One day Trip To Srisailam

Srisailam Temple Entrance

Start Date: 01-Jul-2011, 11.45PM

Return Date: 02-Jul-2011, 10.00PM

A journey which I thought would be of the college times outing types has started on a nervous note. Bus was expected to depart at 11.45PM and I started to home from office only at 8.30PM on my dad's old bike of mid 90s. I managed really well in reaching home by 9.30PM and started to Bus station by 10.45PM.

All this while, I was thinking of what all things to be done. Basically I was planning about the next day though I know the fact that plans always stay as plans and something else will be implemented(inspired by IT SDLC). Fortunately for us, none of our group of 12 have given any shocks like last minute dropout or being late. And shockingly, the bus started ten minutes before scheduled time (all passengers have arrived before time in HYD and reported at MGBS is definitely a wonder - Importantly, bus also arrived at right time!!!!!)
The plan was to reach Srisailam by morning (as early/late as the bus takes us there!!) and have early Darshan. As soon as this is done, then to go to all places around and for boating..

The journey went this way...
Myself: Was busying typing messages, sending my journey status to dad and letting him know of the whereabouts of the bus and just before I go to sleep switching off mobile. Besides the status updates :), was taking some photographs here and there. At the checkpost near Nallamala forest (70Km from Srisailam), I had a beautiful experience when I slept (only for thirty minutes though) under a neem tree while other friends have returned to bus. That is something we cannot explain in words.. Slept hardly for two hours when the bus was taking us
from Hyd to this checkpost.

A status Call was in progress !!! :) we were about to reach Srisailam

At the checkpost, I had a nice ginger Tea at 4.00AM reminded me of the days when I used to drink the morning Tea with my grandfather at 4 or so in the mornings. The temperature was as low as 10 degrees with a very cold breeze taking away from us the dead dusts of our city life and soothing us as if we were taken into the laps of THE MOTHER - Nature!!..


Besides the regular darshan along with friends, I was lucky to have a special darshan, thanks to Amarnath, and have managed to touch the Lingam. It was my second visit to Srisailam and in both the occasions I was lucky to have a similar experience both the times.


Pulin: He was spl throughout the journey. As soon as the bus started, we (all except Pulin) started to talk in the bus and He feel asleep as soon as he got into the bus. Everyone else got down at checkpost but he stayed back in bus and slept. In the morning, when we were supposed to take darshan, he disappeared like a flash of light and he went to the dam for taking the bath...

Bus didn't even start and he was into deeeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Srikant: The one who is going to lose the title of bachelor soon - what do you expect him to be doing :) other than to be spotted on mobile!! But, he enjoyed, I believe, the entire journey and the trip.

Jai Jai Ganesha.. Jai kodata ganesha...
Subbu, Srikant, Me

KP: He would have done really well if he has Sai with him. :) Probably was thinking about SLAs and client meeting, he took a nice formal pant and shirt to wear for darshan :). After all, Shiva (Mallikarjuna Swami) is the BigBOSS of all. First time , we didn't hear something like " Sare Sai" OR "Sare Sir" from him for a full day!!!! May be practicing for future!! :P

I miss you Sai... I really miss you ^_^

VP: Best of the Twelve in the company - in terms of enjoying the trip. Made most of the time in the travel by enjoying the beauty of nature and He is one of the best to be with!!!! No doubt about that - a girl like Her :P have run behind u. :):)

Nenu.... Naa mokka...

Digvijay, Rohit & Rajendra: You three were in my view like Triplets. But Rohit enjoyed my telugu while I enjoyed his hindi :P:P. Rajendra and Digvijay - you were as quiet as I expected :). And in my absence, I believe they have come out the quiet shell.. But, there were few hindi words I couldnt listen for a long time, was able to hear thanks to Rohit :P

Not even one of them know Telugu ^_^..
(Rohit, Digvijay, Rajendra & my Fav Pulin)

Himanshu, Subbu, Mahesh, Surya - Vizag Gang: typical Vizag gang!! :) No matter where we are, we need fun and we need double meaning dialogues. :) Srisailam is no spare for us!!!

(Srikant, Digvijay, Surya, Mahesh, Himanshu, VP, Subbu)

The best parts of the journey were (Bullet Points)

• When Surya was taking his bath, and bus started from checkpost!!!


• Waiting for Pulin to reach out for Darshan..


• Going to Patala ganga by walk -- 700+ steps ... an experience which will make us shiver even after years!! :P But would have been much better if all twelve have come by steps to patala ganga (four of them came by Ropeway)


• Begging near Phaladhaara and Panchadhaara.


• Taste of Nelavemu plant leaves


• The Darshan


• Sleeping under the Neem tree


• Walking in the Vanamalika at 3.15AM


• Twelve of us going for boat ride with 11 tickets!! :)


• The way we relaxed in park after returning from Patala Ganga


• "Oil Joke" of Subbu ^_^..


• Same bus for to and fro and same bus driver


• Sunnipenta, domala penta and eegalapenta - names of the villages (Penta means ANGADI in chenchu tribes language).


• It was second day after hiking the Laddu price from 5Rupees to 10 (80gr to 100gr weight).


• And a golden gaja sthambham was being constructed!!!

Places visited:

• Mallikarjuna Swami Temple and Bhramaramba Temple


• Vriddha Mallikarjuna lingam


• Hatakeswaram:


• Phaladhara & Panchadhara


• Patalaganga Dam and boat journey


• Sakshi Ganapati


• Sikharam


• Achchampet check post

To be visited next time:

1. Ista Kameswari


2. Akkammadevi guhalu by boat (16KM - starts at 10AM and returns only by 3PM, Rs 230 per head)


3. Water falls

Near Sakshi Ganapati

Near Phaladhara Panchadhara

Near Nandi..