This very picture kick started our trip to Gandikota in Andhra Pradesh. One of our friends stumbled upon this picture while browsing and we decided that this is our next destination. An extensive internet search gave Belum Caves as byproduct. Hence, the trip plan was made and we were off to Gandikota on Friday night.
The road itself to Gandikota had a different feeling altogether. The topography of the places kept on changing as we moved forward. Sometimes there were very dry and arid regions. Some regions showed abundance of granite. At some places, farm lands stretched on both sides of the road as far as eyes could see. We overtook many tractors on the way. Sometimes we were stuck by herds of goats and buffaloes that were too lazy to give way for our car. Each scene looked like it has been taken out of a textbook.
Finally following the boards and directions from the locals (of course, we couldn’t take help from our all-time savior Google maps in one of the remotest parts of the country), we reached Gandikota. We entered the fort and that was in complete ruins. It looked like government had totally forgot about such a place existed. Surprisingly, it was more like a gateway to the nearest village. People, vehicles even goats and sheep were moving in and out. We started exploring the place looking for the place in the photograph which inspired our whole journey. Then I heard one of my friends screaming ‘GOT IT’ and I rushed back there and there it was…just as in the photograph…the beautiful, untouched Penna gorge…It was moving slowly on its own pace…on its own rhythm… The dark green water down there looked as beautiful as anything.
Then we came out of the fort and walked towards the gorge and climbed some boulders to get a better view. The rock on the side of the river bed looked so steep that I couldn’t help but give a ‘Game of thrones’ reference of ‘The Wall’ for it. The view of the river from the top was stunning.
The steep rock and the gorge looked as if they were having the aristocratic love affair of the knight and the virgin. The river flowed harmonically to its faraway destination as if it does not want to spill its eternal secret…
