Nature’s marvel cries for attention

World Tourism Day

Pandavula Gutta – the Pandavas hideout - boasts of beautiful waterfalls and mysterious seven wells

Warangal-Khammam: Nestled in a breathtaking landscape and resplendent with greenery, Pandavula Gutta, which boasts of seven waterfalls interlinked with as many wells, is a very mysterious place and has remained as an unexplored destination in the State.

According to mythology, the Pandavas spent some time here during their one-year Agnathavasa, where they remained incognito. The architecture of these seven wells was designed by Pandavas in such a way that they looked as if they were naturally placed one underneath the another, so that the water flows from the first well to second well, and from second to third till it reached the last and seventh well.

There lies the mystery. The waterfalls appear like they are trapped between the hills. However, they find their way to the last well. Then, the water ends up in a mysterious way. The Pandavas, who were hiding in these hills at that time during the Dwapara Yuga , didn’t want to give a clue of their presence to the outside world and hence, diverted the water into Patalam, the tribals here say, unravelling the mystery.

Whatever the fact of this legend may be, the cascading waterfalls give a glimpse of nothing short of a breathtaking experience. This mystery hideout of Pandavas, which cuddled amongst the hills, never got its due recognition although the surrounding Bayyaram iron ore fields caught the attention of everybody in the undivided State of Andhra Pradesh.

In fact, even now, not many people are aware of this beautiful place in Telangana. The need of the hour is to develop these hills into an eco-tourism spot to tap the maximum tourism potential. The other major benefit of these waterfalls is that it could quench the thirst of at least 40 tribal villages in the region, besides providing water for irrigation.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Saturday, Khammam Tourism Officer Suman Chakravarthy said, “Soon a proposal will be sent to the State government explaining the tourism potential of the place.”

Besides giving a boost to tourism, it would also provide employment opportunities to the local tribes, predominantly Koyas, who could be used as resource persons, he said, reflecting on the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) campaign – One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities – highlighting the tourism sector’s potential.

“It’s an achievement even if the region attracts at least one lakh tourists a year,” he added, stating that people need not go far flung places like Araku, Ooty and other hill stations in Kerala when they have many beautiful places in the Telangana State itself.

By Adepu Mahender