Hyderabad to Madanapalle through Belum Caves & Gandikota - 3rd day of our 14 days long trip through east coast of India || Noida to Rameshwaram

Once again we started at 4AM, and drove into Andhra Pradesh past some stunning landscapes of granite hills. By this time, we were also in the zone hit by the Cyclone Mandous and skies were cloudy and it had started drizzling. We first stopped at Belum Caves to explore the mystifying network of underground passages. These caves were once occupied by Jain and Buddhist Monks and traces of human settlements have been found ranging till 4500 BC.

The caves are the second-largest cave system in the Indian Subcontinent and are known for their stalagmite and stalactite formations. At the deepest point of the cave (46 meter / 151 feet), there is a constant waterfall that is known as Patalganga.

It is tough to explore these caves as the airflow, despite the airflow ducts that have been created by the authorities, is restricted and at places the caves get really narrow and very low.

After Belum Caves, we headed to Gandikota. And for that we had to drive through the interiors of Andhra. The roads here could have been better and the traffic less noisy. But the destination took our breath away. Not only is Gandikota Fort an understated, yet worthy destination, the Gandikota Canyon is really grand too. We got a little drenched because of the constant drizzle, but it was completely worth it.

And the biryani we had outside Gandikota fort after fasting for nearly 24 hours was worth it too. It was simply amazing and our first taste of authentic dum biryani down south. By this time, we had switched from tea to filter coffee and even though we couldn't get coffee at Gandikota, we made a brief stop for it on our way.

By now we were debating where to search for a hotel for our night stay. We didn't want to stay at Gandikota because the drive next day to Thanjavur would be hectic. Moreover, the hotels we saw didn't appear exciting. Our next planned stop was at Horsley hills, so we decided to book a hotel at Madanapalle, which was about 30 kilometers from Horsley Hills. And we were fortunate to find a good option.

This is where we had our first dosa and it was amazing. It was a simple, family-run restaurant right next to our hotel. We packed it up with an amazing cup of coffee at a popular outlet on the street.

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