Located in a dense forest and surrounded by hills, the naturally formed Gourigundala waterfall in Telangana attracts huge crowds this monsoon season. The waterfall, located three kilometres from Sabitham village and 10 km from the district headquarters on the main Peddapalli-Manthani road, is carrying water after the incessant rains of the past few days.
People from the surrounding areas have started visiting the waterfall to have a glimpse of the water cascading down from the Gattusingaram hills. Visitors not only take selfies in front of the waterfall but also enjoy bathing in the water.
Besides the waterfall, there is a small Gouri Lingeshwara temple with idols of goddesses Chandi, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Locals believe that Lord Rama and Sita visited this place during their Vanavaasam. Though the waterfall has a long history, it has come into limelight only in the last few years.
Since the place is visited by a large number of people, the state government has classified it as a tourist attraction and decided to develop the place with a budget of Rs 3 crore. Besides constructing a three-km road from Sabhitham to the waterfall, basic amenities will also be provided. Since a youth died after falling from the top of a hill while taking a selfie a few years ago, the authorities have put up a warning board at the spot to prevent such incidents.
A visitor, Kodam Raju, said the waterfall is very pleasant and beautiful as it is located amidst the hills surrounded by dense forests.
Following the heavy rains that have caused severe flooding of the Gourigundala waterfall, Basanthnagar police have decided to close the falls to the public from Sunday to prevent any untoward incident.
The reason is that two youths had died at the falls in 2023 and 2022. Apart from blocking the road leading to the falls by putting up barricades, a police post has also been set up in the village to prevent people from moving towards the falls. A warning board has also been put up at the beginning of the road leading to the falls.
Peddapalli Police Superintendent Krishna said that the water level at the spot was very high due to incessant rains for the past four days. There have been incidents of youths dying at the falls. So, the falls have been closed temporarily to avoid such incidents. The ACP asked the villagers to prevent visitors from reaching the spot through other routes. “Visitors would be allowed to enter the falls for two to three days after the water recedes”, he said.
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