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Standing on the upper floor of the abandoned guesthouse, my dad and I looked at the view in front of us. It was a late afternoon in March, the day was hot, a reminder of the oncoming summer. As my dad excitedly recounted tales of his childhood around these parts, I stared out at the beautiful and serene Pocharam Lake as it shimmered in the afternoon sun. My mind wandered back to the 70s and 80s and what this place might have looked like back then and slowly further back to the days of the Nizam when this building was used as a hunting lodge. Now, all that remains are the decaying walls and the stillness of its solitude.
Earlier this year while my dad, my mom and I were driving back to Hyderabad after a short visit to the town of Lingampet, my dad suddenly asked me if I was interested to see an old abandoned guesthouse nearby. While my mom decided to wait in the car, I immediately agreed. My dad took a detour off the Medak-Yellareddy Road and drove up a kachha road which led up to a small hill, atop which was perched this small two-storied building.
After parking our car in the shade of a tree, my dad and I walked over to the building and went inside. The walls were made of stone and looked sturdy and strong with only the deterioration in the paint giving away its age. At the front there is a porch offering shade and views of the lake in front. The Pocharam dam can be seen as well, cutting across the lake.
According to various sources, this guesthouse was built in 1927 by the Nizams to be used as a hunting lodge for their outings in the Pocharam Forests.
We walked inside the entrance which leads to the front room. The walls were filled with fading paint and graffiti. The flooring was all stone tiles which was in good shape relatively. There were more rooms in the back. My dad had grabbed a stick before entering, which he was now carrying and leading the way as we explored the interior.
We spotted some stairs at one corner which led us to the upper floor. Here, a balcony which wraps around a portion of the upper floor offered excellent views of the countryside including the shimmering lake ahead. Behind the building we spotted some more structures, one of which looked like a shed for parking vehicles. The area leading up to that was strewn with garbage which was pretty typical of most abandoned sites like this. As we were looking around, we saw a couple enjoying the views. My dad struck up a conversation with the man about the locations of nearby villages near the lake.
After we had our fill, we walked back to the ground floor and out of the building. We strolled towards the lake and enjoyed the views from there. Standing there I googled about the place and saw somewhere that there used to be the facility of boating around here but it was shutdown many years ago. Had we had more time we would have loved to spend more time at the water’s edge. I told my dad that the next time we are in Lingampet we should make a day trip to this location and enjoy the water as well.
The location is excellent save for the narrow approach road, offering beautiful views and immense potential for water activities. It would be great if government or any private entity look into renovating this into a hotel or maybe a tourist spot for the local populace to enjoy. The last time I had expressed a wish like this it turned into reality so hoping the same happens to this site as well. According to a 2017 article in The Hindu, there were plans to upgrade this building along with another one nearby but nothing seems to have come of it.
We left the place soon resuming our drive back to Hyderabad. Big thanks to my dad as usual who showed me yet another interesting place!
For the curious:
- I found a few articles and posts by fellow travelers who have visited the place and have written about it. Here is one from a person named Venki who, along with a group camped here for a night. Here is a link to their article. They have this intriguing photo of their camp which is located right in front of the building:
2. The Hindu article from April 26, 2017 Here
