Being an officer in the A.P. administrative machinery, I had the opportunity to visit all the districts of united A.P. except Adilabad. Although I have worked mostly in the coastal districts, I could visit all the districts in Telangana for some inspection or the other. In my 27 years of service in the welfare departments only Adilabad district had remained out of bounds for me. So there remained in me a desire to fill the vacant slot in my purported A.P. darshan. Now the erstwhile district of Adilabad has been carved into 3 districts named Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Adilabad and Mancherial districts. With the hope of getting a glimpse into the people and places of this border district of Telangana, I travelled to Mancherial. From my guide I was informed that it is populated by coal miners, paper mill workers, and NTPC staff. Mancherial town is sandwiched between Ramagundam and Sirpur Kagaz Nagar. Rich in forests, wild flora and fauna, natural wealth and the river Godavari flowing through its territory the district of Mancherial offers picturesque views and there are many wonders of nature to explore here.
I started my 2 day trip by visiting the Gandhari Qila some 15kms from Mancherial town. It is a spectacular specimen of a medieval 12th century sand stone fort built on a hillock. The climb is rather arduous and it takes nearly 45 minutes across rough steps and gravel paths cut across rocks. My local guide informed me that on Sundays, people throng the place to worship Goddess Maisamma and offer animal sacrifice.
Time has stood still in the dilapidated ruins, where gold diggers have depredated and excavated the temple ruins doing more damage to the structures. I could see pictures and images hewn on the rocks. Mythology and local legend have become one and my fellow travelers spoke of a gigantic Bhima’s foot. A couple of ladies started a dialogue about a family dispute in front of the deity; one of them at the foot of the other who said that the Goddess had made her her voice. It was a lengthy dialogue in the local dialect, where one of the ladies was apologetic to the Goddess and the other was in a tone of reproof and admonition. The Gandhari Qila is rich in medicinal plants and herbs. I saw the old priest squatted near the deity in his worn-out clothes, offering sandal and vermilion to the devotees. I was reminded of the many such ‘Little Traditions’ that India is made of.
Nearby I saw the MCC-Cement factory, now defunct, having shut down operations. The factory was run on German technology with tons of cement traversing through buckets on aerial lines to a nearby town to be transported. It is a sight worth seeing. The quarry excavated by the cement company has now turned into a beautiful, scenic lake with many winged visitors like egrets, cormorants and herons resting and roosting on the trees around the lake. The seclusion and abandon in which Nature has created this lake from manmade ruins tells us how nature recaptures what it has been deprived of.
Kaval Tiger reserve
After lunch it was time to head towards the Jannaram forest area. But our enterprising guide took a detour and I could view the Sripada rao Yellampalli project. The vast surge of waves and the turbulence from the humongous amount of water in the reservoir reminded me of Akhanda Godavari near Dowleswaram.
At Jannaram we skipped the decrepit guest house and ventured on a safari into the reserve forest to spot wild life. It was a different experience altogether witnessing the luscious, wild forest willing its way across all directions. I was taken in by the green breath of the large deciduous trees and abundant foliage (the Petrichor was totally intoxicating). I saw nearly ten species of birds and a giant spider which had spread its web a good 10 meters. From the wild life, I could spot deer, wild boar, Peacocks, Langur and Nilgai. I was conscious that this was their home and their habitat. The Nilgai lazily stretched its limbs on the verdant green and the deer ran around in herds. The Tiger we couldn’t spot, but our guide told us that the secret cams had recorded their movement. We stopped at a lake in the middle of the forest where tens of lotuses had blossomed in the morn. Cranes and peckers hovered over the waters picking up small prey. The interplay of light on water with quietness reigning all around you creates a frame of mind close to equanimity and lucidity.
We rested in the Haritha resort in Dharmpuri town for the night. The resort is beside the river. I kept meeting the river Godavari at all places and it was amazing to know how rivers become an integral part of culture and civilization. In the night at many corners and grounds I could see women celebrating ‘Batukamma’ in style and show.
Dharmapuri is a small, quaint town. I discovered its importance by accident. It is one among the 9 shrines In A.P. where the Lord Narasimha swamy has manifested as swayambhu. I read that the 8 other shrines were Simhachalam, Antharvedi, Mangalagiri, Yadadri, Penchalakona, Ahobilam, Kadiri and Vedadri. I had worshipped the Lord Narasimhaswamy at all the 8 other places. It was my great fortune that I could have a darshan of the Lord on Vijaya Dashami. Another interesting feature about this temple is the presence of Lord Yama at the entrance. Devotees have to enter the temple after chanting a mantra for Lord Yama.
Only a few temples make you feel elevated and blessed. It also depends on the attitude of the Bhakta. At Dharmapuri I felt elevated and inspired by divine solace although for a very brief moment. After worshipping Lord Siva at the koti Lingala, another temple abutting the serene Godavari I ended my visit to Mancherial district and returned to Hyderabad. I reflected that my trip touched adventure, archaeology and adoration.