[deepv]

Originally Posted by YanTra Makto

Thanks for the other advises, any idea regarding the round trip time for Akka Mahadevi?

Round trip time for Akkamahadevi Caves would be around 3 hours, but you may have to go in early to get the tickets and possibly wait while the boat starts, so keep at least 4 hours.

[YanTra Makto]

Originally Posted by deepv

Round trip time for Akkamahadevi Caves would be around 3 hours, but you may have to go in early to get the tickets and possibly wait while the boat starts, so keep at least 4 hours.

Thanks deepv, when you say early, how early does it mean. I mean the rides start at what time, are there 2/3 trips in a day? or just one ?

Thanks

[deepv]

Originally Posted by YanTra Makto

when you say early, how early does it mean. I mean the rides start at what time, are there 2/3 trips in a day? or just one ?

I think the first boat ride was around 10 - 10:30am for the morning slot, and mostly there were 2 for the day last time I went. But there may not be any if minimum count is not met according to their capacity, so most practical option remains the first boat.

Besides, they start giving tickets for them only when they are sure that nos. are getting met based upon ppl coming and enquirying. In fact I remember the APTDC booking guy giving me a call back for taking tickets as he initially told us to wait and we just went around for a stroll.

But this is when nos. are less, if its otherwise then the earlier you are there the better it would be.

[ranjitp1]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/21348176.cms

Srisailam dam seems to be full and would be quite a sight.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/21348176.cms

Srisailam dam seems to be full and would be quite a sight.

Not full as yet. It is at 849 feet only whereas the full capacity is 885 feet which is a huge quantity of water. They plan to start power generation when it touches 854 feet.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Srisailam dam seems to be full and would be quite a sight.

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Not full as yet.

Srisailam crest-gates have indeed been opened yesterday, and should continue to remain so for next few days as per the following.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle4972294.ece

Time to plan for a weekend drive!!!

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by deepv

Srisailam crest-gates have indeed been opened yesterday, and should continue to remain so for next few days as per the following.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle4972294.ece

Time to plan for a weekend drive!!!

Yes the gates have been open as of yesterday.Somebody who was there yesterday send me pictures and it looks as beautiful as ever.However not all the gates are open,only 4 iirc are open as of now,but if the rains stay this way its just a matter of time for the others to open.

[deepv]

More gates opened later last week (http://www.thehansindia.com/2013/08/...am-dam-lifted/), any updates on the situation this week??

I could not find any info upon closing of gates, was wondering how would things be coming long weekend.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by deepv

More gates opened later last week (www.thehansindia.com/2013/08/01/gates-of-srisailam-dam-lifted/), any updates on the situation this week??

I could not find any info upon closing of gates, was wondering how would things be coming long weekend.

All gates were closed yesterday when we made a sudden trip to Srisailam. However, the following updates on road conditions and distances might be of interest to travelers:

• Distance from Moshin Brothers IBP petrol bunk opp NIMS to temple parking lot: 234 kms. Route taken was via PVNR flyover > ORR entry just after Shamshabad Jn > ORR exit for Srisailam Road > Amangal > Kalwakurthy > Dindi >Mannanur forest check post > Srisailam Dam > Srisailam temple
• Time taken : 4 hours 15 minutes. Dindi, which is 135 kms away, was covered in 2 hours, and the balance 99 kms took 2 hours 15 minutes. Numerous speed-breakers and ghat roads have an effect on your average speed.
• Roads were good throughout, barring very few pot holes. But the sudden speed-breakers between Kalvakurthy and Dindi can ruin your car, as the roads are decent enough at some stretches for triple digit speeds. God saved me when I was doing 95 and saw an opposite direction Safari bouncing 100 meters ahead. I slammed the brakes and went over it at a very safe speed. On my return direction, I saw an Innova with a dented bonnet at the road side at that same spot. I guess he might have rear-ended someone.
• There are several speed-breakers on the first 20 kms of the nearly 50-km forest stretch that starts from Mananur check post. These were not there in June 2007, when I had last traveled.
• The ghat starts around 8 kms before Mananur check post, in a non-forested area. The forest stretch starts closer to Mananur.
• Farhabad is around 17 to 18 kms from Mananur (for those keen on visiting the forest view point). Beware of monkeys darting across the road.
• Descending to the bridge level in the Dam area and ascending on the other side takes a lot of time, if there are many vehicles. It took me 40 minutes to cover the 20 km distance to the temple from the dam's viewpoint from where one descends to the bridge level.
• One needs to be very wary at hair-pin bends of RTC buses, as they have a very poor turning circle. I had to reverse 30 feet at one spot to allow one to complete its turn. I could not spot the bus in time due to foliage.
• It is easy to miss the right turning at spots such as the right turn towards Dindi after Kalwakurty. This spot has a tiny board which can easily be missed. It is around 5 to 7 kms after the left turn at the T Junction at Kalvakurthy.
• Another confusing spot comes at odometer 147 (12 kms after Dindi reservoir). One needs to turn left at the small junction here. Going straight will take you to Achampet.
• Finally, around 7 kms before the temple, one needs to take a right turn at a T Junction. Left will take you to Dornala. This is well-marked. Remember to take a left turn here on your return. The sign board can be seen only after taking the left turn.
• After Mananur, in the stretch when one is descending the final leg of the ghat, there is a confusing spot. One needs to take the right turn and not the gradual left which takes you towards Atchampet.
• Lastly and most importantly, please note that the temple closes between 330 pm to 6 pm. We were lucky to reach at 245, and come out by 330, when the crowd was the thinnest.
• The return journey should not be attempted after 730 pm, as the first check post from Srisailam side at the beginning of the forest stretch closes at 830 pm. It takes around an hour to reach that spot.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'd taken the Fiesta for the journey. The FE came to 14.5, despite ghat sections, which is very decent. My wife was asking why I did not take the diesel Figo, as it would have saved us some cash. But the tremendous low-end torque of the 1.6 liter duratec can be best exploited only on such journeys. No vehicle that was on the road yesterday could keep up with the car. A Vento and an old-gen Verna diesel were trying hard to keep pace, but whenever a speed-breaker came, they were falling way behind. This apart, over-taking on narrow stretches was simply awesome. The sound of the engine as she revvs over 4K rpm is simply ecstatic, and brought a grin from ear to ear many a time. Good OEM headlights were also a boon on the return journey--way better than the Figo's.

[YanTra Makto]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

However, the following updates on road conditions and distances might be of interest to travelers:

Thanks for the route update. Hopefully the google map on my android will prove to be true and save the confusions and wrong roads!

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by YanTra Makto

Thanks for the route update. Hopefully the google map on my android will prove to be true and save the confusions and wrong roads!

You can try your luck. I had an updated version of Satguide maps on my Garmin device, which proved to be a darn waste on this trip. Most of the time it kept saying 'traveling on unknown road' and 'recalculating, take a U turn', even though i was on the correct path. At places it showed me going through fields too.

Being a June 2013 version, it was simply not worthwhile on this trip. It was indeed very good last year at Bangalore and Ooty. I'll change the map to the link posted on the GPS thread today itself.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

All gates were closed yesterday when we made a sudden trip to Srisailam. However, the following updates on road conditions and distances might be of interest to travelers

Thanks for the detailed update on the route and other important info. As you know, i too had been to Srisailam earlier this year and experienced two similarties as mentioned in your report

1. Experienced the sudden appearance of speed breakers and it took me by surprise many times. Infact, I saw a nasty incident when an Indica slowed down unexpectedly and a different hatchback ( dont remember which car) hit it with full force from behind. Hyd_Traveller also saw this accident as he was on his way back to Hyderabad

2. The sign where you need to take a left turn was missed and i took a detour of 40kms through some really bad roads to rejoin back on the main Srisailam highway

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Thanks for the detailed update on the route and other important info. As you know, i too had been to Srisailam earlier this year and experienced two similarties as mentioned in your report

1. Experienced the sudden appearance of speed breakers and it took me by surprise many times. Infact, I saw a nasty incident when an Indica slowed down unexpectedly and a different hatchback ( dont remember which car) hit it with full force from behind. Hyd_Traveller also saw this accident as he was on his way back to Hyderabad

2. The sign where you need to take a left turn was missed and i took a detour of 40kms through some really bad roads to rejoin back on the main Srisailam highway

That makes two of us. I missed both turnings, but retraced my path within half a km at each spot by stopping and asking. I was lucky that there was someone around to answer. This apart, both places provided an opportunity for a bio-break.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

All gates were closed yesterday when we made a sudden trip to Srisailam.
...
[*]Roads were good throughout, barring very few pot holes. But the sudden speed-breakers between Kalvakurthy and Dindi can ruin your car,
...
[*]There are several speed-breakers on the first 20 kms of the nearly 50-km forest stretch that starts from Mananur check post. These were not there in June 2007, when I had last traveled.
...
[*]It is easy to miss the right turning at spots such as the right turn towards Dindi after Kalwakurty. This spot has a tiny board which can easily be missed. It is around 5 to 7 kms after the left turn at the T Junction at Kalvakurthy.
...

Thanks for the details/updates .. Venu Sir!!
I kept on deliberating for going this weekend, finally pushed it to next, looks like we would have missed the gates in any case.

I had last done Hyd-Srisailam in 2011 (twice, in Jan & Aug), those speed breakers were there then.
The first time, while going, they troubled me a lot for the same reason. However it was better while returning (in evening) because it would get easier to locate them in your headlight's beam, though locating those crucial turns becomes a little difficult.

Originally Posted by mobike008

...
As you know, i too had been to Srisailam earlier this year and experienced two similarties as mentioned in your report
...

Same with me, these apart Hyd-Srisailam is quite peaceful drive to make with not much traffic - trucks, etc.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

...

• Distance from Moshin Brothers IBP petrol bunk opp NIMS to temple parking lot: 234 kms. Route taken was via PVNR flyover > ORR entry just after Shamshabad Jn > ORR exit for Srisailam Road > Amangal > Kalwakurthy > Dindi >Mannanur forest check post > Srisailam Dam > Srisailam temple.

...

Ppl,

I am planning to go to Nagarjunasagar as well from Srisailam, this weekend.
Which one would be better route for Srisailam -> N'sagar:
1. through Dornala - Macherla (175 km), or
2. through Mannanur - Back to Kawalakurti T junction - Devarkonda (220 km).

On #2, its possible to make some shortcuts instead of going to Kawalakurti Road, however just to be on safe side (& good road) the above looks better.

Otherwise, on #1 side if the road conditions are OK, I won't mind taking that route as I haven't gone there.
It appears ghat sections are good as well, though I got feedback from some friends last year that roads were quite narrow and/or in bad condition.

While returning from N'sagar, I believe it should be better to take (Halia - Nalgonda - NH9, 172 km) route rather than Nagarjuna Sagar Road (161 km).
Any insights?