Ghumakkad in Hindi means 'the wanderer'. That is what I am. On the move any time anywhere!
This blog chronicles Ghumakkad's travels/teachings/learnings around the globe as picture stories. In addition, there are Picturesque Quotes (PQs) created using my pictures. Enjoy it.
If you have also been to the places/topics described here, please feel free to add to the content.
Your comments/ suggestions are welcome.
From flowers, plants, trees, tribal food, buildings and statues, we now move to a lake! Which is this lake? Where is it? KBG-10 is here! Kaun Banega Ghumakkad Contest No. 10.
Two clues follow with pictures. The lake is situated next to a dam.
If you still can't figure out, look at the first picture. See the hill slopes. What kind of vegetation grows there? Clue in the picture below.
Come on folks, this one is designed for hikers across the globe! Enough said, punch your response. First three winners get featured in the next post.
End of summer, Ghumakkad resumes the joy of exploration. A close getaway from Hyderabad with just an overnight stay. Destination- Nagarjunasagar 175 kms away, a cool 3 hours drive.
The route we took by road.
Who were the co-travellers with Ghumakkad?
Did you know that 'Mall' is the name of a village in Chintapally mandal of Nalgonda district-- even before Malls came up for shopping and entertainment? See the picture below where we halted for breakfast.
The real pleasure of cross country driving in India comes from the agricultural fields all over.
With two breaks in between, we reached Nagarjunasagar after four hours. We had booked our accommodation on-line in Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation's Haritha resort at Vijay Vihar. Deluxe AC room on weekends costs Rs 3400/- including all taxes. B/F is complimentary. Other veg meals in the region of Rs 175/- per head. Pictures:
Here is a short video showing the Buddha Park in Vijay Vihar resort.
The view from Vijay Vihar resort is simply breathtaking. Even though the water level was 80 feet lower than the full tank level (FTL) of 590 feet, the reservoir looked enormous.
Here is a short 40 second video view of the reservoir from Vijay Vihar resort.
Nagarjunasagar is a dam on river Krishna. Some interesting facts about the dam:
· . Khosla Committee to decide on dam site, refused to
visit as there was no motorable road ·Local ruler at his own cost and with volunteer villagers
from 25 villages help built a road in one week ·It took 12 years to construct the dam: 1955-67. ·150 meters tall and 1.6 kms wide, it is the tallest
masonry dam in the world. 5 km total length. ·26 crest gates each 13 meters (W) x 14 meters (H) ·Cost 104 lakh rupees (1955 prices) out of which the
Raja gave 50% along with several thousand acres of ancestral land ·Originally an irrigation-cum-hydropower project ·Later 200km long water supply scheme to Hyderabad city
implemented which lifts the water 1600 ft ·Boundary between Telangana (Nalgonda district) and
Andhra Pradesh (Guntur district) passes through the dam. Here are a few pictures depicting various stages of the construction of the dam. These are displayed in Vijay Vihar reception lobby.
The Dam as it looks now downstream.
There have been many issues concerning the environmentalimpact of the project. Readers may browse Wikipedia for a summary.
On Day-1 as we drove past the dam, the setting sun cast a different picture.
Ancient Buddhist sites were located and excavated in 1923 near Vijay Nagar East.
Artefacts were thereafter dug up and shifted to Nagarjunakonda- an island now in Nagarjunasagar reservoir. Few pieces dating back to 3rd century AD were relocated to nearby village Anupu. Ghumakkad will take you to Nagarjunakonda in the next story. Preview shot:
Thanks for browsing. -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 26th June 2017
