Mystic beauty in forest

Want to run away from the hustle and bustle of urban life for a couple of days? Then Laknavaram is an idyllic place to relax and soothe the body and mind as well as the soul if you are inclined towards spirituality.

Located about 70km from Warangal town in Telangana State, nature has hidden a beauty from the prying eyes of wanderlusts so far. But now, with the opening of a lake resort and an asphalt road, the place is coming into prominence.

Nestled in hills and forests is a 10,000-acre lake (about 40 sq.km. surface area) that is serene and enchanting. Known as the Laknavaram Cheruvu, it is said to have been built by the region’s erstwhile Kakatiya rulers in the 13th century AD.

The ideal way of reaching there is by road. Personal transport – a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler – is a preferred mode as it allows the travelers to go around and explore the countryside as well as the historical sites and religious places in nearby Warangal and Hanamkonda. Nevertheless, many, particularly students, visit the lake by bus.

The first impression we get when we reach the lake area is its stunning natural beauty. Apparently, the lake is formed by hills that skirt it on all sides, creating a massive trough. Rain water flowing down the hill slopes in the monsoon season gets collected over a vast area. That may be the reason why the water body is shallow – maximum depth is about 35 feet when the lake is at full tank level– and dries up in the summer.

However, the lake’s capacity to store more water had been increased by plugging three openings in the hill range. As a result, the lake could retain more than 2tmcft of water, which is mainly used to irrigate 3,500 acres of land in the surrounding villages.

In fact, even before more land had been brought under the plough by the government of the day, the Kakatiya rulers had built a system to channelise water from the lake to agriculture fields. A three-level water flow regulating mechanism at one corner of the lake stands testimony to the ingenuity of Kakatiya era engineers. It works on the simple principle of allowing water flow into an irrigation canal depending on the level in the lake.

Now, almost seven centuries later, the purpose-built lake has become a nature lovers’ paradise with the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) shaping up the area into a tourist spot. Two islets out of a total of 13 that dot the lake have been developed well.

The main land and the first island were linked by a 160-metre-long suspension (hanging) bridge. But the second island could be reached only by boat. While the first one is open to the general public and picnickers during the day, holiday-makers can rent rooms overnight at Haritha Resort run by the Telangana Tourism.

Facilities include a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and boat rides in the lake. By evening fall, the island’s bridge will be closed to outsiders and visitors and the tiny place is left to the exclusive enjoyment of overnight stayers. Their only company is the resort’s support staff, TV and, of course, nocturnal creatures outside their rooms.

Another island, where two wooden and two glass cottages have been opened recently are more exclusive since the only means of transport to it is by boat and picnickers are not allowed. Food to the holidayers there is supplied by boat from the other island’s restaurant. Needless to say, it is a perfect getaway for honeymoon couples and those who seek privacy and exclusivity.

Laknavaram Lake area is a natural blend of all earthly and heavenly elements – water, trees, hills, air, the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars. Watching the gentle waves in the lake, the rising sun from nearby hills in the morning from the resort rooms and cottages is an exhilarating experience. Similarly, bathing in the moon light or lazing around under twinkling stars is self-elevating.

That’s the bright side of Laknavaram Lake Resort. On the flip side, if you stay for a couple of nights in the rooms, you will realise that the resort requires a little more attention and better management to make the limited number of rooms (8) comfortable.

While the rooms have a breathtaking view of the lake, gaping holes in their false ceilings stare at renters. Worse, in some rooms, the false ceiling has a deceptive look of falling down at any moment! While faulty geysers and ACs seem to be part of taken-for-granted maintenance, hygiene in bathrooms, including toilets, is a far cry.

If promising tourist destinations are not maintained and managed properly, the Telangana Tourism’s efforts to promote the new State domestically and internationally will not fructify. Nevertheless, some plans are afoot to add new attractions like water sports and camping at the Laknavaram resort.

Bangalore-based Freakout Adventures is set to start kayaking very soon and a new jetty has been made ready for that purpose. Freakout also has other plans to turn Laknavaram into an interesting and adventurous tourist place.

Whatever the plans are, they are unlikely to work in summer months due to scorching heat and lack of water in the lake. But the rainy and winter seasons provide a salubrious climate for making Laknavaram a lovable holiday destination.

But the major challenge to the government is how to ensure the prevailing pristine beauty of the lake and its surroundings. More visitors mean more pollution and plastic waste and their utter disregard for nature.