Medak Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Medak

Pocharam Sanctuary is at a short distance of 15 km from Medak and about 115 km from Hyderabad. Unfortunately, there are no forms of government transport to take you to the sanctuary. You have to take a private bus or a privately owned vehicle to reach the spot.

During ancient times the sanctuary used to be the hunting grounds for the Nizams of Hyderabad. Later it was turned into a protected area for the wildlife of the region during the middle of the 20th century. The sanctuary has been named after the Pocharam Lake that was built when the Allair Dam was constructed.

The sanctuary is home to plenty of flora and fauna. One can spot animals like wild dogs, wolf, leopard, forest cat, chital, antelope and sloth bear in the forest of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is visited by migratory birds like the open billed stork, bar-headed goose and Brahminy ducks each year.

An interesting tourism aspect is the Eco Tourism Centre where tourists can get to see five types of antelopes and deer. The best time to visit Pocharam is from November to January.  

Medak Fort is an ancient citadel that was built by the Kakatiyan rulers to protect the city from invaders. The fort is in Medak district and about 100 km from Hyderabad. It is believed to have been built in the 12th century by Maharaja Pratap Rudra and was also referred to as Methuku Durgam.

The fort was the command post for the rulers of Kakatiyas and also for the Qutub Shahis who came much later. The Qutub Shahi rulers had a mosque built within the fort during the 17th century along with rooms for granaries. The fort is noteworthy not only from the historical point of view, but also from the archaeological point of view.

It occupies a place of pride in the hearts of the local population. At present the fort houses a 3.2 m long cannon that belongs to the 17th century. The fort offers a picturesque view to the travellers for one can get a clear view of the whole town from the Medak Fort.

Medak Church is located in Medak town of Andhra Pradesh. The church belongs to the Diocese of Medak and is a cathedral for the same since 1947. The church was built by the Methodist Christians of India and was established in the year 1924 by Reverend Charles Walker Prosnett who was a follower of the motto ‘My best for my Lord’.

Ever since its consecration, millions of Christians from all over the world have visited the church. It also has the distinction of being the largest church in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The church has been built on the lines of the Gothic Revival Style and has a cathedral that is about 100 ft in width and 200 ft in length.

The cathedral is so huge that it can accommodate 5,000 people at any given time. The church boasts of mosaic tiles that were specially imported from Britain in six distinct colours. The flooring work in the church was carried out by Italian masons who were from Bombay. The stained glass windows depicting Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension from Christ's life is a charming aspect of the church.

Edupayala Durga Bhavani Gudi is a shrine dedicated to goddess Durga Bhavani and is located in the town of Medak, very close to the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The place is best known not only for the shrine of the Goddess Durga, but also for its natural and unique formation of stones.

This is also the spot from where the river Manjeera divides into seven streams that later reunite at a different spot. The Telugu word ‘Edupayalu’ when translated means seven streams. According to a legend, King Janamejya, who was the grandson of the great epic figure Arjuna, performed the ‘Sarpayagam’ or the sacrifice of serpents in the holy fire to protect his father from a curse.

The Sarpyagyam was performed at the place of the temple. It is said that a thick layer of ash was found buried deep in the beds of the Manjeera river when a bridge was to be constructed. Jatara is a fair that takes place on Shivratri where lakhs of devotees throng even from the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.  

Papikondalu or the Papi Hills in Andhra Pradesh is supposedly equivalent in its natural beauty to Kashmir. Papikondalu lies very close to the Medak town and is also part of the Khammam, East Godavari and West Godavari districts. The mountain range was initially known as Papidi Kondalu, which in Telugu means partition.

The range was thus named because of the partition it makes in the river Godavari. Some people believe that the range was thus named because its aerial view resembles the partition that a woman creates in her hair.

The hills are very famous for the beautiful waterfalls at Munivaatam. This is essentially a tribal belt with calm and serene atmosphere. Many people come to the waterfalls to become one with nature. The tribal groups at the place are peaceful people and do not cause any sort of harm to the visiting tourists.

The most sought out way to reach Papikondalu is by boat through Bhadrachalam or Rajahmundry. Papikondalu has a variety of fauna and flora. The Papikondalu Wildlife Sanctuary is home not only to a variety of birds but a wide range of animals like tigers, panthers, antelopes, hyenas, jackals and spotted deer as well.