Yelleswaragattu Island famously known as mysterious island, located near Kambalapally village, Chandampet Mandal, Nalgonda District of Telangana State in the middle of the backwaters of Nagarjunasagar Dam. This long-forgotten isle is 169 km away from Hyderabad and takes about three hours to reach.
Trek along the fields and forest, as dry as the stretch we have crossed to reach there. Dry bushes holding on to their last green leaves, while many have all lost. We trudge along, till we come to the first sight of the lake. It is love at first sight! The mere sight of the bluer than sky water renews our energies. But, we have come to the edge and have to descend a steep slope of about 200 mts, filled with the similar dry and thorny bushes.
The sight of hillocks, irrigation lands and water that is bluer than the sky offers a breathtaking view. You can spot fishermen loading their fresh catch, while some are busy cleaning and sorting. Ample space is available to park your vehicles onshore.
The boat ride to the peak of the island where you can plan an overnight stay is an absolute delight. The fisherman will take you to the spot which costs you around Rs 1,500.
The view of Nallamala hills around will hold you spellbound, for sure. It takes almost 20 minutes to reach the spot by boat and from there you need to trek a little through bushes. Carry your tents, food, water and other essentials.
You can cook here by fetching firewood and don’t miss buying fresh fish from fishermen. The place is ideal for stargazing. If possible, take telescope if you have one, to have a closer view of stars here. Experience the breathtaking view of an open sky with moon and stars above you with soothing music being played.
If you don’t want to have a night’s stay on the island, you can opt for a casual boat ride which costs Rs. 200 per person. The early morning view here is a class of its own. The scene of sunrise from behind the hills and the gentle waves awes you. You can see a few fishermen being all set with huge nets hoping for a catch.
Trek down the hillock and the boat will already be waiting for you to take up to the mainland.
Make sure you start trekking to the top before it gets dark. Take a basic first-aid kit with you.
Carry power banks and don’t expect good mobile networks here. However, be careful and avoid camping and boating when water is above the danger level.
Trekking - Eleshwaram Mallanna Temple
Stargazing: This location is wonderful for stargazing. Bring a telescope if you have one to get a better look at the stars. Equally stunning is the scene that greets you when you wake up in the morning. The daybreak behind the hills and the peaceful murmur of the waves take your breath away. You can also see fishermen preparing their nets for the day's catch.
The boat ride to the peak of the island where you can plan an overnight stay is an absolute delight. The fisherman will take you to the spot which costs you around Rs 1,500.
The view of Nallamala hills around will hold you spellbound, for sure. It takes almost 20 minutes to reach the spot by boat and from there you need to trek a little through bushes. Carry your tents, food, water and other essentials.
You can find age-old temples on the top where the villagers celebrate Maha Shivaratri. These temples are said to be built much before the dam came into existence.
You can cook here by fetching firewood and don’t miss buying fresh fish from fishermen. The place is ideal for stargazing. If possible, take telescope if you have one, to have a closer view of stars here. Experience the breathtaking view of an open sky with moon and stars above you with soothing music being played.
If you don’t want to have a night’s stay on the island, you can opt for a casual boat ride which costs Rs. 200 per person. The early morning view here is a class of its own. The scene of sunrise from behind the hills and the gentle waves awes you. You can see a few fishermen being all set with huge nets hoping for a catch.
Trek down the hillock and the boat will already be waiting for you to take up to the mainland.
Make sure you start trekking to the top before it gets dark. Take a basic first-aid kit with you.
Carry power banks and don’t expect good mobile networks here. However, be careful and avoid camping and boating when water is above the danger level.
There is a temple on the top of the hill and sunrise coming behind that temple makes you feel astonishing. There is another temple also, which is very old and both the temples belongs to lord Shiva only. The view from the top, where you have a temple, surrounded by water bodies changing colors with sunshine. The fresh air, sunrise and sunset are worth watching from this point. The temples are pretty old, and long before the reservoir came into existence, pilgrims used to walk from this temple to SriSailam, a Jyotirlinga, some 110 kms away. The original idol of the temple, however, has been replaced, and is now placed at the otherSir Devi Bhoodevi Ranganaswamy temple, situated in Anupu. The peak offers not just the two beautiful temples, but a breathtaking view of the entire area, and in the morning sun, the dried grass and shrubs look absolutely splendid against the vast, now a greyish blue, waters.
Distance from Hyderabad:About 200kms from Hyderabad, connected by road
How we reached: We took a bus to Devara Konda village, and from there to Kambalapally. 1 bus runs up and down from Kambalapally, 3 times every day. One can easily expect a delay on about an hour. Devarakonda to Kambalapally is about 70kms and takes about 2 and half hours.While coming back, we took an 8-seater auto from Anupu to Macherla, some 30 kms. From Macherla, buses ply frequently to Hyderabad.
Best Season to visit: In monsoon, the water might be above danger level, and it might be risky to visit Yelleswaragattu. Summers would be too hot, as there is no green cover. All other seasons are great!
Food and Restaurants: There is no restaurant at Kambalapally, we packed from Devarakonda which has a few small eateries. At Kambalapally, we bought fish from the local fisherman and cooked our own barbeque along with rice that we had brought along with us. However, there is one small grocery shop where one can get vegetables, fruits and other grocery stuff.
How we reached: We took a bus to Devara Konda village, and from there to Kambalapally. 1 bus runs up and down from Kambalapally, 3 times every day. One can easily expect a delay on about an hour. Devarakonda to Kambalapally is about 70kms and takes about 2 and half hours.While coming back, we took an 8-seater auto from Anupu to Macherla, some 30 kms. From Macherla, buses ply frequently to Hyderabad.
Best Season to visit: In monsoon, the water might be above danger level, and it might be risky to visit Yelleswaragattu. Summers would be too hot, as there is no green cover. All other seasons are great!
Food and Restaurants: There is no restaurant at Kambalapally, we packed from Devarakonda which has a few small eateries. At Kambalapally, we bought fish from the local fisherman and cooked our own barbeque along with rice that we had brought along with us. However, there is one small grocery shop where one can get vegetables, fruits and other grocery stuff.
Sources
https://telanganatoday.com/unwind-on-this-mysterious-isle-at-nagarjunasagar-dam
http://hyderabadtrekker.blogspot.com/p/yelleswaragattu.html
https://hydnews.net/2021/07/%E2%80%8Dthe-best-place-to-relax-after-hectic-life-yelleswaragattu-island-at-nagarjunasagar-dam-in-telangana/
https://www.tripoto.com/nagarjuna-sagar/trips/mysterious-island-580d9afa38417
