the lines of those adopted at Abu Simbel (Aswan
Dam) project in Egypt.
Anupu is also blessed by his holiness Dalai Lama, who planted a Bodhi tree,
during his visit in January 2006. A huge ampi-threatre found during the
excavation has been also relocated, opposite the Buddhist University.
The Ethipothala waterfall is 22
kilometres from Nagarjunasagar. Ethipothata in Telegu means ‘lift and pour’. A
hill stream Chandravanka cascades down 70 feet to unite with River Krishna. The
beautiful george is surrounded by thick greenery all around creating a
beautiful picnic spot. The waterfall active throughout the year, has formed a
natural lagoon below. A crocodile breeding project has been located here by the
Forest Department. In the evening the waterfalls are illuminated with dynamic
lighting.
How to go :
The nearest airport and railway station
is Hydrabad. The APTDC’s one day ( 7 a.m. – 9.30 p.m.) conducted Nagarjunasagar
tour every Saturday and Sunday covers the Dam, Nagarjunakonda, Ethipothala
waterfalls. The Mesueum is closed on Fridays.
The APTDC’s Hydrabad city tour covers Taramati
Baradari..
However one can also hire a taxi and
visit these places.
Best time to go is between October to
February.
Where to Stay;
The Best place to stay at
Nagarjunasagar is Vijay Vihar
Budget tourist can opt for Nagarjuna Resort.
Cottages are available at Ettipotala Water Falls.
