Long drive to AnanthaGiri Hills

All you need to know about AnanthaGiri Hills

LOVE LONG DRIVES?

LOVE BREEZY WEATHER?

LOVE LUSH GREEN VALLEY?

If you are in Hyderabad, look no further than Ananthagiri hills. This gem is hidden in Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy district. The drive is easy and the roads are well maintained. We had started from Gachibowli and drove over ORR to Chevella. From there we took the road to Vikarabad. There are several shops on the way where you can easily get breakfast. We had packed our food so we did not stop on our way.

Once you enter Vikarabad, you will be greeted with tall green trees and peaceful silence. We had travelled on a rainy day which had made the forest more attractive. Ananthagiri hills or “Limitless” hillock overlooks a valley.

The viewpoint provides excellent edge for admiring the valley. The clouds shrouded the horizon and it looked surreal from viewpoint. The valley below was barely visible due to rain. It almost looked like a translucent veil hiding the horizon from our eyes!

Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy devasthanam is on the way to the Musi river origin viewpoint. The temple is a beautiful example of architecture, the temple entrance is flanked by two massive statues of Garuda and Hanuman. Official TSTDC website states the legend as “According to Skanda Purana, it is believed the temple is installed by the Rishi Markandeya in Dwapara Yuga. Attracted by the peaceful atmosphere of Ananthagiri hills Markandeya Rishi came here for yoga sadhana. Every day Markandeya used to go to Kasi from Ananthagiri to take a holy bath in the Ganges through a cave due to his yoga sadhana. On one day he was not able to go to Kasi as Dwadasi enter the early hours of the morning. Lord gave Darshana in a dream and arranged the Ganges to flow to perform a holy bath for Rishi.”
The main temple sanctum sanctorum is led by a cave-like entrance. it is very peaceful. There is no entry fee to the temple, only parking fees at gate must must be paid.

The Musi River origin point is even more beautiful. There is designated parking – 40₹ for parking and 20₹ per person for the preservation of the area. The entire valley is visible and on good days, Kotpally reservoir is also visible from this viewpoint. Most people come here to trek to the watchtower through the jungle. Trek is fairly easy but needs stamina. It is around a 3-4 km trek from parking to the watchtower.

The epitome of patience Nandi bull and rustic temple for Shiva- Parvati is the point from where everyone starts their trek. After taking blessings, one has to walk on the path marked towards the valley. The green valley looks enticing from this point. The mild breeze promised abundance and the rain-washed leaves were soothing to the eyes. Soon you will reach the small waterfall which is deemed to be the origin of the Musi river. The jungle starts getting denser from this point onwards and one must exercise caution to walk further (Pro-tips: Please carry a water bottle and odomos roll on). The quaint jungle silence is often broken by peacock chirping, apart from the constant buzz of crickets.

More on exciting day trips from Hyderabad

Kotpally reservoir can be added to the itinerary if time permits. Alternatively, if you are opting to stay in Ananthagiri hills,you must visit this place. It is around another 30 km drive from the Musi rover origin viewpoint and takes 54 mins average time to reach. The reservoir offers kayaking facilities for adventurous souls.

Stay options : Haritha Ananthagiri hotel is is located in the forest area. The rooms are well maintained from what’s expected from government-driven accommodation; otherwise, the service is pretty bland. Basic amenities like towel, drinking water, room service, and geyser (only central-controlled hot water facility) were not available. However, the location is one of the best! We were lucky to witness clouds floating from the balcony – right into the back courtyard. Other alternate stay options can be found in Vikarabad town.

I was delighted to see that veiwpoints are maintained very well for tourists. The viewpoint is hardly 50 km drive from Hyderabad and is easy to reach. It is a simple long drive to be taken right after a rainy night.

A quick getaway from monotonous life – Ananthagiri hills is your answer!

How to reach :

By Road : ORR > Chilkur > Chevella > Vikarabad>Tandur
By Rail : Nearest Railway station is Vikarabad junction, you can hire cab to reach hotel.
By Air : Nearest Airport is Hyderabad International Airport. You can hire out-station cab or Zoom car to drive over to the dam.

Reach me on Facebook or Instagram if you have any questions regarding the travel to Ananthagiri Hills. 

Do not litter, travel responsibly! Do not use any photos without permission.