This time the benefactor was... Nagarjunasagar !

No way !! was my response when my roommie broke out the news.. We were planning to go on a one day trip to Nagarjunasagar. But I knew, my instincts told me that the unavoidable was to come...we didn't have a choice, we had been mystified by the unseen forces of nature which lured us into the travel mode. The odds were against us, the heavy rainfall on the previous days, the impending danger of floods and the high alert sounded in lieu of Ganesh chathurthi. The thrill, yes, that was the prime mover that provided our bones,the usually lazy ones, with the motivation to move. The trip had its attractions too, twelve of the twenty flood-gates were opened due to the heavy inflow of water in the cachement. Rest assured...we were gonna have plenty of water.

Biking down to Nagarjunasagar would have been a biker's paradise if it weren't "raining, and so we decided to teleport ourselves by means of a cab. Another fact which went in favor of a cab was that we were fourteen (more ??)in number. 'Well begun is half done' goes well for a trip to Nagarjunasagar. Beginning early is extremely important for two reasons
1. If you are biking, the sun can get really hot by noon.
2. The boating ends at 13:00 hours. If you go a minute later than this, you'll cut your sight-seeing contents by half ! (Disclaimer : The same can happen if you choose to go during rainy seasons !!).

Okay, lets get right into the proper travelogue mode now..

Places of Interest :

1. Nagarjunasagar dam

The dam by itself is a splendid entertainer with its huge form and grace. If you happen to be a frequent dam visitor, then you'll be surprised to know that no traffic (inclusive of humans :P) is allowed over the dam under any circumstances whatsoever. Nevertheless it's still fun to watch the water gush out in huge torrents forming a facade over the entire height of the structure.

2. Nagarjunakonda :

I have twice embarked on a trip to Nagarjunasagar, but never have i set my eyes upon this place. It is supposed to be one of the main attractions of nagarjunasagar. The boating begins from the cachement base where the APTDC building is hosted. You have a couple of snacks counter apart from the boating booking office in that building. I have heard that there is a museum of great renown, but then the trip to the islet is by means of a boat which attracts me more than the museum. Since I lack the capacity to further extempore on some place which I have never seen before, I'll drop of from this section for now. But hey ! one thing I can say for sure.. if you want to see the place there are two things that you shouldn't do :

1. Come during rainy season as the level of water might rise providing the officials enough reasons to dock the boats.
2. come after 1:00 PM as the last boat departs at 1:30 officially.. but this is one rare place in India where things run in advance..the last boat departs half an hour in advance :-) (say cheese !!)

3. How to name it ??

Okay.. the title says it all. I am really at a loss trying to find a name for this place. There's a bridge across the river immediately before the dam, a huge sprawling one that you cannot miss. But thats not the one I am referring to.. there's an old bridge that is broken and condemned for use. That's the one to watch out for ! Believe it or not, the feeling is entirely of a different plane if you were to stand on the broken rims of the bridge. The wind blowing at a mighty pace, bringing with it the tiny droplets of water from the dam outflow, the huge ripples formed by the sudden conversion of static energy into kinetic energy, its just amazing !! Unfortunately, the second time I went here, the bridge was barricaded to prevent any mis-happenings. Still we managed to find an alternative to reach the edge of the abyss and I realised later that it was worth the effort. If you want to take those movie-type still photographs, this is the place for you.

4. Ettipothala falls:

Exotic as the name might sound, the falls are equally picturesque. There are two things that you can do here. One, watch the falls, enjoy the beauty, take snaps and pack your bags, pay 20 bucks for this. Two, go near the falls, have a mini-trek to the foot of the falls, have a bath on a smaller section of the falls, and pay nothing for it. The choice is yours to make :-)> coming down to the facts, you can ideally take this up as the last lap of your journey since it remains open till sunset. Moreover, this is just 10 km from the dam site which provides you with the flexibility to go here at your choice.

5. The Banks :

This was the best part of my latest trip down to nagarjunasagar. Its a sequel to the "How to name it section" that you have read above. The other end of the broken bridge has an amicable and broad river bank which can serve as a hot spot to take a quick dip into the river. It can turn out to be more than a dip if there's plenty of water discharge,so beware guys ! the river cuts through deep enough to pull you in, so go one step at a time into the water. There are some reinforced steel posts installed at a location which you can hold onto if you indeed decide to have a dip. We decided against the local's opinion and went ahead to have a dip. It was worth more than I ever hoped for. With twelve of the twenty floodgates opened, the water was coming out in waves. The experience was nothing short of Miami beach (Trivia : I've never been to Miami before :P).

An ideal place for a quick one day break for any person, one which provides relaxation to the tired minds, refershingly beautiful waterspots, amicable climate and ample fun for all age groups.

Factfile :

Duration of the trip : 15 - 18 hrs

Distance from Hyd : 159 KM - 180 KM

Travelling time: 3 hours one way.

Mode of transport : Biking (tiring & enjoyable)
Cabs taken on hire
APSRTC Buses from Hyd

Places in and around : Srisailam (60 Km from N.sagar)

Best time of visit : Non-flooded days :)

Amenities required : Snacks (you wont find many around there.), a change-dress, camera, Jerkin.

Cost of the trip : Around Rs.500 - 800 (inclusive of an inexpensive lunch and dinner)

Bikers' beware : Return before nightfall, road is very dangerous at night.