The forgotten Stepwell of Lingampet in Telangana

Sitting in the 100 year old home of my grandfather's sister in my ancestral village,I gazed at the wrinkled lines on her face as she excitedly told me a tale about the days gone by. I was in Lingampet,a small village in Telangana, with my dad to spend the weekend.We used to spend our holidays here during our childhood. All our cousins would be there too and the house resonated with the festivities and noise of the family. But as we grew up the visits declined and after the death of my grandparents the visits totally dried up. Our home there, lay empty save for the occasional visits by my dad's brothers.Last weekend I decided to spend the days there and as I am a history fan I thought of meeting up old timers and extracting some info about the history of the village and of our family itself.

So we paid a visit to my grandather's sister. As the conversation turned from present day to the past her husband casually mentioned about an old stepwell. He mentioned that the local queen long ago used to arrive there with all her cavalcade which included elephants. This piqued my interest and after returning to home I asked my dad if we could make a visit there the next day. He agreed to take me there if we start early the next day.

And so we did.Early morning we reached the place which is just opposite to the police station on the main road. The weather was cool and there was no sign of the sun. We started off on our walk among the barren land lying on one side of the Kamareddy road. Here we had to search for a bit as even my dad was coming here after a long time. At one point we spotted a long boundary wall. We assumed that to be the well and quickly reached there but to our dismay it was just a wall with nothing on the other side. We moved along to check out another low wall a little bit ahead. With my dad ahead I followed him taking pics of the surrounding walls. A couple of minutes later my dad exclaimed with delight that he had spotted the well. I quickened my steps and followed him.Reaching there I saw a wall totally covered with shrubs and foliage. In a clearing between the foliage I finally got a good view of the well. It was majestic.Better than anything I expected. From the clearing I could look down at 6 arches on the opposite side.Built of rocks it looked pretty stable and solid. We couldn't see more of the well, so we hurried along the perimeter looking for a way in. All the sides were covered by the trees and shrubs. At last we found a way in. My father led the way down. Before descending he cautioned me not to come down unless he specifically asks me too. This took me right back to my childhood when dad used to take us around to old monuments and structures and gave us the same instructions. It was a long time since I heard them.

We descended through the dusty and cob web filled steps. They opened in one corner of the well. The sight was spectacular. Like the ruins of a castle, the walls looked beautiful. As I made sense of the structure I found that we were on level 1, below which extended 3 more levels. The base was in the fifth level. The last level was filled with so much garbage on the surface that it was difficult to tell if there was water below or if it was all only garbage. The layout of the well was something like this. At one side, which was the entrance there was gradual slope from the ground level leading to the well. This was all broken up with only the stones remaining scattered all over.. Just at the end of this slope are three grand arches of almost 5 mtrs height. These arches overlook the well. On the opposite side were six arches, three above and three below offering an excellent place to sit and view the proceedings below. The other two sides were split into the 5 levels that I mentioned before. The whole structure still looked stable and we were tempted to explore further but we stayed put in our position. Reason being that the place was covered with decaying leaves and it was very slippery. It was a risk not worth taking.

At the top of the arches near the entrance we spotted some carvings on the wall.They were partly covered by the foliage and I couldn't get a clear picture. There was a lady saluting someone or something. Then there were some animals and other designs of which I couldn't make much sense.I clicked some pics of the carvings as I intend to find out more about them.I wonder who built this well and why. Stepwells are rare in south of India and even rarer in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The only other stepwell I saw is in the Qutub Shahi Tombs complex in Hyderabad.

Soon we clambered back to the top and left after taking some more pics. This place in my opinion has immense potential for a tourist spot. All that needs to be done is clean it up and maybe build a small park around it.

A visit to the Railway station with the longest name in India, Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta.

There are things that some people do that makes them look like lunatics to others. For me chasing travel trivia is one such activity. A couple of years back when I went to visit a railway station in Orissa just because it had the smallest railway station name in India my colleagues at work couldn't believe it.  They told me that I was a 'pagal aadmi' (mad guy). I covered 50 kms on bus and 50 more on a train just to see that station so they thought they had every reason to call me pagal.

Well, they should have seen what I did to reach the station with the longest name in India.It is  situated on the Renigunta-Arakkonam section of Southern Railway. I started the night before to catch a 1 am train to Renigunta (from Nellore,where I live presently). From there I caught a morning 5 am passenger to Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta and reached the station at around 6 30am. Though I had the easier option to take the bus route I wanted to make the experience truthful to the purpose of my visit so I stuck with the inconvenient option of train.

The Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta station itself is nothing much. There is a small building housing the waiting area and a small room from where the tickets are issued. It was closed when I got down at the station. Only two trains have a stop here. As it was early morning the surroundings were bathed in the morning glow of the sunlight. On one side of the station a road runs, on the other side of which is a hillock. The sunlight fell on this hillock illuminating its rocky terrain. The other side was the village stuck close to the tracks. I strolled around here, making a rectangular circuit around the station on the opposing two tracks. This place lacked the kind of tranquility I experienced in the station with the smallest name, Ib in Orissa. So I decided to head back as soon as possible but before doing so I wanted to have breakfast. Sometimes you get the most delicious tiffins in remote villages. With this in mind I had a plate of hot Idlis in a tiffin center just in front of the station building. To my disappointment it was horrible.

I decided to head back and first took some pics with the name boards and the building. Luckily for me one train running in the opposing direction was due to arrive and I quickly bought a ticket from the old woman at the ticket counter. The tickets looked ancient. I did not know that cardboard tickets were still in existence. And it cost me only Rs15 which was including some kind of commission that the old woman was muttering about. I did not understand a word of what she spoke. I boarded that train to reach Renigunta Junction in an hour and from there I caught an RTC bus to Nellore to complete my trip by afternoon 1 am. So 12 hours and 320 Kms up and down for a trip to the station with the longest station name in India. Call me a pagal but it was an awesome trip!

In Review 2017

The year started off well with a visit to the famed Chadragiri Fort near Tirupati. This particular place was a part of my ambitious southern Andhra Pradesh trip I had planned while in college but could never complete. Now I am slowly ticking off places from that itinerary one by one.

Chandragiri Fort

In the month of May, to escape from the sweltering heat of Nellore I fled to the quaint hill station of Yercaud in Tamil Nadu. With its serene hills and amiable climate I found temporary relief for two blissful days.

Yercaud. 

In August a chance bike ride took me to the nearby Narsimhakonda Hills, where I got to see two windmills. Some stunning views of the countryside made the place a good getaway on weekends.

Narsimhakonda Hills

October bought the best trip of the Year. My friend Bhanu and myself spent two days in Hampi exploring the spectacular ruins there. It was monsoon and it rained both the days. We were prepared for that and our cycling in the Hampi rains remains the best memory of the year.

Hampi. Day 1. 

Hampi. Day 2.

In the last week of October I set off to Tadipatri to visit the famous Belum Caves. The longest cave complex in Asia open to public. It was thrilling to walk around in the caves which sometimes were as big as a hall and sometimes narrowed down so much that I had to squat on all fours.


Belum Caves.

In December my dad came over to Nellore and we decided to check out the nearby Pulicat Lake. The bird season was just beginning but we could spot a decent number of birds.

Pulicat Bird Sanctuary 

As luck would have it I was required to go to the north of Chennai for an official work and after my work was over I had half day left. So I went off to the historic town of Pulicat. The Dutch Cemetery there was the highlight.

Pulicat Town  

Also in November  I spent the morning at the beautiful Penchalakona Waterfalls. It was refreshing to take a dip in the cool and clear waters.

Penchalakona Falls 

Here is a video I made of the place.

The last trip of the year was to the Chennai Rail Museum. I had an exam to write in the evening and had the whole afternoon to myself. So I visited the Rail Museum. It was well worth the effort. There were some excellent models on display and the best part was we could actually climb into some of the locomotives.

Rail Museum, Chennai. 

Rail Museum Chennai, India.

A couple of weeks back I visited the Rail Museum in Chennai. There are both in house and outdoor exhibits in the Museum complex. The complex is spread around a small area, around which a toy train runs. I wanted to write a very detailed report of the models and exhibits but for now I will just post the pictures of the exhibits I liked the best.

I enjoyed the walk around the complex. This is a must for every rail enthusiast. 

Major plus point is you can actually climb into some of the engines and bogies displayed here.

To reach there just type 'Integrated Coach Factory' or simply 'Rail Musuem' into Gmaps. 

Penchalakona Waterfalls, Andhra Pradesh

Tucked away in the Eastern Ghats,70 km west of Nellore, is the quaint waterfalls of Penchalakona. A nearby temple draws huge crowds and the adventurous among them trickle down to the waterfalls.

As one passes by the temple the huge face of the hill comes into view and one can only gasp at the beauty of the falls. Far into the distance one can see the thin outline of the water as it falls from the top on the hill and disappears into the vegetation surrounding the base.

The path to the waterfalls is through a rocky terrain. It is the downstream path of the water and in some sections one can see the crystal clear waters flowing. The distance from the temple to the falls is around 3kms. I was there with a friend and we had jolly good time as we walked over the rocks and strolled through the cool water. When we reached the base of the falls the sight meeting us was mesmerizing. The falls, though the water was less, looked imposing. There was a neat little pool at the base and there were some people already in the water and we too couldn't wait to get in the water too. So without wasting much time we got into our water wear and got in.

We spent close to an hour frolicking in the water. I had bought my Panasonic action cam and took some really nice videos. By the time we got out of the water the whole area was packed with people. Whole families came and hijacked the place. We left soon. It was a weekend well spent.

 

Here is a video I made of the trip.

A Guide to the Historic town of Pulicat, Tamil Nadu.

Apart from the British, the other Europeans to have had a presence in India were the French, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the Danes. Out of these the Dutch had a major presence in the South of India. At various points of time they held the towns of Cochin, Nagapattinam, Pulicat and Masulipatnam. Out of these the town of Pulicat in present day Tamil Nadu was one of the most significant. The Dutch occupied Pulicat in 1609 after defeating the Portuguese who set up base there in 1502. Till 1690 Pulicat served as the Capital of the Dutch presence in Southern India.Later the British defeated the Dutch and took over Pulicat.

Today only the ruins of the Dutch presence remain in the town. Pulicat is located 60 Km north of Chennai and at the southern tip of Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu.  

A couple of weekends back I was on an official trip to Chennai when I happened to be in the vicinity and decided to check out Pulicat. I took a Tamil Nadu State transport bus from the town of Ponneri to reach Pulicat. The bus drops you right at the end of the main market street of the town. From here all the landmarks are at a walk-able distance.Though having a vehicle certainly helps. 

The first point of stop was the famed Dutch Cemetery. This is on the left side of the Bharatiyar Street. Very easy to locate. I made my way to the cemetery but was disappointed to find that it was locked. From the outside I could see the graves. There were around 20 graves with 5 of them having big tombs over them. Two of the five had obelisks. These tombs reminded me of the Victorian era tombs I often read in Gothic Horror stories. I had never seen tombs of this style before and I was excited to take a closer look. I went back and asked a couple of persons standing nearby about the it. They said it usually is opened in the evening around 1630 Hrs.This info lifted my spirits as at least I had a chance to take a closer look at the graves. I still had a couple of hours with me so I proceeded ahead to check out a Museum which was showing on Gmaps on my phone. 

This Museum I found out is housed in a couple of shop areas. This was set up by Art and Architecture Research Development and Education Foundation (AARDE). Though small in size it is a must visit for anyone coming to Pulicat. It houses a number of infographics about the early history of Dutch, of Pulicat and has maps of its layout. It also has an excellent summary of the things to see in the town. In addition to the above it has an exhibit of a large pot which was used by the people of Pulicat for water storage. 

On the opposite side of the road is a large swamp. This was the area where the Dutch had built their Fort known as Fort Geldria. It was built in 1613 but was later destroyed by Hyder Ali in the second Anglo Mysore War.  Nothing remains now. I moved on into the village to look at the second cemetery, that of the Portuguese. Using Gmaps for guidance I reached the place after strolling through the narrow streets. When I finally reached I was greeted by a solitary signboard and lots of garbage. The place was overtaken by bushes and rubbish and there was no way for me to look at the graves. 

It was already 1630 Hrs and I hurried back to the Dutch Cemetery. Here I again asked a couple of people standing nearby and one of them said he will go and get the keys. I was delighted now. After a couple of minutes he got the keys and opened the gate and asked me to come inside. I stopped at the gate for a couple of minutes. The gate has an arch on which something is inscribed in a language which I assume is Dutch. On each sides there is a sculpture of a skeleton. The one on the left has a gaping mouth and has on its head what looks like an hour glass maybe signifying the limited time we have on earth. But the more hideous of the two was the one on the right. It has a tilted head and one of its hands is resting on the skull of a smaller skeleton which one can only assume belongs to a child. I have no idea what this means. There was a third skull right in the middle of the arch. The whole picture looked a bit grim.  

I walked inside. There were around 20 graves inside. Most of them were pretty plain like the one pictured here. Rectangular in shape with an engraving on the top. I especially like the badge designs on the top. The ones which really stood out were the five I mentioned before. Out of these two had obelisks and no sculptures on them. Two others had no sculptures. Only one had sculptures of two angels flying. I took a few pics here and strolled around to look at the engravings to find anything interesting. But most of the writing was in Dutch so there was no such luck. I found one in English. It was the tombstone of a certain Henry Fortan, who died in Pulicat in 1864.I assume this man was British.All the while the man patiently waited for me finish my walk. After I was done we walked back together to the gate. I found out that he was the designated caretaker of the Cemetery and it was maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. His name was Mohammed Hussain. He informed me that there was no particular time of opening of the cemetery and if one wishes to go inside one only has to ask him. He can be contacted by asking for him at the dwelling located to the left of the gate. I wanted to thank him by giving him a tip but he refused stubbornly.  

Following the map I found in the museum I decided my next stop would be an Old Dutch Building. This was located on the way to the light house on the left side just before the bridge starts. The old dutch building was nothing much to look at. It was being used as a store house by a hospital nearby. 

Heritage buildings falling prey to Government apathy always brings out the lament that we Indians as a whole simply don't care about our past. 

I walked out the place and continued on to the bridge to take a look at the light house and the beach. This bridge runs over a lagoon formed here.The walk on the bridge presented wonderful views of the sea and the number of fishing boats plying. Pulicat is a fishing town and this is where you can look at the evidence. On the right side of the bridge a huge number of fishing boats were parked. The walk was soothing and relaxing.It was getting dark and the evening breeze from the sea only made the walk more refreshing. I walked to the lighthouse but found out that it was closed for the day for tourists. Its timings were from 1500 Hrs to 1700 Hrs. I next made my way to the beach. There were not  many people were around. A game of cricket was in progress and I stopped for a couple of minutes to look at the action. After enjoying the cool breeze for a while I started my walk back to the town. I returned to the area where the bus had dropped me earlier to catch a bus back to ponneri. Soon a bus arrived and I was on my way back after enjoying a wonderful day at the charming little town of Pulicat. 

A guide map displayed in the AARDE Foundation Museum 

The one on the right side of the red gate is the museum

Things to know

- Lighthouse timings 1500 Hrs to 1700 Hrs

- If the cemetery is locked just ask for Mohammed Hussain at the dwelling just to the left of the gate. 

- Nothing much to eat in Pulicat. Better to bring in your own food.