Travelling is halting!

Travelling is halting!

Fell into the sonic-paced life, I had been ignoring calls from the hills. But the blame games did not last long....

For it was the mesmerizing Papi hills that were calling me, and I could not help but to answer.

After a sleepless tiring night-journey in an express bus to ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Chintoor, Staying in an ITDA guesthouse, catching a power nap, finishing ablutions we reached PO - Project Officer, Mr. Ramana- The only reason behind our experienced travel.

After brief greetings we bid an adieu and rode to the boating point- Pochavaram.

Riding through the Papikondalu forest ranges housed amidst dense hills and with river Godavari greeting us occasionally, we reached..

But we were too late and missed the boat. Yet it turned out to be an appealingly memorable experience, for we got a chance to travel in a local fishermen boat. Unlike other tourists who travel in enclosed bigger ships with huge crowd we were fortunate enough to experience the unconventional.

Soon our voyage had started, i t was mid-noon and the sunlight was twinkling and dancing over the river like fairy lights. Boating in Papikondalu was my dream since I watched the movie- Godavari. It was a group of hills with the holy river cutting through them leaving behind a phenomenal valley.

Travelling in a tiny boat we were much closer to the nature and were parallel to the green waters with skyscraper hills all around. Sitting at the boat's bow with my legs dipped into the sacred waters I was preoccupied in a muted conversation.

Hills were coming over and few were running past, glimpses of tribal habitats were visible too. Watching the waves, tribal villages, sun, hills and the entire reflections on the water... We reached Kolluru island- best place I had ever been to.

Highest levels of anything is inexplicable, and this place was not an exception. How could words, just human-created words, be appealing enough to describe this place? If there exists such a dialect it must be written here, embracing the tranquility and cuddling the warmth it must be scripted here.

It was nature at its best and I was afraid I couldn't describe its beauty.

We were received by the locals- Konda reddy tribes. The most lucrative place was now under debts due to pandemic. They were happy to see us, tourists, after 3 years.

There were nearly 200 huts and the place had an experience of hosting over 500 tourists, it was such a massive island. And we were all alone. It was like an apocalypse with empty huts all around.

We were given a hut with the best view the place could offer. Dropping our belongings I untied the knots and pushed back the tarpel door, then it was all scenic with hill faces meeting at one point, river passing at their feet with gorgeous turns and about to drop down sun on the top.

This place reminded me of a painting I used to draw as a kid. Whenever I was asked to draw something I used to draw 'M' shaped hill with a sun at the center, river at the hill foot and then few huts and a tree then many crows in shape of small letter 'r'.

To my amazement I found that art of mine here.

Running through the place, jumping over the sand dunes, watching the sun set and least caring our gadgets we spent the evening.

Time was moving fast and the nature was acting accordingly.. Darkness had filled in so early, river changed its music, wind was now bringing chillness from the river, birds and cranes flew away into the woods, moon replaced the sun, stars came out...

It was 31st of December and I knew how the outside world was celebrating the new year. But for me it was the best new year.

Half opening the tarpel mat door, I sat at the entrance watching the farther hills and moon reflections on calm waters, swinging my feet and occasionally hitting the sand...

Farther and Deeper the hills I look into, I see myself..........

I slept unknowingly with my hand outside the tent. Chillness numbed it and awakened me. It was 0400 and was 18 degrees in our double-layered tarpel tent and much more colder outside. I wonder how a darkness measuring device could work, if there existed one in the world we were much away from. Even my own hand was invisible to me.

To step into a new year waiting outside our tent, I untied the knots and pushed open the tarpel mat door, then the cool breezes strolling outside rushed into our tent.

As I challenged my vision farther hill groups were still there, illuminated under the invisible moon, for millions of stars attracted my entire attention. Whole sky was attractively and illuminatingly dressed.

Even if I forced back the door and shut my eyes, I could still see the place with my mind constantly making images from the audible sounds. It was the nature that was conversing to itself preoccupied.

River was dancing, birds were chirping, buffaloes were snoring, insects were murmuring, air was whooshing and the hen were summoning the sun. And hills confidently throwing back every sound with added echo.

Listening to the nature's rhythm I slipped into sleep again.

Waking up again I found the sun was utterly up and the hills were topped with fog. Being close to the nature I went back to my book and taken care of the unanswered questions.

Then finishing our ablutions we were all ready to the first adventure of the year- Trekking in Papi hills.

True bliss lies on hill tops and it was time to reach it. With a local young blood we went into the forest. Passing through the streams, negotiating the slopes, crossing the giant boulders, greeting tribal villages on the way... we reached.

It was a 10 kilometers stretch with many scenic views. There were river confluences, caves, flood wastes, fish traps, multi colored waters making music each time they hit rocks, massive trees and boulders....

Capturing under water footages with go pro, recording sounds and swimming in the crystal clear water... we returned.

Some places we visit becomes a part of us and this was one such place.

It was time for us to leave. Travelling back in the same boat, I could see the island moving away from us, huts were out of vision, Godavari surprisingly moving backwards, gradually the place faded into the shadows of hills...

Holding onto its echoes deep inside we left the place...

One thing I had learned here was to have a control on my pace. Like everyone else I too was running... Too fast paced to keep up with the life outside. Chasing after something invisible thinking struggle was life.

"We must struggle for our future", became a common advice.

Setting up goals, making a track and Running in it, tackling the barricades it was filled with.... Became a common daily routine.

Resting here for 2 days everything appeared new to me. There was a slowness in air and warmth in time. I could feel myself and my heart slowing down. Even Garmin alerted lower heart rate, thinking it was a caution.

As accustomed as I was to the conventional lifestyle, this place thrown me into utter amazement. Occupied completely in mine I least cared different track. This place showed me a new lane, a new track, with people who were in sync with nature. Tribes who were running at a pace decided by nature.

They were running to make a life out of it, not after invisible rewards future may achieve.

There were struggles in their lifestyle too, to make the both ends meet, to get basic amenities, medical emergencies, natural disasters...

But those were challenges nature had put up, not like us, self-imposed for good future.

I wish I were in their race track. But coming out of mine and exploring an entirely opposite path could help me boost my receptive mind. More over, I couldn't help but to getting back on my track and run my own race, and this time with few changes from memories I bagged..

I realized traveling was not only roaming but halting at a place I had never been.

P.S. This nature's creation will be open to tourists for only a year. It will be under water after Polavaram project's termination. All the tribal villages, temples, their memories, their childhood will be drowned deep..

Envision its beauty when it is alive.