Photo @ the time of Bhadrachalam-bridge
inauguration by the President of India Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: My father
Sri. N. Bhaskarachary is greeting the Presidnet with Namaste, as he is being
introduced. Others in the photo are Sri. K. Brahmananda Reddy, Chief Minister
of AP State, Sri. J.V. Narsing Rao, Dy. Chief Minister & Minister Sri. G.
Venkataswamy.
Early next month, 90 members from our family circle including
me will be leaving Secunderabad for Burgampahad and Bhadrachalam to attend one
of my nephews wedding ceremony. The bride is from Burgampahad and hence the
marriage is taking place there. Many of you would know Bhadrachalam because of
Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple, Lord Rama’s fervent devotee Bhakta
Ramadasu and two very grand annual celebrations there, Vykunta Ekadasi and Sree
Rama Navami Brahmotsavams. We would be travelling by two buses, a distance of
330 Kms., to Bhadrachalam, passing through Kothagudem which is at 290 Kms., and
Burgampahad at 324 Kms. Burgampahad is on the right bank of river Godavari and
6 Kms. away, is Bhadrachalam on the left bank. There is a long
bridge over the river connecting these towns. Our trip is of two days and all
members are looking forward to this event as a combination of happy wedding celebrations
and pilgrimage to Bhadrachalam.
For me, my brother and my sister this trip is nostalgic and
of great interest. This is a re-union with familiar places, familiar people and
familiar language. We were associated with the nearby town of Kothagudem for
over 27 years. The railway station at Kothagudem is called ‘Bhadrachalam Road
Railway Station’ because this is the last railway station en-route to
Bhadrachalam town. One has to alight here and proceed to the pilgrim town by
road. My father worked for the H.E.H. The Nizams Railway and the Govt. of
India, Central Railway, for 16 years and then joined ‘The Singareni Collieries
Company Limited’ at Kothagudem as Chief Industrial Relations and Personnel
Officer. I was born at Secunderabad soon after my parents shifted to
Kothagudem. So I was named Raghu, after one of the names of Lord Rama - the
presiding deity at nearby Bhadrachalam, which is Raghu Rama. Raghu is
great-grandfather of Rama and a great emperor, conqueror, and a righteous
person, so popular was he that though Rama belongs to the Ikshvaku dynasty, he
is said to belong to the Raghuvamsha (dynasty) and hence Raghu Rama. My sister
was born few years later at Kothagudem. Brother and I had primary school
education at Kothagudem and my sister, her entire education up to graduation
there. While pursuing our middle, high school education at Secunderabad and
professional courses at Manipal in Karnataka, brother and I used to come home
during vacations and visit Bhadrachalam at least twice or thrice every year.
Before the construction of the bridge over Godavari at Bhadrachalam we used to
go to Burgampahad by road and from there to Bhadrachalam by Steamer - a sixty
seater motorized ferry, when the water levels are high. If the water levels
were low, we used to go from Burgampahad to some sandy surface point in the
middle of the wide river in a row boat and from there to Bhadrachalam by
Steamer over deeper waters.
These places fall in Khammam district, the most beautiful
land in Telangana area. The land is very fertile here with greenery everywhere.
Part of Dhandakaranya – a large forest area is in this district. There are
beautiful lakes like Kinnerasani, Wyra and Palair. Mighty rivers Godavari and
Shabari flow here. Beautiful Eastern Ghats dot the landscape and are more
prominent at Papikondalu with Godavari flowing amidst the hills. Thousands of
tourists visit Papikondalu, Bhadrachalam and Parnashala. Industries
are plenty, about 1/3rd of the States coal mining production
and power generation is from here.
Having said so much of this place it would not be proper if I
do not write of some unpleasant conditions here, so I would just mention two.
Summers are very severe here, the saying goes that along Godavari one doesn’t
require fuel to cook food, the sand on river banks is so hot that it is enough
to cook anything. You would see well- built, handsome, armed policemen
everywhere. This is to counter the Naxalite movement which started here decades
ago, thrived and has now spread into the neighboring States of Orissa and
Chhattisgarh.
Several years ago we all shifted back to Secunderabad, the
native place of my parents, the native place of my paternal and maternal
grandfathers and the native place of my father’s maternal grandfather. But our
attachment and love for Kothagudem and its surrounding places never diminished
and we continue to visit these places, friends and acquaintances, though fewer
times and at longer intervals. We are once again emotionally charged up and are
eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming trip.
P.S. You may click on
the following link to reach several of my photo-articles / blog posts on
Kothagudem, Singareni Collieries, Bhadrachalam, Godavari River, Parnashala,
Kinnerasani and Papikondalu:
hi it was nice to see your blog... u have done a very professional job. i have learnt a lot about your childhood days after reading your article. hope to see lot more activity in your blog.....
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