The Gorge
The Penna River is one of the five rivers originating in the Nandi Hills in Karnataka. On its way to the Bay of Bengal via Andhra Pradesh, a few kilometres west of the village of Gandikota, it is dammed at the point where it meets the Chitravathi River. Then, it passes through a gorge before spilling into the Mylavaram reservoir and meandering along again.

The Gandikota village sits on the edge of near-perfect quartzite boulder blocks shaped by the Penna River. The narrow gorge has a width of approximately 100m (vs. the Grand Canyon‘s average width of 1600m), a depth of roughly 100m (vs. the Grand Canyon’s average depth of 1220m!!) and a length of under 5Km (vs. the Grand Canyon’s 446km) and…it is called the GRAND CANYON of INDIA! Canyon it is but it is so narrow that it is really a gorge, making it not so ‘grand’ and making me want to use a different adjective (Gorgeous; and the pun makes it perfect, don’t you think?) because honestly, the REAL Grand Canyon might not want to be related to Gandikota, even as its most farthest removed cousin!

So, should you not visit? But of course, you MUST! It is small and beautiful, and there is no other place like it in India! It is a long way off from Bangalore for a day trip, and there is enough to do as an overnight trip. We stayed there over a long weekend, visiting Lepakshi and Belum Caves.

What you can do there:
1) Try to catch the sunrise (the sun illuminates the boulders, shrubs, the gorge, and the river with new brilliance!).
2) Try and catch the sunset (the sky takes on lovely shades of blue & orange!).
3) Sit and breathe fresh and unpolluted air (it is very meditative).
4) Discover paths leading down to the river through all that undergrowth (there weren’t any safe tracks when I visited).
5) Look for a path to climb the boulders (get there and feel on top of the world!).
6) Walk away from the gorge area, past the fort and discover remnants of historic buildings in various states of deterioration (It makes you feel like an explorer without doubt!).
7) Visit the fort (it’s more than the fort wall and is very impressive!)

The Fort
Historical evidence points to the existence of a sand fort a long time before the more well-known dynasties ruled the region. The Vijayanagara Kings fortified it, growing to prominence organically over several centuries. The Pemmasani Nayakas, feudal lords under them, ruled Gandikota independently for about 100 years when the Vijayanagara Dynasty faded into history. It later fell into the hands of Aurangzeb, who was making inroads into the South after diminishing the Deccan Sultanates. It was Haider Ali’s son Tipu’s territory for some time before the British made it theirs.

There’s more to the fort than the solid, good-looking fort walls. The fort covers a large area. Walking or a two-wheeler are your only options to visit inside the fort. Visit a temple from the Vijayanagar times, a mosque, a granary, a jail, what looks like a bird nesting tower, a chabutra (they call it a mini-charminar), etc., and clear cases of encroachments – people living in simple homes inside the fort among the remnants of the fort! The grand finale is the gorgeous view of the gorge (I cannot help but call it gorgeous again and again!). Give yourself 3 hours so that you are not rushing due to lack of time because you didn’t expect to see much!

Gandikota rose to fame just like that one day. No one knew it existed, and suddenly, everyone was clamouring to visit!
Accommodation is a challenge – Haritha, the APTDC hotel with limited rooms, is the only large stay option. Glamping and tents on the gorge’s edge are other options (to be booked through APTDC). For me, a clean bed to lie on and a clean loo is of utmost importance. But that’s just me, and if you are flexible, you should try the tents. At the time of my visit late last year, there was a newly opened simple but clean B&B, the only hotel facing the gorge.
Food options are minimal.

A few other stay options that call themselves ‘resorts’ are mushrooming about 500m-1km from the gorge. Don’t be fooled because they are not resorts by any standards but basic brick-and-mortar rooms.
A couple of kilometres before the gorge is the parking fee collection point – this, if I understood correctly, is for the day trippers to park their vehicles in the lot near the fort. You are exempt from paying if you stay at any of the accommodations.

Conclusion – do visit this gorgeous gorge and equally fascinating fort.