Words : Baiju.N.Nair
Photos : Jamesh Kottakkal

Through a Realm of Rocks
    ...rustic rocky terrain spread to the horizon all through the
    Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh...

The dusty flat terrain lay ahead, vast and desolate. Rock pieces scattered around hiding a mystic past in their uncanny shapes. Sometimes it seemed like a colossal bastion with strange carvings and towering minarets.

You might have started visualizing a cowboy film where the rough and tough guys ride to the extreme in pursuit of a hidden treasure. It was the same except for the cast and plot. The rustic rocky terrain spread to the horizon all across the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest states in India. We were on our way to Hyderabad, across the Deccan plateau.

Temples Honouring the Nature and the Gods

We were now driving to the Venketeswara Temple, Thirupathi, one of the busiest pilgrimage centres in India and the world. Taking a left turn from the NH 5 going to Nelloor, it is 81 kms to Thirupathi. On the way we got down at Sri Kalahasthi, the famous Shiva temple where God is honoured as one of the five elements (Panch bhootha - Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Space). Air gets the prominence here.

' Sri Kalahasthi, the famous Shiva temple where God is honoured as one of the five elements (Panch bhootha - Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Space) 'The temple is located in between two mounds on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi, which would be in full spate during the months of October and November. Kalahasthi has all the characteristics of a typical Indian temple city ... the street hawkers, rows of pilgrims and devotional songs mixed with the wail of beggars setting the background.

Mysteries of Seven Hills

Thirumala, the abode of Balaji Venkateswara, is not far from Kalahasthi. A transcendental feeling seeps into you when you enter Thirumala Hills or Seshachalam, which encompasses seven holy peaks namely, Sheshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayandri and Venketadri. The Venketeswara temple - the most visited Hindu temple and the second richest worship place in the world after the Vatican in Rome - is situated on the seventh one, the Venketadri, which rises upto 3200 feet from the sea level.

The exact history of this temple is still a mystery, but Pallavas, who ruled south India during the 9 century AD, are believed to be the early patrons of the temple. Rulers belonging to the Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara and Mysore dynasties also paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara at this holy hill. Sri Venketeswara holds a unique place in the minds of devotees and is believed to be so powerful as to grant any wish made before his idol at Thirumala.

We encountered only signboards on both sides of neatly- kept winding roads, instructing the pilgrims about the importance of cleanliness while visiting this holy place. But security checks have been intensified on the route in the wake of countrywide terrorist threats.

' Enlightenment, emptiness, bliss… what was the sacred feeling that enfolded us then? Sorry, it’s beyond words 'Thanks to the efficient arrangements made by the officials, we did not face any traffic snarls in the temple premises in spite of the huge vehicular flow as we reached atop. Chariot-shaped buses caught our attention as we walked around there. These buses run freely for the pilgrims and connect all important centres in Thirumala.

The view point near Sri Varahaswamy temple gifted us a spectacular sight of the illuminated Venkateswara temple below. Enlightenment, emptiness, bliss… the sacred feeling that enfolded us then was simply beyond words.

The Rock Garden

Into the trees towards the mountains, there was a track. It led us to a garden which houses an incrediblespectacle called Sila thoranam (rock arch). This is a natural rock formation, 10 feet high and 25 ft long. It bridges two giant rocks.

Long-term exposure to wind, rain or other natural phenomena leads to the corrosion of the rocks thus forming these bizarre structures. Utah Rainbow Arch in the United States and Cut Through Arch in Britain are the only siblings to this wonderful formation.

A board in front of the site says "1500 million years" as the age of this rock structure. We needed a time machine to compute the age. We were taken back to pre-historic times. It was primitive, beyond Jurassic era, beyond Neolithic age, beyond all the ages that our brains could decipher.

Magic Castle called Belum Caves

From the primitiveness of stone ages, the transition seemed not so easy but we could rotate the time machine by driving eight hours continuously. Belum caves in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh were our destination. Belum, is the second largest cave in Indian sub-continent and derives its name from "Bilum", the Sanskrit word for caves.

Belum Caves had three well-like holes of which the central one was made as the main entrance. We entered into the cave which was about 30 feet below ground level through the flat concrete staircase. Continued.............

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