Gandi Kota - Hidden Gem

Gadikota a small village situated in cuddappa district of Andhra Pradesh. Our journey towards this started on 2017 july 10th from Kerala. Which is planned and happened with in only a two day time period! Really an Unexpected trip. So for that reason we didn’t have much time organize the trip properly. Only thing we knew was it’s in Andhra Pradesh! Balance all depended upon google. But we use to interact with locals rather to stay inside google. I am very good in handling telugu language and it didn’t feel an problem at all.

We decided to take train to Bangalore and from there will check with Andhra bus section in Bangalore  depot. But before that we get all most ninety percent details from train itself. We met with a boy who already done this trip. He advised us to go to Andhra bus stop in Bangalore depot. And ask them form tadipathri bus. And from tadipathri we can easily get to gandi kota. This information make feel us in the comfort zone. After that didn’t do more google or anything, once we get off the station and headed towards Andhra bus stop.

As per the information we got, bus will ply around 09:30 pm from there to tadipathri. We had our light dinner from the bus stop and went on sleep as it takes around 7-8 hrs. to reach tadipathri. The road was very poor condition till tadipathri so the planning to take rest went on vein. Early morning 05:30 we reached our first destination tadipathri, a small village town having all basic requirements and facilities and good bus stop. The poor thing was the drainage smell and mosquito bites. We enquire in bus stop how to reach gandi kota they advise to take bus to jammalamadugu that’s the point of stay to visit gandi kota.

We reached jammalamadugu with in a half hour of time nad took a hotel room for 500 INR (facilities cost it not even a 200), we had our refreshment from there and took auto (charges 250 INR) to gandi kota almost a half hour it takes to reach there. An abandoned village situated around the pennar dam and George fort. Only lives can see is few families surrounded the fort area. We start walking inside the fort which was almost not possible walk and finish in a day. Which is wide spread around 5 acres. From the entrance of the fort it lead to a small jail which is now the home for BAT’s. Then further heading forward we seen the majestic madhavarayar temple which looks awesome and majestic. But the government was not taking any care to maintain it. Nearby we also found a juma masjid also. All these were built on the 13th century.

We continued our walking besides to the fort walls and around an two half of our walk takes us to the view of Hidden grand canyon, as same it looks like the river Arizona flowing on foots of colarado hills , here it is river pennar and gandi kota give the same view.! A small drizzle starts but didn’t last for much time. Still drizzle gives little good mood from the terrible heat. We are running out of water so we decide to go back to fort gate and from there back to our hotel. We get bus from the fort gate till jammal madugu. 

Next morning we check out of the hotel and get bus to kollimingudlu as advised by people there and from there we got share auto till the belum caves. Belum cave park seems to be new,  because of lack of visitors and it was only modified few years back. We take ticket inside from the park and start to walk inside the cave. Belum caves are the second highest caves in Asia. It’s hard to walk in few areas inside because of my body size! Any how we all went through out the cave fully with in around two and half hours after came back and prepared for our return trip.  First get to ananthapur and from there we get bus to Bangalore! Bus trip through Andhra village is like this. Typical villages with less facilities which looks classic but the lives living there need more attention. Paddy fields laid across the two sides of road  till the horizon .this makes them largest producers of rice in India. Yes, it’s the rice bowl of India without any doubts.

And If it wants to be like that the government need to give attention towards the farmers and their lives .Otherwise bowl will become empty soon.

KV.Vishnu

01/08/2019