Hey Krishna! Thrill seekers lap up road-cum-cruise ride

Hyderabad: The road-cum-cruise ride on River Krishna provides a thrilling experience for the nature lovers and those who want to get disconnected from the hustle and bustle of the world, as the seven-hour journey on the boat on weekends provided by the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TGTDC) offers a different experience.

The 120-km stretch of journey starting from Somashila near Kollapur to Srisailam on the boat goes on for six to seven hours. As the boat passes through the dense Amrabad and Nallamalla forests with a maximum speed of 25 kmph and with river water full in between the hills with greenery, it gives a soothing experience to the passengers on board.

“People wanting peace of mind away from the busy world can avail this facility because there will be no mobile network during the journey,” said Shankar, who was travelling on the boat.

He said that the families would have a lot of fun on this tour. The small islands and fishermen living in these islands venture out with nets to catch fish, which is an added attraction. In order to keep boredom at bay, the corporation staff entertains with a musical system encouraging the passengers to dance and also conducts ‘Tambola’ game, which can be enjoyed while having tea and snacks.

According to the TSTDC officials, the double decker boat which includes an air conditioned enclosure has a capacity of 120 persons and the response has been good from the people. General Manager Ibrahim said that generally, the Corporation takes up this package between November to February. “During the Kartika Masam, people visit temples, hence the Srisailam temple was taken in the package where the devotees can have darshan of Lord Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy,” he said.

The General Manager said that the package will be profitable if over 80 persons board the bus. The package starts Saturday and ends on Sunday and provides life jackets, drinking water, and food, tea for the passengers. The travel facility will be available only till the water levels in Nagarjunsagar are at 575 feet, hence the interested can avail the opportunity.

The Tourism Corporation has been trying to start the road cum cruise packages for a couple of years but could not succeed. However, with heavy inflows coming into Krishna, the water level has gone up leading the Corporation to start the package. There are two packages including one from Nagarjunsagar to Srisailam and another from Somashila to Srisailam. The Nagarjunsagar to Srisailam would cover Srisailam Temple, Sakshi Ganapathi Temple, Srisailam dam site, Pathalaganga, Farahabad, Nagarjunasagar Dam. The tariff for adults is Rs 3,050 and for child, Rs 2,450. Similarly, for Somashila to Srisailam package, the journey will be on boat till Srisailam, and then ropeway to reach the hillock. Both the packages have night stay with non-a/c accommodation and a vegetarian meal on the boat. The tariff for adults is Rs 4,499 and for children it is Rs 3,600.