Gundala hot water springs draw tourists & devotees, but faces threat from rampant sand mining

Devotees believe that in winter, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva visit the hot water pools to take a bath, say these have healing properties

Kothagudem: Ushnagundalu or hot water springs in the riverbed of the Godavari near Bhadrachalam is a religious spot often visited by both devotees and tourists alike.

The hot water springs are located at a distance of nearly 6 km from Bhadrachalam at Gundala village of Yetapaka mandal in Andhra Pradesh.

There are several legends associated as well with the naturally formed hot water springs. Devotees believe that during winter, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva visit the hot water pools in the river to take a bath and hence the hot springs here have healing properties. The devotees who visit the place fill the water in bottles and take it home.

Another legend is that during his exile, Lord Rama, along with his consort Sita, lived in the forests here. When Goddess Sita wanted hot water to take bath Lord Rama created a hot water spring in the river by shooting an arrow into it.

According to another legend the hot springs were created by the serpent king Adhi Sesha and taking a dip in the sacred spring would obliterate one’s past sins. One has to walk nearly half a kilometre in the riverbed to reach the Ushnagundalu, where the visitors perform prayers.

Speaking to Telangana Today, retired Deputy Director of Groundwater Department V Anand Kumar said huge quantities of sulfur deposits beneath the riverbed causes the hot water springs. Sulfur deposited in the gaps of sandstones deep in the riverbed causes heat due to geothermal activity, he said.

But in recent times, due to excessive sand mining, often illegally, the hot water springs are getting damaged, complained Srinivas, a resident of Gundala village. He wanted the officials to control sand mining in the area to preserve the hot water springs.

When the river dries, the locals dig the sand to create wells to allow water to seep into it. The hot water thus stored in the wells is distributed to devotees, he said.

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