Gandikota Fort & Belum Caves

The roads were steep and surrounded by shrubbs and rocks all around with no signs of civilisation around and it went on for another quarter of an hour. The sight of the temple gopuram heaved a sigh of relief in us. We drove through the fort walls which were designed as fortifications from enemy armies.Frantically we park our bikes and go for in one direction.

The temple and fort walls which can be seen from a distance

Road towards the Fort

Is this the view we saw in the internet ….?
No
Maybe we should go a few more steps ahead and check….
No… Its not over here… We shall go back to fort and check with someone.

                Gandikota was in all its calm on the weekend. The fort stood on a shrubby hill with a few houses near it. The main catch of the fort is the Gorge to the left of the main gateway. We were lost in the backside of the fort and were searching for the Scenic Cliff also known as the Grand Canyon Of India.

        Soon, we came to know of the location and moved fast since it was nearing Sunset. The approach to the cliff was full of boulders of different sizes lying all over the place. We had to negotiate our way through the rocks to reach the cliff. The Cliff was huge, the pictures were true…. It really looked like the Grand Canyon. There was no water in the river and it was full of algae. The sides of the Cliffs also marked two walls of different sizes of the Fort itself. We could see the reservoir on one side of the cliff and green hillocks on the other side dotted with Windmills in the background. It was a perfect setting for a day wherein we had travelled 400kms for this view. There were many selfie mongers lurking over the edge to take pictures of the scenic point and we saw a group equipped with a drone too!!!

                The only hotel in Gandikota is the APTDC Haritha hotel and can be booked online. The other option for lodging would be the town of Jamalamuggudu which lies around 15kms away. There aren’t many shops around the fort so pack yourselves for any refreshments before you wander the fort. We were lucky enough to get accommodation in Gandikota itself.

Outside the APTDC Hotel in Gandikota

                Earlier in the day we had started at 6.15am from Chennai with a Royal Enfield Classic and an Electra. We halted for breakfast in a small hotel near Renigunta, rested ourselves and started Towards Kadapa. The 135Km road towards Kadapa was a two lane highway with few towns dotting the road. The route was picturesque with trees and hills all around which was also a relief from the sun.
                We had pitted for Lunch in Kadapa. We had done our Homework of the specialties of Kadapa and drove straight to Andhra Spice Hotel. We reached a tad too early at around 11.45. We had already fixed the menu in our mind- Kunda Biriyani (Biriyani cooked in a Mud Pot) with Natukodi Chicken which is a famous Kadapa Cuisine. Our thirst for something new was not over since we ordered for Bongu Chicken (Chicken Biriyani made in a Bamboo Stem). With our appetite for travel not yet filled we then started towards Gandikota at 1 PM.

Belum Caves

                The next day morning at 7 we started towards Belum Caves which is another 80Kms away from Gandikota fort. We reached the caves to be welcomed by a huge Buddha Statue. To our surprise the caves opened only at 10am. We had our breakfast in a small hotel outside and had a quick nap outside the caves.

                We bought the passes and entered the cave through a downward staircase. A guide accompanied us through the cave which was mandatory in the place. We entered into a large causeway which branched further downwards.

Stairway leading down to the interiors of the cave

The Cave is 3kms long in total but visitors are allowed only for a length of 1Km. Though the cave is well ventilated with air shaft pipes it felt a lot humid down. The Orange lighting provides a perfect blend to the otherwise cement colored limestone cave. The cave narrows down to a foot in some places where you have to manoeuvre yourselves through the small causeway.  The cave is well maintained with paved footpath even in narrow sections and CCTV cameras lined along frequently just in case you get lost. As you get into the interior of the cave you get to see the stalactites and stalagmites (a hard word which you would have encountered in geography books).

The Huge hallway near the entrance

The curvy low ceiling interiors with orangy lighting

Stalactite Formation

We were told that the cave goes around 120feet down from the entry point but that was enough for us to sweat out all the fluids in our body, it was in stark contrast to the outside weather. But the cave in itself was a natural wonder and I am sure it is a not to be missed one.

             
Note: Gandikota and Belum Caves are visited by a lot of people in the weekends, plan your stay well in advance. Nearest Towns for accommodation would be Jammalamugudu and Tadipatri which provide average stay options.