We have a family function in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh and after attending the function we thought of visiting some places near by. We have already covered all the important places of Rayalaseema 5 years ago and the one of the missing place place Gandikota. So it's a long due to visit this place. As our parents are also visiting us we didn't plan too many things. We kept the plan very basic.
The places that we have covered in this trip are:
1. Gandikota Fort
2. Lepakshi
3. Aadiyogi Statue in
Gandikota is a small village in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is majorly known for housing the spectacular gorge which is famously adjudged as the Grand Canyon of India. The stunning gorge has been created by the waters of the famous river Penna that streams from the Erramala hills. It is also known as the Hidden Grand Canyon of India as it isn’t very well known around the country, which I don't like it so let's call it as The Gandikota. Not just the view point and there are plenty of attractions in and out of the village that is perfect to explore for tourists.
The word “Gandi” means a gorge in Telugu and “Kota” refers to the fort.
Gandikota fort was built around 11th century here in front of the river, however, the detailed history is still not known and the local historians are now trying to piece together all the scattered history around the place.
WHY VISIT GANDIKOTA?
Why you visit the Grand Canyon of India? The answer is simple and straight. It is the extraordinary view point, and secondly, this small, offbeat village has not yet been commercialized, which means you’re not likely to find crowds of tourists obstructing your view plus jam-packed vehicle. However, as it is gaining popularity, expect a good rush on Weekends (Saturday)
WHERE TO STAY IN GANDIKOTA?
We have lot of places to stay now. Plenty of resorts and the camping option as well right at the entry of the Gandikota fort. We have them in all the price ranges based on our budget. So no worries about it. You may try staying in the APTDC Haritha Hotel, which you may even book online.
WHAT TO DO AT GANDIKOTA?
1. The Grand Gorge of Gandikota
The magnificent gorge is undoubtedly the number one and must things to do in Gandikota. In my opinion, you can skip the rest of the activities of Gandikota to keep watching the gorge and the river that follow through it. A lovely morning and calm evening are what I recommend you to view the canyon of India.
Note that- by early morning, I mean just before sunrise and take the best seat on one of the boulders and sit and do nothing. But due to our tight schedule we planned to catch up the sunset. But the sudden heavy rain when we visited the place plays the spoil sport. But that didn't stop us from exploring this amazing place by tricking through the slippery rocks and drenching through out in the heavy rain. Nothing stopped us.
2 Visit the magnificent Forts & it’s surrounding
Spread over eight miles (as per a local expert), the massive Gandikota fort was built in the around the 13th century. The mighty fort, made in red sandstone, comprises of fine carvings, a tank to store the rainwater to irrigate the nearby vegetation, and a 5-mile thick perimeter wall guarding the massive fort. Do not worry; you must walk a few meters from the Gandikota gorge to explore the fort.
3 Visit the temples & mosque and find the peace
A temple and a Mosque from ancient time located adjacent to each other, sound not realistic? Well, you can capture both in the same frame if done correctly. Located close to each other, the remains of a temple built in around the 13th century and a mosque added years later by the ruler, set a great example of unity in diversity.
4 Be adventurous at Gandikota
Gandikota has everything for every sort of traveler and tourist, even for the adventure people. As Gandikota village is slowly coming under the tourism hotspot, various travel agencies and local are starting to start in the area.
You can get down to the gorge and engage in several adventure activities like rock climbing, kayaking, etc. I think it is good for local economic development. However, I fear if not controlled, it may lead to unfortunate accidents
5 Do Nothing & Enjoy nature:
The best thing to do if you have the short time.
As it is already very late already and the rain is so heavy that, I just can't have a better view of the driving. The ghat roads makes the drive a bit more challenging and we need to drive very slow and careful. So we have decided to stay in some place and we took a detour to he next hop is to visit the Lepakshi Temple. We have called up the Haritha resorts over phone and requested them to book the room. It's just 1K per night and we have spacious and clean room with AC. The food is also very good (if you like the Andhra food). So I strongly recommend this place if you want to stay.
Tourist Places to Visit in Lepakshi
With historical temples, mythological sites, and quaint traditional arts, Lepakshi sightseeing is an amazing experience. Here are the most popular places to see in Lepakshi:
The Lepakshi Jatayu statue – This large statue of the mythological bird Jatayu from the Ramayana is a major attraction. It is believed that Jatayu fell in here after being attacked by Ravan and “Le Pakshi” means “Rise, bird” in Telugu. The park with the statue is open from 9 AM to 5 PM and there is a Rs 10 entry fee.
The Lepakshi caves – Also known as the Belum caves. This cave formation is about 3 KM long but visitors are only allowed for about 1 KM. It is open from 10 AM to 4:30 PM and the entry fee is Rs 65 for adults.
Lepakshi Nagalinga – This 15 feet tall Naga statue is the largest of its kind. The massive structure forms a canopy over a granite Shivalinga. The Naga itself has 3 coils and 7 hoods and it is believed to have been carved from a single block of stone. The Nagalinga is part of the Veerabhadra Swamy Temple complex so there is no extra entry fee or specific timings.
the Veerabhadra Swamy Temple has a long and storied history. There are a lot of facts about the temple that are of interest to travelers. The history of the temple begins in the 16th century when it was built in its modern state by Virupanna, the treasurer of the Vijayanagara king.
Legend has it that Virupanna built the temple using royal funds without the permission of the king. The angry king decreed that Virupanna is to be blinded and so Virupanna put out his own eyes. There is even a place in the temple complex where you can reportedly still see the marks of his eyes.
The Lepakshi temple architecture is in the Vijayanagara style with intricate carvings and murals of stories from ancient Hindu texts. The temple is also located on a hill in the shape of a tortoise, known as Kurma Saila.
Among the 70 stone pillars installed inside the temple, there is one that hangs from the ceiling. The base of the pillar visibly stops a few inches from the ground and visitors are often seen passing a thin paper or cloth from one side to the other.
The nearby monolithic Nandi is considered the biggest Nandi carved from a single stone in India.
Mysterious footprint at Veerabhadra temple Leepakshi. The giant footprint is said to be of Hanuman ji when he was searching for Sita. some say it is of Mata Seeta.
This footprint always has a trickle of water coming into it from somewhere.
Lepakshi Nandi Temple
About 500 metres from the Lepakshi Temple is the Lepakshi Nandi, also known as the Nandi temple. This giant monolithic bull has been cut from a single block of granite and it is one of the largest monolithic structures in India, second only to the Gomateshwara in Shravanabelagola. The Lepakshi Nandi is one of the biggest attractions of this village and is a major tourist spot.
Aadiyogi Temple near chikkaballapur:
This is a new centre of Isha Foundation that houses a 112-foot Adiyogi statue is made of steel and weighs around 500 tonnes. It is 34 metres tall, 45 metres long and 25 metres wide. It is the world's largest bust sculpture according to the Guinness World Records. and a Naga shrine, surrounded by scenic hills and greenery. In this blog, I will share my experience of visiting this place and some tips on how to plan your trip.
What to expect at Isha Foundation Chikballapura:
The main attraction at Isha Foundation Chikballapura is the 112-foot Adiyogi statue, which is a tribute to the first yogi and guru in the world. The statue is made of steel and weighs 500 tons. It depicts Adiyogi with four faces, representing the four dimensions of existence: physical, mental, emotional and energy. The statue is designed to inspire people to explore their inner potential and transcend their limitations. The modelling of Adiyogi’s face and research into the making technology took three years with the actual fabrication taking only eight months. The cost of the statue is not publicly disclosed, but some sources estimate it to be around Rs 50 crore
The other attraction at Isha Foundation Chikballapura is the Naga shrine, which is a circular structure with 112 serpents carved on it. The shrine is dedicated to the Naga or the serpent energy, which is considered to be the source of life and creation. The shrine offers various processes and offerings for devotees, such as Jala Offering (water and neem leaves), Dosha Nivarana Arpane (flowers and red earth), Dhoop Arpane (incense), Kala Sarpa Seva (a potent process with the serpents), and Naga Arati (a ritual with lamps).
The center is open from 6 AM to 8 PM on all days. Visitors can take part in the many offerings and processes available at the Yogeshwar Linga and Naga shrine, and experience the Adiyogi Divya Darshanam every evening. This is a powerful 14-minute video imaging show projected on the Adiyogi statue, which depicts Adiyogi's contribution to humanity. The show is accompanied by a narration by Sadhguru, the founder of Isha Foundation. We couldn't visit the same as we were travelling from last 3 days and we also need to visit our relatives who are leaving Bangalore the next day.
That's the summary of our trip and will catch you up with the next trip, till then keep travelling, keep Smiling and Stay happy & Healthy.
Here are the few random shots for the trip.
