Baobab tree on Balachandruni Guttalu, Nalgonda

December 24, 2017
Though we left home early morning by 5-30, we reached Nalgonda around 9-30 or so. Thanks to bad navigating, we took a wrong turn and traveled through interior roads. Half way through we saw an amazing standing rock some kilometers before a town called Chandur, Unfortunately, we could not find a decent eatery and we were famished when we entered Nalgonda. So, priority was breakfast. We found a roadside eatery, it was crowded. I prefer cart food when traveling because food would be fresh and hot. After few minutes of waiting we got our plates of hot dosa, vada and idli. We were happy with the quality and quantity too.. tummy full :)

On my list of places to see were 1. Baobab tree at Shiva temple on Balachandruni hill, 2. Nalgonda fort, 3. Chaya Someshwara Devalaya at Panagal and 4. an ancient domed structure near a Christian school. Nalgonda fort hill was a long climb and it was too warm already, so it was struck off the list. We headed towards Panagal, about 4 kilometers away. Then we navigated the narrow streets of old Nalgonda and reached the southern base of the hill where the path to Durga temple and Shiva temple starts. As I looked for a spot to park, I thought of trying the dirt road which goes up the hill. So we drove out towards and around the hill and reached the hill's western slope and took the dirt track. Barely 60 meters away, the track got steeper and rough. Not willing to take any risk in this remote location, I backed off. Our destination was just a kilometer away, we could've walked. But leaving a car unguarded was not a good idea.. disappointing attempt. So we headed back to the southern slope and parked at a safe point.

The steps were rough and quite steep too. We were climbing after a long time, was breathless in few minutes. However, we climbed as always.. pause of few seconds, walk for a while, pause, walk. The path gradually flattened and lot of trees too. No other people on the hill. Durga temple came into sight but the Shiva temple was not visible. We checked Wikimapia and got the location.. about 100 meters away.

We followed  a smaller path which sloped up and lo the upper branches of the Baobab came into view. Happy we found it. There it is.. the beautiful tree from Africa living in India.

The temple gates were locked. We looked for a gap in the wall, found none. I shouted if anyone was around. A middle aged lady with matted hair emerged from the building and let us in. I knew the tree had a hollow chamber in its branch. Aren't Baobabs amazing?

Baobab branches are unique.. thick bases and slender ends. Usually this time of the year they wear a barren look.

That's the temple caretaker. She opened up the tree shrine for us.

An idol of a Swami. So an ascetic lived here earlier, I guess the Paduke (wooden slippers) belonged to the Swami. The chamber's diameter is about 6' and 10' high. At the top was a small opening, like a ventilator.

Sunlight pouring in through the ventilator seen through the false ceiling. Thanks to the screen which cuts down the heat in here.

The passage as seen from inside. Pushpa and Bhuvana could manage to get in and out easily, for me it was a bit of a struggle. The sides of the passage exposed the fibrous wood.. Baobab wood is soft, doubt if it is used to make furniture or agricultural tools.

A naturally damaged branch trying to heal.

Folds in the skin just like elephant skin. Because of this similarity, Baobabs are called as Hathiyan in Hyderbad. Baobabs bear a large podded fruit which tastes like tamarind. In North Karnataka Baobab is called Devva Hunase Mara ~ Ghost Tamarind Tree.

Pushpa and Bhuvana rested in the temple while I went around the tree and temple.

At nights, this tree will have a eerie look.

Its trunk is a tapering tower.. like Qutb Minar, isn't it?

In the background upper half of this hill which is mostly rocky and at the summit is Latif Saheb Dargah.

Time to leave, we had to reach Nagarjuan Sagar and check into the resort by 4pm. We say bye to the temple caretaker. Next to the temple path is this man made tank. Unfortunately, its wall breached and the water drained out eroding dirt in its path. I guess the same water flowed down the dirt track and rendered the path useless for cars. Had there been water, we might have seen lot of birds.

One last look at Nalgonda's Baobab. Long live the magnificent tree!

Here is a list of known Baobab trees of India-

1. Hilltop Nightclub, Vagator, Goa
2. Cabo Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula, Goa
3. Quepem, Goa
4. Bamboo Motels, Goa
5. Mahalakshmi temple premises, Martur
6. next to Yogapur mosque, Bijapur
7. near Ibrahim Roza, Bijapur, Karnataka (this tree died a few years ago)
8. Dodda Hunashe Matha, Savanur, Karnataka
9. Near the aquarium in Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bengaluru
10. Purana Qilla, Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Telangana
11. Attapur, Hyderabad
12. Vansthalipuram, Hyderabad, Telangana
13. near Chappel Road, Hyderabad, Telangana
14. Ranganath temple at Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, Telangana
15. Uppal in Chengicherla Reserve Forests, Hyderabad, Telangana
16. Nellore, Andhrapradesh
17. Theosophist Society Gardens, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
18. The American College campus, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
19. Chinmaya Vidyalaya's campus at Ilanthope, Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu
20. Mangaliawas near Ajmer, Rajasthan
21. Vadodara, Gujarat
22. Dayapur, Gujarat
23. Kutch, Gujarat
24. Bhanagar, Gujarat
25. Baroda, Gujarat
26. near Gujarat College / Victoria Garden / Sukharamnagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
27. Mulund, Mumbai, Maharashtra
28. Byculla zoo, Mumbai, Maharashtra
29. Outside the Vasai fort, Maharashtra
30. Tilak road and Ghole road, Pune, Maharastra
31. near Aurangabad, Maharashtra
32. Mandavgad or Mandu, Madhya Pradesh
33. near Sangam, left bank of the Ganga, Prayag, Uttar Pradesh 
34. Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Bihar

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