Up and down the River Godavari

Source: | THE HANS INDIA

A recent visit to Papi Kondalu, on the much-hyped boat ride shows AP

Tourism has a long way to go before realising its dream of making the state
a preferred destination for domestic and foreign visitors

Andhra Pradesh has grandiose plans to promote tourism with emphasis on

holy places, heritage sites, beaches and nature trails. Fortunately, AP is
blessed with all these, particularly the two East and West Godavari districts.
But their potential is either little realised or has remained untapped.
The areas beauty, prosperity, expansive greenery and wealth could be
attributed to the River Godavari and its tributaries that traverse the plains
and hills of the two districts before flowing into the Bay of Bengal and the
vision of Sir Arthur Cotton, who conceived the Godavari Delta plan.
The area, popularly known as Konaseema, is a mirror image of Kerala with
a difference. As far as eye could see, the land is green with coconut palm
and banana plantations, interspersed with paddy fields and cash crops. It
is sheer pleasure to watch them travelling by road. A lot of Telugu film
producers and directors have captured the charm and natural beauty of
Konaseema and immortalised them in their movies. But savouring the
nature in all its glory is a cherished experience.
I would have missed it had I stuck to my original plan of visiting only Papi
Kondalu before the Polavaram multi-purpose project turned most of the
hilly-river area into a massive reservoir. With the inclusion of nearby towns,
resorts and some holy places in the itinerary, I had a kaleidoscopic view of,
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well, some of the most enchanting places in the country. These are tucked
in remote corners and relatively unknown to the outside world.

One such place is Dindi. Nestling among coconut palm groves on the bank
of Godavari, it has two holiday resorts, one run by AP Tourism and another
by Sterling. While both resorts offer good facilities for tourists who want to
escape from the mad world and maddening crowds, the AP governments
Haritha Coconut Country Resort looks like an official guest house in contrast
with Sterlings Dindi by the Godavari. Built around a breathtakingly
beautiful lily pond, vacationers can watch in amazement Victoria water lilies
and their giant leaves in different hues from their cottage balconies. And a
few minutes walk takes the holidaymakers to the edge of mighty Godavari.
Not to be missed is a motor boat trip of one or two hours up and down the
Godavari River and a drop-by on an island during the journey. The boat
ride amidst serene surroundings is simply nirvana redefined. And, a walkthrough nearby villages gives urbanites a new perspective on rural life.
The beauty of Konaseema, besides its natural wealth, is that most of the
places are connected by road and rail. Personal transport is a preferred way
to go places. However, every type of vehicle can be hired or engaged with
a driver. When you travel in a small group, the economics of travel work
out cheaper since most of the interesting places and temple towns are
within a 100 km radius.
For example, in one day, I along with family and friends visited
Amalapuram, Ainavilli Vinayak Temple, Mukteswara Swamy (Lord Shiva)
shrine, crossed Godavari by punti to go to Kotipalli (Sri Someswara Swamy
Temple) and from there to Draksharamam (Lord Bhimeswara Swamy),
which is known as one of the Trilinga Kshetras, (the other two are
Kaleswaram in Karimnagar district of Telangana and Srisailam in Kurnool
district of Rayalaseema). A 30-minute drive from Draksharamam took us
to the former French colony Yanam which is now a Union Territory attached
to another former French colony Puducherry (Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu).
Yanam is a small picturesque enclave on the banks of Gautami Godavari (a
part of the river) that merges with the Bay of Bengal near the town. We
can have a mesmerising view of the river and the distant sea and the
beautifully-developed river front from the bridge connecting Yanam with
East Godavari district. One fails to understand why Yanam is still a Union
Territory and administered all the way from Puducherry. With traces of
colonial era still visible, Yanam has the potential of becoming a Little Goa
in East Godavari district. Its a pity if the AP government let the legacy
continue.

The best way to cover these places is to start early after sumptuous
breakfast and have free lunch simple but freshly prepared at one of the
temples and continue the onward journey. In just two-three days, one can
visit all holy places, walk the beaches and boat up and down the rivers.
However, the Papi Kondalu trip is one-day affair.
Both AP Tourism and private operators organise boat trips from
Rajahmundry on one side and Bhadrachalam on the other. The tour takes
about six hours (9 am to 6 pm) and the fare package includes transport to
the jetty and return to Rajahmundry, with breakfast, lunch and evening tea
on the boat. Those who opt for only boat ride can go directly by road and
board the vessel. Papi visitors are transported in a bus from a designated
point in Rajahmundry to a boat near Pattiseema.
Now, expect the unexpected! What nobody tells you is there is no jetty per
se even for name sake. Papi lovers have to board the boat descending
down at least a hundred feet on slippery ground and walk a precariously
perched gangplank to enter the deck. For the aged, children and women,
the exercise is a feat of horror. In the evening, its worse because by the
time the boat returns, it gets dark. To add to the travellers woes, there is
no single electric light to show the way up from the landing site. What will
be the plight of passengers if it rains, is anybodys guess.