The Kolleru lake bed villages in Krishna and West Godavari districts are buzzing with tourists once again, after months of pandemic break.
The largest fresh water lake, which is brimming following the recent heavy rains, has become a new attraction for picnickers.
“The lake dried up a few years ago and water was seen only in a few low-lying pockets till recently. A drought-like situation was witnessed in many island villages. But now the situation has changed for the better,” says a beaming K. Chandraiah, a fisherman.
At Vadlakutippa, some villagers were seen collecting lotuses from the lake, amid the chirping of winged visitors from various parts of the world. “We sell the flowers near temples at ₹5-10 each. During festivals, fresh flowers are in great demand,” says a woman, Sita.
Traditional fishing
Fishermen were using traditional methods by arranging cages ‘mavulu’ at Pandillapalli Gudem village. They were carrying wooden and iron mesh cages on boats into the lake.
“Fishing is our livelihood. We catch fish by using fishing rods and hooks and by arranging nets and cages in the water. Women in the families sell the fish in the nearby towns,” explains a fisherman Ramu.
Many visitors are also headed for Kolleti Kota village for a darshan of Kolleru Peddintlamma.
“Peddintlamma is a powerful deity worshipped by many people from the surrounding villages. Devotees from far off places also visit the temple and offer their vows (mokkulu),” says V. Sarada, a local resident.
“Due to COVID-19 many hotels, shops and other establishments remained closed for eight months. In spite of relaxations, business did not improve in the last two months. Now, tourists have started coming from Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari, East Godavari and other districts,” says a shop owner Samba Murthy of Penchikalamarru.
“Now that the lake is full of water, nature lovers have an opportunity to enjoy its picturesque beauty by taking a boat ride. We usually visit the lake at least once a year and have darshan of Goddess Peddintlamma,” says a tourist B. Srikanth of Narsapuram in West Godavari district.
