#deccan rocks

Boulders at Snehita Hills near PBEL City

Older than the Dinosaurs

It is just amazing to see these rocks

You would definitely be awestruck with this small detail but actually these granite rocks better known as Deccan Rocks are much older than the dinosaurs. These boulders date back to Pre Cambrian era and started forming 2.5 million years ago as the lava from the earth’s core was thrown up in the form of magma. As this magma cooled and solidified on the earth’s crust forming blocks of granite, it took thousands of years of weathering to get the present shape which is definitely going to catch your eye as soon as you drive from the airport towards the ORR.

You can keep looking at these rocks and only wonder how tons of kilos is balancing atop each other; seems like some children would have arranged it like that during their play.

Rock Climbing at Khajaguda

Arshiya climbing the rocks

Enjoying the view

Cheryl at Khajaguda Rock Climbing Site

First Sunday of the year and probably not many would want to get of the bed early. But I wanted to be so much  around these rocks that I did not think twice before committing myself and my daughters to this early morning rock climbing expedition which Gangadhar Krishnan of Unwind@Unexplored was organising at the Khajaguda rock climbing site in Hyderabad.

Event by Unwind@Unexplored – Designed by Gangu

Gangu with kids

Harita explaining different grips while climbing

Gangadhar better known as Gangu designed an itinerary and shared everything on the Whats App group for rock climbing. He asked everyone to meet at 7 am at the Khajaguda climbing site and had shared the Google map of the location the previous day and also shared some instructions about how to dress up, what to get to eat and also mentioned how to be environmentally responsible by getting a bag to put all our fruit peels and wrappers into and take it back and not to litter the hills.

Can you spot the Whale – that boulder looks like one

Gangu also curates trips specially for families and group travellers to the North East and other parts of India. Though he specialises in customised tours to North East India he also curates travels for international destinations. He can be reached at 9845162637 for more details.

Early to rise and early to climb

Arshiya climbing the rocks

We reached the destination a little later than 7. Gangu and his team shared important information regarding rock climbing, the do’s and dont’s specially for kids and also demonstrated how to climb the rocks with four different types of hand grips. Gangu explained the importance of four point touch on the rocks which means that at any given point in time no more than four points of our body should be touching the rocks which means that our feet and both our hands can touch the rock but not our knees and elbows.

Once the instructions were clear and the warm up was done the kids with the help of Harita and Rajat and Gangu started climbing the boulders one by one. The first boulder was a whale kind of a huge rock where we could see various grips and the kids in fact climbed quite easily.

Under the Boulder

Are you game for caving

Once the whale rock was done we reached a point where we had to climb a rock and actually roll under it to pass to the other side of the boulders to climb further up. Honestly, I could not do this but both the girls went up this rock and rolled under it to go further. It was a wonderful experience for them and in fact they were amazed with the entire activity. I, too was mesmerised with the entire formation and just could not believe the shape and the way the rocks were balancing atop each other. When you see smaller rocks holding huge boulders which are multiple times their size you can only wonder at Nature and its beauty.

Let a thing of beauty be joy forever

What a team – father and son – enjoying the views and the Deccan Rocks

Lake from Khajaguda Rock Climbing Site

I feel happy to have seen and witnessed these age old rocks and to actually feel them, walk on them, climb on them and just relax on them. Once you touch them and realise these rocks were in the womb of the earth so many years ago you would definitely get goosebumps and it is such a humbling experience.  Each rock, each boulder tells a story – a story of courage, a story of not giving up under pressure and a story of evolving with time and embracing new forms, shapes and sizes and yet maintaining the balance within. Very soon I am going up one of the boulders for my meditation and yoga session.

The other side of the hills – all dug up

The blasting and destruction of the Deccan Rocks is slowly killing them

It crushes my heart to see boulders being blasted and razed to ground in the name of development. Hyderabad, a city that only recently has tasted the spurt of growth, infrastructure and other paraphernalia that comes attached with the tag of a ‘big city’ would do itself a favour if it treads with caution. I urge the responsible departments and the government to take care of this incredible heritage of Hyderabad and be proud of it lest Hyderabad becomes a city with a name but no face.

Sunrise as seen from Snehita Hills