When we embarked on a weekend trip to Bhadrachalam
and Papikondalu, we had sort of a pilgrimage trip in mind. Little did we
realize that it was less of a pilgrimage and more of a fun-filled adventure
trip!! No wonder my mother-in-law, who is above 70 years old, joined us to
visit Lord Rama at Bhadrachalam.
The trip started at Yatri Nivas, Secunderabad at
7:30 pm. The Volvo bus, incidentally was the worst experience of the weekend, with
its uncomfortable seats and the noisy movies. The first halt was at 4:30 am at
the Harita hotel, Bhadrachalam. We had about an hour to get ready for the
temple. The serene temple atmosphere was enjoyable from 6:30 to 8:00 am. After
breakfast at the hotel, we started for the Parnasala, which was the place where
Sitadevi was supposed to have been kidnapped by Ravan.
After lunch, we left for the Papikondalu trip. That’s
when the actual fun began. Around 70 km from Bhadrachalam, we needed to get
onto a boat. Halfway to the river bank, all cell-phone signals simply vanished.
Imagine 24 hours without a cell-phone!! Well, in a way, I would say it was
bliss, because one could enjoy the beauty of nature without being distracted by
phone calls, facebook, emails and news. As someone said, even if there was a
catastrophe anywhere in the world, there was no way we would know.
Getting onto the boat was a big challenge. As we got
down from the bus, ready to drag our strollers, 10 year old kids came running to
us offering to carry our bags. Two boys would hold a wooden stick between them
on their shoulders hanging the luggage on it. That was the best way to transport
our luggage to the boat. It was a challenge for us to walk down to the boat
from a height on the sands. Welcome to the adventure!! The next shock was
getting onto the boat on a narrow wooden plank. Surprisingly, my M-i-L was the
one who got onto the boat with minimum fuss. She was used to it in her youth
almost 40 years ago!! Memories came rushing back to her...
The boat journey was pleasant with an awesome view of
the river and the surrounding mountains. We enjoyed the gentle breeze even as
we struggled to cope with the noisy Telugu film songs. Sometimes it is a
blessing to not know a language if you want to enjoy the music!! As we alighted
the boat at a village called Kollur, which is the last village in Papikondalu,
darkness had set in. There were no boys to carry our luggage. So we had to
carry it ourselves on a steep incline with limited lighting. This is where team
work played a role. We had a group of youngsters travelling with us, who made
sure they gave support and helped us overcome our fears and climb the incline.
Inspite of being involved in the planning for this
trip, I did not bother to check the website for the tour details. As we reached
the enclosure for our accommodation, expecting to see a decent hotel, what
greeted our eyes was a view of the huts where we were supposed to stay. Hmm, I
have never been on an NCC camp or a trekking trip, so I have no experience of
temporary accommodations or community toilets. An entirely new experience, how
do we cope with this?? In any other place, we would have probably said, “to
hell with the trip, lets get our own accommodation”, but this was a village,
with no other option!!
So… we get into our hut, where we can barely stand.
Fortunately, my M-i-L and S-i-L were barely able to stand whereas I had to
manage changing my dress, sitting inside the hut!! Dinner was served at 7:30 pm
and it was announced that power would be off by 9 pm. However, it was only an
empty threat and the power was on through the night. Strangely, either due to
exhaustion, or the lack of pollution, we all crashed by 9:30 pm and woke up
only in the morning to the chirping of birds. When do we enjoy the early
morning breeze and the birds in the city? We always wake up to the daily grind
and the television. We are always wondering what is happening in the world
rather than enjoying the current moment…
Next was a leisurely stroll around our tenement and
some pictures, enjoying the view of the mountains and the river. After that, we
had to climb another steep incline in order to have breakfast and go for a trek
in the jungle. We were to go trekking in the jungle for around 45 minutes after
which we would reach a place where the Godavari river is shallow and we could
get into the waters. The trek was pleasant, with greenery all around and even
my M-i-L, who is a nature and plant-lover managed the journey. All tiredness
was forgotten as we reached the banks. The pristine flowing water was soothing
to the body and 30 minutes in the water made us feel as if all our allergies
and sins were washed away.
After lunch, it was time to pack up from the huts.
Though unexpected, we really enjoyed the experience of living in a hut. Since
it was only for a day, it was enjoyable. I don’t think we could have managed
more than that. The boat journey took us to the tip of Papikondalu, where the
river narrows between two mountains - a scenic beauty. We also visited a Shiva
temple on the return trip at a village – Parentapally. All good things come to
an end and so did the trip. Monday morning, we were back to our daily routines.
I would strongly recommend a trip to Papikondalu. Such
breath-taking beauty exists in AP and we go to different states and countries,
ignoring our neighbourhood.
