Pocharam Forest & Wildlife Sanctuary

Main Wildlife Attractions: Bar-Headed Goose, Brahminy Bucks,Open Billed Stork,Leopard,Sloth Bear, Sambar

Coverage Area: 130 sq.kms.

Established: 1952

Best Time to Visit:October to July

The low hills and the water pools serve the best place for

the wild animals to live in. The wildlife sanctuary is named after Pocharam Lake. The Pocharam Wildlife sanctuary was established to protect the wild animals from being extinct.

Pocharam Forest & Wildlife Sanctuary covers 130 sq kms in the district of Medak and Nizamabad. The wildlife sanctuary was established in the year 1952 by the Nizam of Hyderabad. The sanctuary is the homeland of various species of animals and birds. Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Chowsingha, Chinkara, Hyena and Jackal are the main attractions of the sanctuary. The river Manjira is the main river that adds life to the jungle. The water body is nestling for the fish like Catla, Rahu, Murrel, Ech Paten, Karugu and Chidwa. Crocodile, fresh water turtles, Cobra and Marsh can be located in this sanctuary.

The floras of the sanctuary make the sanctuary livelier with green vegetation like Babul prosopis, Pistia, Hydrilla, Eichornia and Vallisneria. The tree tops remain populated by migratory birds and their sound vibrates the area and makes it lively.

The nine small islands are the main breeding areas for birds, crocodiles and turtles. Birds like Painted Storks, herons, Coots, Teals, Cormorants, Pochards, Black and White Ibises, Spoon Bills and Open Billed Storks make their nests in these tranquil islands.

The best season is from the month of October to July. The nearest railway station is Hyderabad which is 150 kms away from the sanctuary. Tourists can avail the road route as Macherla is the nearby town and regular bus and jeep services are available to reach the sanctuary.

Safari

You can go for a small ride or walk in the sanctuary where a 4.5 km path goes through the forest and the marshland. Water from the Dam comes into the forest. So you need to be careful while walking around. Trees were not very high but their thin branches were intricately woven with each other making a net like formation, making the jungle look thick. We saw lots of Deer’s, most of the times in a bunch of 20 or so, but they ran away as soon as we went near them. There were peacocks, most of them roaming alone in the forest. Most abundant in the forest were butterflies and it was like being in a butterfly park. There was color flying on all sides, on roads, on leaves, on flowers and just in the air.

Birds
If you can identify birds, you would love this place. There were many birds big and small, single-hued and multi-colored. A watchtower in the middle of the jungle lets you have a bit of bird’s eye view of the lake and the forest around. I must warn you to climb the watchtower at your own risk. The wrought iron staircase is tilted and the elevation does not allow you to stand on any stair. In the case of any accident, there is no medical aid available in sight. View from the top is wonderful, though. Most of us urban people hardly get to see so much of nature around us.

Pocharam Dam
A little ahead of the sanctuary is a small dam on a tributary of Manjeera River. Yes, the same river that supplies water to Hyderabad. This is not exactly a dam but a broad wall with perforations on it. At first sight, I was amused to see cars parked, motorbikes being raced and a row of people standing below the water falling from the top. It seemed like a picnic spot, a kind of rudimentary water park for people to enjoy during and post monsoon. We thought for a while and then decided to cross this wall by car and go to the other side, and happy that we did that.

There was a large reservoir with another equally thick but a longer wall. Water was overflowing and walking on the wall was like walking through water. Those who knew swimming jumped into the water. And the rest of us had to be content with clicking the pictures of divers. Sun setting on the water and people jumping around in water was such a serene and joyous time.

A good post monsoon getaway!

This sanctuary can be reached by private transport from Medak. Pocharam Forest was the favourite hunting ground of the Nizam and he declared it as a wild life sanctuary in the early part of 20th century.

Named after the Pocharam lake formed from damming of the Allair in the year 1916 - 1922, it is spread over . Surrounded by lush green forest, it is rich in flora and fauna and attracts a lot of winged visitors, like the Bar-Headed Goose, Brahminy Bucks and Open Billed Stork.

There is a center for Eco-tourism where visitors can see five species of Antelopes and Deer. Summer temperature goes up to 46 C & in winter it drops to 6 C. The sanctuary is home to animals like Leopard, Forest Cat, Wild Dog, Wolf, Jackal, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chital, and Four horned Antelope.

On Sundays and holidays large number of visitors arrive there and spend time from morning till evening.

A giant building constructed in 1918 could have been a major attraction, but has been neglected leading to its sheen getting lost. Partly damaged walls and burnt doors explain its fate and what it faced in the last nine decades.

One can get panoramic view of lush green fields from the building and the filled reservoir offers the right ambience for spending a relaxed holiday.

Amenities

However, there are no basic facilities like drinking water, shelter and toilets. With unavailability of these facilities, one has to take every precaution when he/she plans a visit to the spot.

Now that the reservoir is full, the newly formed Medak district administration has been thinking of developing tourism and giving impetus to generating revenue resource by developing the place.

http://www.inditales.com/pocharam-wildlife-sanctuary-dam/

http://www.inditales.com/pocharam-wildlife-sanctuary-dam/

http://placeandsee.com/wiki/pocharam-forest-wildlife-sanctuary

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/pocharam-to-be-developed-into-a-tourist-destination/article9290188.ece

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Meduk or Medak Fort

The Medak Fort is situated in Medak town, Medak District, Telanagana State India . This is an important historical site around Hyderabad. At a distance of 2.3 km from Medak Bus Station and 95 km from Hyderabad, 

The fort was originally known as Methuku durgam, which denotes cooked rice. The fort was the command post for the rulers of Kakatiyas and also for the Qutub Shahis who ruled the area.

The fort which was built between 1139 AD and 1157 AD by the 2nd Prolaraju of Kakatiya dynasty continues to amaze tourists coming from all over the world.

It is a huge structure located on the top of a hill. One has to climb more than 500 steps to reach the top of the fort, which occupies 100 acres on the hilly area. Medak Fort is noted for its architectural magnificence. The architecture of the fort represents a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles. The main entrance proudly displays the double-headed Gandabherundam of the Kakatiyas. It has three main entrances, the Prathama Dwaram, the Simha Dwaram- that has two snarling lions at the top of the entrance and the Gaja Dwaram or Elephant's Entrance that has a sculpture of two elephants interlocked on both sides. The huge boundary walls of the fort have several bastions carved from the rocks and boulders of the hillock.

The fort houses a small lake, a barrack and a warehouse. The fort has a 17th century mosque that was constructed by the Qutub Shahi rulers. Although the Fort is in ruin state, it still holds the glory of the history hence it is one of the important historical sites to visit. It provides an excellent picturesque view of the town and the regions around.

It is a huge structure located on the top of a hill. It takes about 10 minutes drive from the town on the newly built CC road and about one-and-a-half hour drive from the State capital.

One has to climb more than 500 steps to reach the top of the fort, which was built about 800 years back in Medak, the former headquarters of the district. Built about 90 metres height from ground level and spread in about 100 acres on the hilly area, the fort attracts ones attention.

One can find huge structures inside the fort, which are in a dilapidated condition, used as stable for horses and elephants. On the top of the third gate, at both left and right sides the ‘Ganda Bherunda,' emblem of Vijayanagara Empire built by Srikrishna Devaraya, stands out. It was believed that the fort built by Kakatiya's was renovated by Qutub Shahis's around 400 years ago. The Medak fort, which was ruled by two dynasties -- Kakatiya's and Qutub Shahi's -- is crying for attention. Large size bushes and trees have come up across the hilly location.

One of the iconic structures of Medak which has withstood several invasions and has seen dynastic changes for over eight centuries is the Medak fort, which was also known as Metukudurgam. 

What we know as Medak today, has seen many changes in its nomenclature such as Vaidikapuram, Rachaveedu, Siddapuram, Gulshanabad, Sadapur Vedik and so on, under the rule of Kalyan Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Bahmanis, Qutub Shahis and Asaf Jahis who have left their architectural marks on the fort.

Medak fort was built as an expansion strategy of Kakatiya dynasty which held control of Warangal, but extended its control into Saddinadu (the western parts) including Medak, Karimnagar and Adilabad districts of the present. The fort is located on a hillock with a strategic military advantage, being close to the confluence of Haldi Vagu and Manjira River. Methukudurgam was built for military defence of the area covering around 300 settlements.

Massive walls, rooms, burjs (towers), palace, grain and gun powder storage rooms made of granite and sand stone built and rebuilt over several centuries by various rulers on the hillock speaks of the amount of labour that went into maintaining the fort through history. Smell of gunpowder still emanates from one of the rooms.

There are a few statues of Gattamma goddess (local deity) in some of the caves and people still offer prayers there. There used to be a Shiva temple at the top of the hillock, where now stands a mosque which was built in the 17th century by the Qutub Shahis. There are several gates to enter the fort and each gate has a unique identity. Two lions, two elephants with riders wielding bows and arrows, two peacocks and other sculptures are still intact on the pillars of the gates.

The top of the hillock presents a spectacular view of water bodies on all its sides and devotional and celebratory music from the town can be heard quite clearly at the top. There is a pond called Raju-Rani cheruvu which is currently full with water and is a perfect location to shoot a romantic scene for any movie. There are also naturally formed wells on the hillock from where water used to be supplied to the fort using pipelines and simple physics of the ancient times.

There is also a 3.2 metres long 17th century cannon still intact at the fort. Though much of the fort has been destroyed, there is much scope for protecting it by making structural renovations. The fort certainly needs more security personnel and stricter regulations with respect to use of plastic and disposal of garbage on the hillock.

Gulshan Mahal, a palace located on the hillock has now been transformed into Hotel Haritha Resort and is managed by Tourism Development Corporation. There are 4 rooms (AC Suite- Rs 1500 and AC room- Rs 1200 per 24 hours) and a restaurant with a very reasonably priced menu. Reservations can be made at 9133533917.

The Hotel is currently catering to private parties and is a perfect venue to hold birthdays, coming of age functions, even wedding receptions. “It would be great if parks can be developed on the hillock and kids’ play areas are setup. That would really enhance the look of the fort,” suggested Sebastian, Project Manager of Bahubalimovie, who was flying a drone at the Raju-Rani cheruvu, trying to film his mother and wife who seemed to be having a great saas-bahu chatting time sitting by the pond during sunset on Sunday.

So, if you are one of those adventurous types, archaeology enthusiast, nature lover, a school, or even if you are a honeymoon couple, Medak Fort is one heritage protected site which should be on your list of places to visit during a lifetime- better sooner than later. Above all, there is no ticket to have this out of the world experience which would take you back in time during the days of old when the knights were bold. You may actually stumble upon something of historic significance, you never know.

It was now agreed that the siege of Owsa should be continued by the allies , while Jumsheed Kootb Shah should recover the fort of Meduk , of which Kasim Bereed Shah had lately obtained possession

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/medak-fort-left-to-ruin/article2980723.ece


http://www.trawell.in/telangana/medak/medak-fort




http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Commoner/2016-11-09/Metukudurgam-to-regain-its-past-glory/263177

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Medak Cathedral

25th December 1924 :  Constructed by Reverend Charles Walker Posnett during British Rule of India.

From 1914 to 1924 the farmers toiled to erect the church and Thomas Edward Harding, the architect, left no stone unturned in building the cathedral.

Located in the Medak Town about 90kms from Hyderabad, Telangana.

The Medak diocese, under the Church of South India (CSI) is the single largest diocese in Asia and the second in the world after Vatican.

The significance of the church is not only in its magnificence but also in the bond between poor and church. During World War-I, in late 1890s the district reeled under a famine. Moved by the plight of people, Rev. Charles Walker Posnett, proposed to build a great church in the year 1914. He evolved the 'food for work' programme so that the poor could find gainful employment. The villagers contributed to building the church, they could in turn earn food. That set the ball rolling for this renowned Gothic structure

Built on an extensive scale in pure white granite, this gothic style structure the magnificent Medak church stands on a sprawling 1000 acres of land. It took ten years to complete the monumental piece of architecture. With its massive dimensions, 100 ft width and 200 ft. length, the church can accommodate as many as 5000 people at a time. The 173 feet tall main tower is surrounded by four pinnacles. If it hadn't been for the Nizam, the church would have been taller. Old-timers say that when the cathedral was to be built, the Nizam had one condition, that the church should not be taller than the historic Charminar of Hyderabad.

Stained Glass Work:

What sets the Church apart are the three stained glass windows, created by Sir Frank O' Salisbury of London. They constitute 'the gospel trilogy' in art - the nativity, the crucifixion and the ascension. The stained glass work on the huge windows of the church offers a spectacular view during the daytime, which cannot be replicated by artificial lighting. This is the most fascinating feature of the church. It serves as a picture book on the Bible to those who cannot read. Each window is made up of small bits of painted glass which has been placed into a single piece and then delicately set into the stone windows.

All the stained glass windows have inscriptions in English, Hindi and Telugu. The Hindi inscription came later, at the instance of Vijaylakshmi Pandit, sister of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who felt that the national language must find a mention on the stained glass.
The three magnifcent stained glass windows inside the cathedral depict different phases of Lord Jesus Chirsts life. The window to the north which offers a canopy to the altar is very fascinating. It depicts the scene of assertion of Jesus towering above the altar, dwarfing everything as Jesus ascends to heaven.

The other two windows decorating the East and West facades depict the scene of the birth of Jesus and his crucifixion. The bells cast especially for the church can be heard from far off.

Sir Frank Owen Salisbury (1874-1962) a Methodist artist from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, did the art work. Salisbury was known as "Britain's Painter Laureate" and his work was steadfastly conservative.

For the floor, tiles from famous potteries were shipped from England. Then, Italian workmen were brought from Bombay to lay them. The tile's design is an intricate one in six colours - red, brown, black, yellow, chocolate and grey.

The roof has been cast to ensure best acoustics and sound proof made by hollow sponge material to have an impressive style of vaulting. With its immensity and beauty, this century old church stands out as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in India.

Making the Medak diocese one of the biggest in the world, there are several educational, health and social institutions in the sprawling church compound. They include a B.Ed college, a junior college, hostels for boys and girls, an old age home, an office to take care of properties and an agricultural centre. There were also a hundred-bed hospital and a seminary to train pastors.

http://www.csimedakdiocese.in

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medak_Cathedral

http://www.newsonair.nic.in/medak-cathedral.asp

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Basara Temple

Gnana Saraswati Temple is a Hindu temple of Goddess Saraswati located on the banks of Godavari River at Basar, Telangana, India. It is one of the two famous Saraswati temples in India, the other being in Jammu & Kashmir. Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of knowledge and learning. Children are brought to the temple for the learning ceremony called as Akshara abyasam.

Basar is a census town in the Nirmal district in the state of Telangana. It is about 30 km (19 mi) from Bhainsa,15.5 km (10 mi) from Dharmabad, 34.8 km (22 mi) from Nizamabad, 70 km (43 mi) from Nirmal, and 205 km (127 mi) from Hyderabad.

According to some myth, Maharishi Vyas and his disciples and sage Viswamitra decided to settle down in a cool and serene atmosphere after the Kurukshetra War. In the quest for a peaceful abode, he came to Dandaka forest and, pleased with serenity of the region, selected this place. Since Maharishi Vyasa spent considerable time in prayers, the place was then called "Vasara" and turned into Basara due to the influence of the Marathi language in the region.

It is also believed that this temple is one of the three temples constructed near the confluence of the Manjira and Godavari rivers.

Historically, 'Bijialudu' a Karnataka king, who ruled the province of Nandagiri with Nanded as his capital in the sixth century, constructed the temple at Basara.

Many pilgrims come to Basara to perform the "Akshara abhyasam" ceremony for the children before they start formal school education. The children perform the exercise of letters, and devote books, pens, pencils notebooks to the goddess of knowledge. The Puja at the temple starts at 4 am in morning with Abhishekam which carries on for an hour. At 5 o'clock they start the Alankarana whereby the new sarees are adorned to the goddesses. The whole atmosphere is very pious and pure. At 6 am, in the rays of the morning sun, the aarti starts at the temple after which the prasadam is given to the devotees.

Special poojas and celebrations are held at the temple during Maha Shivaratri, beginning 15 days before (Vasantha Panchami) and continuing 3 days after the festival. Devi Navarathrulu is celebrated for ten days during Dasara.

The temple also has a Mahakali idol situated on the 1st floor very near to the main temple. Devotees often go to the nearby mountain which has an Idol of Goddess Saraswati on the top of the rock. The image of Lakshmi stands besides the Goddess Saraswati in the sanctum sanctorum. Due to the presence of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali, Basara is considered as the abode of the divine trinity.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnana_Saraswati_Temple,_Basar

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