KADAPA: Exploring the enchanted beauty of the forests and landscapes in their early 30s is the lifestyle most techies envy. Proving that passion inches people closer to their unfulfilled dreams, Lomati Vivekananda Reddy has been embarking on expeditions faultlessly balancing his software profession and love for nature.
Lomati Vivekananda Reddy is the go-to guy for individuals who want to explore and learn about the rich history of the flora and fauna in the Lankamala forest area in the Kadapa district. Fondly called Vivek Lankamala for his expeditious activity in researching the mountains, waterfalls, historical sites and forests in the Rayalaseema region.
He wrote a book titled ‘Lankamala Darullo’, detailing his experiences in exploring the Lankamala forest, which he wants to make available for readers by this December.
The 31-year-old, a native of Nandipalli village in Badvel, finished his mechanical engineering at KSRM Engineering College and has been working as a software engineer in Hyderabad. Given the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, Vivek was given the opportunity to work from home like his fellow employees.
Grabbing hold this opportunity to explore the unexplored Lankamala forest, he formed ‘Into the Nature’ team filled with like-minded nature lovers consisting of police, techies, irrigation and RTC department officers, who gather and go around the Lankamala forest area on weekends with the permission of forest department and share their experiences with forest officials.
Sharing his experience with TNIE, Vivek said that the Lankamala forest has picturesque locations equivalent to Ooty, Kodaikanal and Kerala, with vast natural trees, old temples and large waterfalls. The Lankamala forest is naturally formed in a triangular shape between Nallamala and Seshachalam hills with the Penna River on the south side, he added.
The forest housed many historical temples which include Lankamala Ramalingeswara Swamy, Konda Gopala Swamy, Nitya Poojayya Swamy and other temples. Also, Vivek wrote six articles titled ‘Lankamala Darullo’ and posted them on Facebook, which garnered the attention of users from neighbouring districts and built curiosity among them to know more about the Lankamala forest.
His other story ‘Pottelu’, which he posted on Facebook, saw as many as 45 people from Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bangalore and Kadapa areas visiting Mallem Konda area, the origin of the story, inside the Lankamala forest area. Vivek and his 22-member team that started their jungle journey in 2021, has now grown into nearly 100 members now.
“Going into the deep forest, we travelled 24 km to visit Kasinayana and Patamata Jyoti forest area which were mentioned in Konda Polam novel written by prominent writer Nannapureddy Venkatram Reddy,” Vivek said.
He and his team also visited Utukuru in Nellore, where the Penna river merges in the Bay of Bengal and also visited the Annamayya project breach area in Nandalur and interacted with the tribals in remote Ekiripalle village.
Presently, the jungle expedition team with the help of the forest department is planning to modernise a pond, which was built by the Vijayanagara kings in 1470. Vivek Lankamala also participated as the chief orator at a seminar organised on August 9, by CP Brown Language Research Centre on the topic of Rayalaseema Tourist Places.