Hyderabad: Saleshwaram, a sacred site for Chenchus located in the Nallamala forests, will soon be on the ecotourism and wildlife safari circuit in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. Saleshwaram, where there is a small temple of Lord Lingamayya in a valley surrounded by waterfalls, is extremely popular.
Three days a year in April, on the occasion of Chaitra Purnima, thousands of people flock to the Saleshwaram Jatar.
“The jatra started on Monday and this year we are expecting around 1.5 lakh visitors and pilgrims,” said Rohit Gopidi, Nagarkurnool district forest officer. Jatara, which is basically a traditional Chechu tribal festival, has been attracting huge crowds over the years, most of whom make the journey to experience the jungle.
“We are planning to include Saleshwaram in the wildlife safari circuit through a trek to Lingamayya temple from mid-May,” he said.
This year, TSRTC has arranged buses from Achampet to Saleshwaram Jatara. The aim is to discourage people from using their personal vehicles and reduce traffic in the tiger reserve. The final leg of the journey involves a journey of about two km down the hills inside the forest. Only those who are fit enough should attempt the trip, especially given the summer temperatures.
Since a lot of garbage is usually generated due to the huge crowd, the forest department has set up a 100-member volunteer force to keep the forest clean and clean up the garbage left by pilgrims and visitors.
