A Guide to Deva Theertham Trek: Exploring the Seshachalam forest

Trekking in Seshachalam is a dream for me and many trekking enthusiasts, as there are restrictions on most of the trekking peaks. Aside from a few easily accessible waterfalls, most in Seshachalam are not open to the public.

A post on Instagram caught my attention: the Thumburu Theertham trek! Deva Theertham is on the way to Thumburu Theertham, though with a slight detour. You'll learn how the plans evolved as we progress through this article.

Until the day before the trek, the organizers hadn't confirmed our spots because they needed clearance from the forest department. However, by Friday evening, I received a call saying we could join. My friend and I prepared for the overnight trek in Seshachalam.

This is my first trek with a Telugu-speaking group in Andhra Pradesh, and I'm quite thrilled. We've scheduled our departure from Chennai at 5 am because we need to arrive in Tirupati by approximately 9 am. The journey typically lasts about 3 hours, or around 4 hours if we opt for public transport.

Though it's a short trek but includes an overnight stay, we must be mindful of what we pack.

• 25 to 30L backpack

• Full sleeve T shirt & Trek / track pants – Must as trail has lot of bushes and small thorns, insect bites

• Water bottle – 1L must (2L optional)

• Snacks – Required

• Space clothes – for water dip/swim

• Sleeping bag / Bed sheets – Must as we will be sleeping outdoor (if you don’t carry your own tent)

• Tent – Required to carry (organizers cover sleeping area with turpentine/banner covers.

The meeting point was across from the Tirupati bus stand. Our group of 35 had bus transportation arranged from there to the trek's starting point, "Kukkala Doddi." After a half-hour drive, we arrived at the starting location. There wasn't much in terms of briefing; we all set off on the trail without delay. Lunch packs were distributed to everyone, and I took responsibility for them. We also had to carry various items related to cooking and the overnight camp, which were distributed among us.

The trail is flat and accessible to both four-wheelers and two-wheelers. The organizers had a few bikes with them, so they transported the luggage on bikes to ease the burden for some trekkers. Some trekkers who came on their own also rode their bikes down the trail.

From the very start, elephant dung and footprints are visible along the trail. It seems that an elephant passed through the trail just a few hours ago.

After trekking around 2 kilometers, we encountered Annamayya Margam, which connects to Tirumala. This route is opened to the public on one of the auspicious days.

After trekking approximately 3.8 kilometers, there is a dry river crossing the trail, where bikes are parked. Beyond this point, the forest becomes thick and dense, and we proceed along the riverbed, which is lined with bushes.

At approximately 1:30 pm, we paused for a lunch break beneath a tree in the riverbed. Up to this point, we had trekked roughly 4.2 kilometers. Initially, the lunch was planned for a different location, but due to a lack of coordination, everyone was left to their own devices. By around 2 pm, we resumed our hike. Our goal is to cover about 6 to 7 kilometers in 4 hours, which means we need to hurry before the sun sets.

The trail is clearly marked with paint on the rocks. It runs alongside the riverbank but switches from one side to the other. Walking in the river is not advisable due to the presence of large boulders, which can significantly slow down progress.

Whenever we encounter a crossing or a passage through the river, we find a path along the bank and proceed forward. The trail becomes denser, turning into more of a bamboo forest with red sandalwood. As we pass through some of the thicker areas, mosquito bites are quite common. If possible, apply mosquito repellent to your hands and neck. Fallen bamboo trees have blocked the trail in several places due to disturbances caused by elephants.

After about a 30-minute trek, we reached a cave known as “sanyasi gruha.” It is situated right next to the stream. The water is very tasty and crystal clear. Until this point, my water intake was minimal, but upon seeing such clear, flowing water, I drank about a bottle and refilled it. From here, the stream contains water, and we are very cautious while crossing. In fact, all of us ended up in the water during some of the crossings.

The required pace was 1.5 to 2 km/h, and we are on track. The trail is very narrow, allowing only one person to walk at a time. There are long branches lying on the path, and some of us have tripped because our shoes got caught. We need to be very careful as there are small thorns that are scratching us. Ahead of us, about five trekkers have gone, and the guide, who is also the cook, was among them. By 5:50 pm, we reached the "Vengamamba Gruha." It’s a large rock cave with a small shrine dedicated to a Guru called “Sri Raj Guru,” although Vengamamba offered prayers from here.

As you may remember from our previous discussion, the journey began towards "Thumburu Theertham." The theertham is approximately 2 kilometers from this point. We will stay here overnight and resume our trek to Thumburu Theertham tomorrow morning.

Those with their own tents have set them up, and the organizers mentioned they would provide a plastic sheet or banners for us to sleep on. There won't be any overhead cover or roof. Elephants have even wandered through our campsite. I decided to sleep inside the cave, which offers overhead cover and is elevated, making it safer. There are two campfires, and people have formed groups, participating in various fun activities.

Dinner was prepared by 10 pm, consisting of rice, sambar, rasam, and bajji, served with curd. Many of us were exhausted since it was late.

During this time, four forest guards were camped nearby, and they were having a serious conversation with our organizers. They asked us to gather in one spot for a photo. I noticed discussions were underway, but I kept my distance. Before bedtime, someone mentioned that we might be prevented from visiting Thumburu Theertham.

Woke up at around 6:30 am after sleeping for about 7 hours without needing to get up during the night. Typically, sleep quality is excellent in the forest or outdoors. Although it was a cold night, my sleeping bag kept me comfortable.

Everyone at the campsite woke up to the news that we weren't allowed to go to Thumburu Theertham. Some of us approached the forest rangers and explained that we had traveled from all over India, but we had no success.

Tea was prepared over the campfire, and refreshments were enjoyed afterward. Card rice was made using the leftover rice from last night, and we tasted a bit before departing the campsite.The morning hike along the water stream was wonderfully pleasant and scenic.

After hiking approximately 6 kilometers, we've arrived at the point where we need to take a diversion. The chef has begun preparing lunch there so it will be ready when we return from Theertham. We walked through dense bushes for about 300 to 400 meters and reached Deva Theertham.

Firstly, there is no crowd in the falls since it is closed to the public. The water flow is good, and there is a sufficient pond below for swimming or bathing. The depth increases as you approach the fall, but it is about 4 to 5 feet deep in the middle, allowing anyone to enter and enjoy. We spent around 30 minutes there before climbing to the top of the fall. The path is quite dangerous and narrow, requiring navigation through rock cuts and tree branches, so we had to be accompanied by trek guides.

It appears that this Theertham contains approximately 12 Gundams in total if we keep climbing. With assistance from the guides, some of us began the ascent, and after around 10 minutes, we arrived at the top of the waterfall, where the views are breathtaking. There is a small Gundam right at the top of the waterfall, and the path continues up towards another main fall known as "Rushi theertham." Wearing shoes is definitely not recommended, so I had to go barefoot.

After a hike of about 15 minutes, we arrived at the upper falls, which is much larger and deeper than Deva Theertham. Only a few people ventured down due to its depth. I meditated there, while some experienced swimmers dived in. We spent about 30 minutes before returning to Deva Theertham and then headed back to our lunch spot. We enjoyed pulihora by the water stream and rested for a while, filling our bottles before departing. We had another 5-kilometer hike before reaching the road head. I had been asking our trek guide to show me a Red Sandalwood tree, and he mentioned that we had passed many along the way. Finally, we spotted a few trees right next to our path. We reached the road head around 3:30 pm.

We hadn't arranged for transportation, so we took a tractor ride to Tirupati until Renigunta Junction, and from there, we took a bus. We arrived in Tirupati by 5 PM and immediately started our journey to Chennai.

If you'd like to see a visual representation of my article, please watch my vlog on YouTube and leave a comment if you have any questions.  

https://youtu.be/b4Q0nC79NwQ  

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