By PRAGYANSHARAMA POLAVARAPU(VRS.SOMANCHI)
Now to the present times i.e.
the time when my friend and I walked on the hill path on a pleasant morning 23
years ago towards the small beautiful old temple. The temple was already
renovated by the time of our visit and other small beautiful temples were
built. The foot path on which we walked on the long spine of Mallur hill
up to the temple among the sparse tree cover and vast green bushes was
perhaps three kilometers long. A forest of lean trees existed as far as the eye
could see.
Our path was far away from the
tarred road route. At the end of the tar road there were the main temple stairs
with some welcome arches built of concrete and well painted. I vaguely
remember that at the end of our walking journey we reached a
set of wide stone steps leading to a high ground under a
giant-sized ancient mango tree . It was a beautiful sight in the forest
sorroundings. In the shade it was surprisingly very cool and pleasant amid the
hot sun.
As already stated the temple hill was
only the first hill of a small hill range covered with forests. This
small group of hills is perhaps a section of the
Eastern Ghats, the hill ranges which stretch along the east coast of India
. Godavari river is about five kilometers distant from Mallur.
A wide hill stream
fed by waters from distant hilly lands flows for a few kilometers near
some villages and passes through Mallur village and then finally flows into the
Godavari river.It is called ” Mallur Vagu”( Mallur stream). It appears that not
far from Mallur lot of forest starts and continues into the old undivided
Warangal district of Telangana. There are reported to be remains of an
old fort about four kilometers from Mallur in the deep forest existing along
the river Godavari . Internet sites show bulky walls built of huge stone
blocks.It is said that the fort was constructed in the time of
Sathavahana kings and that the fort had a 8km radius.
There is another perennial hill
stream flowing down from the high mountains of Mallur range hidden
among thick green bushes and flowing through a big marsh to within
a few yards of Mallur temples! The marsh area is said cover
an ancient grove of medicinal plants . People have to be very
careful not to step into the marshy area very near the temples.
The invisibly moving hill stream
brings very pure and fragrant water as we had
personally found after drinking it . The water is fresh like tap water
and is further purified by slowly flowing amidst the thousands of
submerged roots of medicinal herbs. It appears that (since perhaps thousands of
years) fresh water naturally accumulates during the heavy monsoon period
in the many ponds on the high hills and feeds the many streams
originating there. The water while flowing down accumulates in a
wide stony trough formed in the hills near the temple
hill .The juices of the herbs make the water fragrant and bacteria-free
and the water acquires medicinal properties.
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