You never know what will inspire you. In April of 2017, I took my kids to watch the movie “Poorna”. It is an inspirational true story about the youngest girl in history (to date) to summit Mt. Everest. While watching the movie, we were awestruck to learn that her first experience with rappelling was at Bhongir, which is a place close to Hyderabad, India. While we had passed by the Bhongir Fort many times before, we had never stopped to explore the fort or participate in the activities available at the site.
Then, an opportunity came up. A group of friends decided to visit the fort and the surrounding areas as a day trip. Two different types of rappelling activities were planned at Bhongir Fort … one for the kids under 12 (100 ft) and one for over 12 (300 ft). We arrived at the fort by 7 am. The younger kids completed the rappelling first. It was really cool to see them try this new activity.
After the younger ones completed the rappelling, we walked up to the top of the fort and enjoyed the amazing views of the surrounding areas. On the way back down, the older kids and the adults who wanted to participate in the rappelling completed the activity while the rest of the group walked down. Everyone completed the activity by 11am.
Next, we headed for lunch at a close by rest stop. After a delicious lunch (everyone had worked up quite an appetite!), we headed to the near by Kolanupaka Jain Temple. It is an important pilgrimage center for Svetambara Jains. There are very strict rules for admission (no black clothing, no leather, no shorts, etc.), so please be prepared. A lot of folks from our group could not go inside.
Finally, we visited the Kolanupaka Someshwara Temple which is also in the same area. The temple complex is very interesting… a functioning temple, combined with a museum make it an interesting destination.
We left Kolanupaka around 3:30pm were able to reach home by 6 pm… 12 hours of magic that happened all because we watched a 100 minute movie!
Notes:
> Rappelling at Bhongir is an awesome experience. Book ahead and reach early so that you can complete the rappelling activities before it becomes too hot. Rappelling is an easier activity compared to rock climbing.
> The Kolanupaka Jain Temple is a very beautiful temple… but, understand the rules and follow them!
Wandering Tales Travel Dreams 