TIRUPATI: The century-old colonial era rest house in Mamandur forest in the Seshachalam Biosphere is set to be a major eco-tourism spot. The Tirupati district administration has renovated the rest house, and created modern amenities. It is ready for nature lovers who wish to spend nights in the forest.
Built in 1920, this bungalow has seen it all — the crack of rifles during the British Raj, the legendary hunts of Kenneth Anderson, the slow disappearance of tigers, and now their tentative return.
As part of the tourism development plan, District Collector S Venkateswar, along with Tirupati DFO Vivek, and Annamayya DFO R Jagannath Singh, visited the Mamandur bungalow, and nearby eco-tourism spots to study the potential. Their aim is to further develop the area to attract more tourists to nature-based experiences, while supporting eco conservation and community livelihoods.
The bungalow’s architecture itself is a story. Designed in the colonial blueprint of forest rest houses — low, single-storey, and strategically located — it was once an outpost of imperial administration. It also became the haunt of hunters.
Where nature unites with culture
In the 1920s, Kenneth Anderson, the celebrated writer and big-game hunter, stayed here while tracking the ‘Mamandur maneater’.
His gripping accounts immortalised the bungalow in jungle lore and, unknowingly, provided ecological proof that tigers once thrived in these hills—a baseline for modern conservationists.
Today, it is managed under a Community-Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) model by the local Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS). Tourists can stay in its modest rooms, experience the surrounding trails, and contribute to the livelihoods of tribal communities.
Its setting makes Mamandur unique. The guest house is located on the edge of the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve (4,755 sq km of extraordinary biodiversity), from red sanders trees and rare cycads to golden geckos, slender lorises, and more than 200 bird species. Ancient forest trails from Mamandur lead trekkers to Tumburu Theertham, Ramakrishna Theertham, waterfalls, meditation caves, and even prehistoric rock paintings. Here, nature and culture flow together seamlessly. For the people of Mamandur, conservation is not abstract—it is their livelihood. Tourism revenue from the bungalow and trekking has transformed the community.
“Before eco-tourism, some locals were lured into illegal tree felling. Today, they are protectors of the forest because their welfare is tied to its conservation,” explained Vivek.