The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Kuntala valley comes alive for Mahasivaratri

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 07, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Kuntala valley comes alive for Mahasivaratri

S. Harpal Singh

Thousands of devotees throng cave temple on the occasion of Sivaratri

Crouching for glance: Devotees await their turn to enter the cave on the Kuntala rock-face.

KUNTALA (ADILABAD DT.): It is the temple of Lord Shiva inside the cave on the rock-face of the famous Kuntala waterfall in Neredigonda mandal that gives the picturesque place its name. His consort Parvati, also called Kunthala, is believed to have meditated inside the cave to please him.

The cave temple can be accessed only when the waterfall starts drying up. On the occasion of Sivaratri festival on Thursday the scenic valley came alive as thousands of devotees arrived here to pay obeisance to the Lord. The two day jatara and the bhajans organised in the valley added to the religious atmosphere.

The cave temple has been a pilgrim centre since ages as old persons of the area recall. “Even for ceremonies like ‘keshakhandanam, people used to come to the temple. They came on bullock carts in olden days and stayed back for two to three days. They carried their own rations,” recalled Linganna of Kuntala village near the waterfall.

Eco-tourism

Of late, the Forest department has developed the place as a centre of eco-tourism. Once the major task of water supply over a distance of about 3 kms from Kuntala village was solved, the place saw rapid development.

For the devout, the task of climbing to reach the cave-temple has become easy because an iron stair case having adequate width is extended up to the cave mouth. Earlier, devotees had only pitons spiked on the rock face to hold on to.

Stairs have been provided at two places for people to descend into the valley.

The department has also barricaded and erected guard rails at accident prone spots. They have also fixed sign boards and warnings all through for the benefit of the visitors. Small snack joints provide the needed relief to the rather tired visitor once he climbs the hill back.

Adilabad Conservator of Forests B.S. Yousuf Sharief and Adilabad Divisional Forest Officer K. Mahender Reddy also visited the waterfall.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh