| Natural Arch | |
|---|---|
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  Natural Arch Location in Andhra Pradesh, India | |
| Location | Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Nearest town | Tirupati |
| Coordinates | 13°41′14″N79°20′25″E / 13.68732°N 79.34025°E /13.68732; 79.34025 |
| Width | 26.2 ft (8.0 m) |
| Elevation | 9.8 ft (3.0 m) |
| Designation | Tentative list of World Heritage Site |
Natural Arch, Tirumala hills, a natural site in Tentative List(World Heritage Site) and a notifiedNational Geo-heritage Monument,[1][2][3] is a distinctive geological feature 1 km (0.6 mi) north of theTirumala hills temple, near the Chakra Teertham inTirupati district in the state ofAndhra Pradesh,India. The arch is also calledSilathoranam (శిలాతోరణం) in the local language (Telugu language:sila means ‘rock’ andthoranam means a garland strung over a threshold, connecting two vertical columns or an ‘arch’ as in this case). The arch measures 8 m (26.2 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and is naturally formed in thequartzites ofCuddapah Supergroup of Middle to UpperProterozoic (1600 to 570 Ma) due to natural erosive forces.[4][5][6]
Mythology related to the arch, linked to the famousTirumala hillstemple of LordVenkateswara, has three versions.
According to one version, the arch resembles the hood of aserpent, aconch (Sanskrit: Shank) and adiscus (Sanskrit:chakra) – all symbols of worship inHindu religion – and considered to be the source of the Idol of LordVenkateswara or Lord Balaji at the Tirumala hill temple.[6]
The second version is that the main deity in the Tirumala temple is of the same height as the height of the arch.[7]
The third version is that LordVishnu, known as Balaji orVenkateswara (the central deity ofSrivaishnava tradition) at the Tirumala temple town, is supposed to have put his first foot down at a place called Padalu or Sreevaripadalu (శ్రీ వారి పాదాలు)(Telugu language: Divine foot prints) which is the highest point of Tirumala hills, the second step at the location of the arch. Thereafter, the next step is stated to have been placed where his idol is now worshipped in the temple at Tirumala.[8][9]
In the 1980s, during excavations for ageological fault in the Tirumala hills,geologists found this rare geological formation of the rock arch which has two dissimilar sets of rocks with a connecting thin link. The assessed geological age of the rock arch is 2.5 million years. Formation of the arch is attributed to intensified weathering and erosion of stream action that has withstood the torque of nature.[10] This is a rare geological fault which is technically called in the geological idiom as ‘Eparchaean Unconformity’.At this location, the boundary is between sedimentary rocks of the Cudappah Supergroup, 1600 million years in age, and Archaean rocks comprising granites, gneisses and dolerite dykes that are more than 2100 million years old. This unconformity gives an indication of the enormous time gap in the creation of the Earth's crust.[11]
The natural geological arch has two distinct physiographical regions – southwest upland and northeast lowland. The Tirupati hills, at the foot of a picturesque range of hills, are known by several names such as 'Seshachala', 'Venkatachala' and 'Balaji'. The geological formations are categorized under four heads namely, the (1) Archeans (the gneisses), (2) the Eparchean unconformity (Quartzose sandstones Overlying the granite with a distinct unconformity), (3) Puranas (formation of Cuddapah group well developed in the valley) and (4) Quaternary deposits. The Tirumala hills essentially ofprecambrian period are composed ofsedimentary rocks –quartzites and intercalatedshales, which are given the geological, stratigraphical nomenclature of Nagari quartzites.[12][13]
The hill ranges of the Tirumala rise to a height of 900 m (3,000 ft) (at Tirumala) from the average height of 150 m (490 ft) in the plains at Tirupati. The steep scarp of the hill ranges depicts unconformity in its topographic, structural and denudational features, which is the Eparchian Unconformity.[14]
The sedimentary thickness of the Cudappa basin is of the order of 12 km (7.5 mi) withvolcanic sequences in the form ofsills anddykes. A prominent Eparchaean Unconformity of the formation resting on theArchaeanpeninsular gneissic complex is noted. Rocks of Cuddapah Supergroup includingKurnool Group are the prominent feature of the basin.[15]
Specifically, the arch's origin is attributed to two schools of thought namely, a) it could be the effect of a wave action fromoceanic transgression or intensifiedclimatic settings andcorrosion and b) it may have been naturally carved out of quartzite.[16]
The best time to visit the arch is between 6 A.M. and 8 A.M., fog permitting. There is a well maintained garden in front of the arch should visitors wish to rest or wait until fog clears.Sunset is also a good time to visit, as the arch looks even more striking and mystifying in the light of the settingsun. Seen in the light of afull moon the arch is said to be "ethereally beautiful."[6]
The location of the arch is well connected by road, rail and air routes. The nearest railhead to Tirumala hills isTirupati. From Tirupati railway station the approach to the Tirumal temple is only by road, a distance of 19 km (11.8 mi).[17]The nearest airport is located atRenigunta, about 15 km (9.3 mi) away from Tirupati, which connects toChennai,Hyderabad andBangalore airports. Regular bus services (both private and Govt. transport services operate) are operated by all the states bordering Andhra Pradesh.[18]The approach road from the temple is wide and is an avenue of trees. Private vehicles are allowed to the location. A 20-minute walk from the Varahaswamy temple in Tirumala (see map pictured) would be a pleasant experience.[6]
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