Located on the Rajahmundry-Bhadrachalam road, Maredumilli has become quite popular as a weekend gateway these days due to its rich biodiversity with undulating terrain. Our journey started from Eluru early in the morning towards Rajahmundry on the Chennai-Kolkata highway. It offers a splendid view of the lush green fields and plantations ending with the Kovvuru bridge on the mighty Godavari river. Congestion at the tollgate near the bridge reminds you of Bengaluru traffic. The road to Maredumilli diverges towards Bhadrachalam from the highway showcasing the beauty of the tribal region in the eastern ghats. Monkeys on both sides of the road reminding us of the human intrusion into their natural habitat.
Our first stop was Bhupathipalem reservoir point It has a splendid view with the reflection of hills onto the waters. The road from here will be a bit challenging to drive and we got to see some trucks coming from Chattisgarh and Odisha.
We moved on further and reached Jalataringini waterfalls which are within a walkable distance from the main road and not difficult at all to reach by foot. We couldn’t reach the brink of the waterfalls as the bedrock is slippery with big boulders.
The next stop was Manyam viewpoint with a picturesque view of the forest and the hills. AP Tourism department built a platform for the visitors but due to lack of maintenance, barricades are no more present and it looks dangerous with a steep valley.
Our next stop in the itinerary is the highlight of the trip which is Amruthadara waterfalls. One needs to climb down a steep pathway of roughly 1km to reach the waterfalls from the entrance. Even though the bedrock is slippery, people can playfully slide down and fall into a small pool (as if it’s an amusement park) without hurting themselves. We spent some time in the pool. The journey back to the entrance is an arduous one and I wouldn’t recommend it to someone with old age or ones having leg pains.
Photo Credits: https://www.trawell.in/andhra/maredumilli/amruthadhara-falls
We wanted to visit other places as well but in the interest of time and the road condition, we had to return back. On our way back we got to taste the unique tribal delicacy “Bongulo chicken” (Bamboo chicken) and Biryani, a traditional form of cooking with almost no oil. The origin of the dish is traced to Maredumilli. Roughly 2-3 people can share one plate of Biryani. Bamboo chicken is supposed to be eaten when it’s hot.
Photo Credits: https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/this-unique-tribal-delicacy-is-making-araku-popular/article26280596.ece
The interesting thing about Maredumilli is it’s an Eco-tourism project managed by the local indigenous tribal community with the active support of Andhra Pradesh forest department. With proper maintenance of infrastructure, this can grow in leaps and bounds as a tourist destination.