By
KSK
Intro Rant:
Summers are always tricky. Most people don't prefer to venture out on a trip in summer, for obvious reasons. So, when I bounced an idea off a trip to Warangal this summer, everyone went nuts. They even ridiculed that I'm not in my senses. But I did not want to drop the idea just because someone feels it to be stupid. I needed a break from my monotonous work life, so I was adamant. I know my wife also wouldn't agree; even if she does, she doesn't come considering the weather, but I have to do the customary - inform. My son's response, quick as a wink, was "Let's do it". Wonderful kid. It took some collective effort by me and my son to get the go-ahead from the home minister. Phew!
Plan and Preparation:
Being a Kakatiya University graduate myself, I regret not exploring enough of Warangal (capital of Kakatiya Dynasty) for long, which is known for its rich history and heritage. Though it is well within 150 km distance from my hometown and also from Hyderabad, I did not specifically travel to see some of its historical places. So, it's that time again - One-day trip!
There was this understanding with my wife and me that any impromptu trip needs to be done and dusted same day. If it's feasible and possible then she and our daughter would also join. Otherwise, my only soul companion is my son on any given day. He can only match and endure my crazy schedule. But being peak summer, my wife was skeptical and worried about excessively hot weather. Only after explaining and reassuring about all necessary precautions taken, we were given the nod. I feel there is nothing like "perfect" time to travel. There is only convenient time. The more the amount of convenience the better. That's it. Peak season travel can bring expensive price tags, overcrowded tours, accommodation, parking and food problems etc. So sometimes off-season travelling could bring in some benefits. One such benefit is leisurely exploring the place in its entirety without hassle. In the end, it proved to be a wise decision as we could spend some quality time exploring the places (especially Laknavaram which is crowded during peak season).
Once the date (April 15th) was decided, it was only up to us on how many places we can cover in a day. We finalized 6 places. I've gone through Google maps for route and order of visit.
The Route:
Hyderabad -> Bhuvanagiri -> Yadadri -> Kazipet -> Warangal.
This is the only route everyone takes from Hyderabad, but little did we know what was in store for us. The four-lane road is under construction from Yadadri (Yadagirigutta) to Warangal, and it is a 99-km section of National Highway–163 in Telangana. Lots of patches, diversions and traffic was allowed only on one side. It was a nightmare to drive with heavy oncoming truck traffic especially at night. It took nearly 4 hours to cover 145 odd KMs for return journey, excluding dinner time.
The Journey:
Below was the order of places we wanted to visit:
Bhadrakali Temple
Warangal Fort
Thousand-Pillar Temple
Ramappa Temple
Laknavaram Lake
Pakhal Lake
Trip Details:
Total distance covered: 539 KM
Total duration of the trip: 17 hours
Road Conditions:
NH163 - Yadadri to Warangal: Quite a few diversions, patchy roads, potholes, and heavy truck traffic (at night).
Other connecting roads are good to okay.
If travelling to Pakhal lake from Laknavaram then do not blindly follow Google maps. It'll take you through some thandas. We drove almost 6 KM through a thanda and got lost. Just take left at Mallampalli and follow NH365 until Narsampet (Ambedkar statue), and then take left and follow Pakhal road till the lake.
Food Options:
Limited food options everywhere we visited except Warangal.
At Laknavaram, food options available like lunch, but depends on the crowd.
Better to carry home-made food to other places.
Parking Facility:
Limited or no proper parking facilities at all places I visited.
It'll be chaos at Laknavaram in peak season unless there is an alternative.
By KSK
By sreeni