Nallamalais
Nallamalais, 1908
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
(' Black Hills '). — The name locally given to a section of the Eastern Ghats which lies chiefly in the three westernmost taluks of Kumool District, Madras, between 14° 26' and 16° o' N. and 78° 39 and 79° 23' E. The range runs nearly north and south for 90 miles from the Kistna river (which flows among its northern- most spurs in a deep and wildly picturesque channel) to the Penner in Cuddapah District, and averages from 1,500 to 2,000 feet in eleva- tion. The highest points in it are Bhairani Konda (3,048 feet), just north-west of Cumbum, and Gundla Brahmeswara (2,964 feet), due west of that place. Down the slopes of the latter runs a torrent, which ends in a beautiful waterfall descending into a sacred pool called Nemaligundam (' peacock pool '). Many other peaks of the range are between 2,000 and 3,000 feet above the sea. Geologically, the rocks of which it is composed belong to what is known as the Cuddapah system, a series some 20,000 feet in thickness. They consist of quartzites (and some sandstone), overlaid with slaty forma- tions which are unfortunately too irregular in cleavage and soft in texture to be of economic value. The exact stratigraphy of these rocks was little understood for many years, owing to the difficulty of geological research in a country which was for the most part overgrown with forest and ill supplied with roads, but Dr. King of the Geological Survey eventually unravelled the tangle. A striking feature of the system is the foldings into which the rocks were forced by a period of great strain and stress acting from the east. In some places immense thicknesses have been thrust over westward and completely inverted.
The Nallamalais contain several plateaux, and more than one attempt has been made by Europeans to settle upon them ; but, though they are healthy for much of the year, the great scarcity of water and the prevalence of fever after the rains in June will probably always render them undesirable places of residence. The low plateau of Srisailam was inhabited in the days of old, and the remains of ancient towns, forts, temples, reservoirs, and wells testify to the prosperity of the residents. At present the only people who live upon the range are the forest tribe of the Chenchus, who dwell in small clusters of huts dotted about it. They used to subsist largely on fees paid them by the adjoining villagers for guarding the foot- paths and tracks across the hills. After the present police force was organized these fees were less regularly paid ; and the tribe now lives by breeding cattle and sheep, collecting honey and other products of the jungle, or serving as watchmen in the forest.
Practically the whole range is covered with unbroken forest, but except in places on the western slopes, where there is some sand- stone, little of this is really dense or large. The annual rainfall is usually less than 40 inches, and the rocks are so deeply fissured that much of it runs away as soon as it falls. There is thus too little moisture for the growth of large trees. The characteristic of the timber on the range is its hardness. Terminalia, Hardwickia, Pterocarpus, and Anogeissus are the commonest species. Teak has been planted but did not flourish. Now that the railway from Guntakal to Bezwada crosses the range, great quantities of timber, firewood, and bamboos are carried by it to the neighbouring Districts.
The railway runs along the pass known as the Nandikanama, or 'bull pass,' which is so called from a temple to Siva's bull Nandi built near a thermal spring not far from its western extremity. It is a considerable engineering work, several long tunnels and high viaducts being necessary. It follows the line taken by the chief of the two cart-roads over the range, the route connecting Kurnool District with the coast, which is i8 miles in length and rises to about 2,000 feet above the sea. The other road, which goes by way of the Mantralamma or Dormal pass farther north, is much less important.
