Andhra Pradesh - Others   

`Andhra Ooty' the new summer destination

A.D. Rangarajan

The hillock is situated 1,265 metres above mean sea level and is higher than Tirumala

MISTY HEIGHTS: A view of the serene Horsley Hills on a foggy dawn. — Photo: K.V Poornachandra Kumar

HORSLEY HILLS (Chittoor Dt.): Hill ranges are not very verdant and replete with dense foliage. Yet, this rocky belt in the semi-arid Madanapalle revenue division, has a hillock that is surprisingly cool enough to shield one from fiery heat waves of the summer. Situated 145 km west of Tirupati and 165 km east of Bangalore, this famous hill station derives its name from W.D.

Horsley, Collector of the erstwhile Kadapa district. The hillock is situated at an altitude of 1,265 metres above mean sea level and is, in fact, higher than Tirumala. This hill resort is located at the south-western tip of the State skirting Karnataka and hence is called `Andhra Ooty.'

Luxuriant with vegetation and flowers of varied hues , the spot is a pleasure to watch on a misty dawn. The skyline gets a fresh azure coat in summer when trees are in full bloom with lavender-coloured flowers. In fact, these trees can be found dotting the roadside all along the Bangalore highway.

Equally mind-boggling is the sunset view at Galibanda, a rocky terrain that gradually slips into a valley. The temperature hovers around 20 and 30 degree Celsius during winter and summer, respectively.

Another major attraction here is the 150-year old eucalyptus tree planted by Horsley in 1859. The tree measures 35 metres in height and 4.3 metres in girth. Eucalyptus apart, the hills have Allamanda, Gulmohar and Jacaranda trees in abundance. The hills also boast of a wide range of fauna. In fact, a panther that had strayed on the ghat road a month ago was captured and let out into the woods by the forest officials.

Tourist attractions

The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) runs `Punnami' resort here that has a bar and restaurant, swimming pool, health club, Ayurvedic massage centre, souvenir shop, children's play area, conference and banquet facilities. TheAPTDC also has cottages and suites.

The corporation recently introduced trekking facility and conducts a campfire during nights, which are an added attraction. As the hills have no permanent water source, the APTDC has shouldered the responsibility of pumping water, not just for tourists, but also Government departments and the few private dwellers.

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