There are many wonders around the world, some of them are artificial or manmade and some are natural. Naturally occurring structures are very rarely seen and only a few are found in our country. Natural arches are one of the best examples for naturally occurring structures in the world. As the name suggests these are arches which are supported by two columns on both the ends of the arch. Tirumala Hills has got one natural arch or bridge which one of the best naturally formed structures in India. Now let us go through the importance of this Natural arch of Tirumala hills.
As told earlier this arch can be seen in the tirumala hills which are located in Andhra Pradesh. The people of this area call this natural arch as Silathoranam which means garland made of rocks. The arch is having a width of around 8 mtrs and a height of 3 mtrs and this structure is formed due to erosion. Many natural arches and bridges can be noticed in different parts of the world but when considering Asia the Silathoranam is among the best natural bridges.
There are many myths related to the Natural arch of Tirumala Hills. Some stories tell that the arch represents the hood of a snake and a discus and a conch, all of them deals with the Hindu religion. People believe that there is close relation between the Lord Balaji of the temple at tirumala. Some says that the height of the arch is same as the height of the idol in the temple. Many such myths can be heard from the people around this area if you make a trip to this wonderful place.
The Silathoranam came into the consideration of the geologists in the year 1980, when they were conducting excavations for faults in this area. They found that this natural bridge was has two different types of rocks which are connected by a link. According to geologist the structure will be having an age of around 2.5 billion years, the arch had undergone weathering throughout these years and led to the present condition.
Most of the visitors come here between 6 AM and 8 AM else the fog will not permit to have a clear view of the natural bridge. The visitors can rest at the garden which is built in front of the arch; mostly the visitors use this garden when the surroundings are filled with fog. It is really very nice to see the natural arch under the light of the setting sun, so most people come here lately in order to snatch the beauty of the bridge as the sunsets. Tourists could reach the natural arch either by road or by rail or even by air route. Tirupati railway station is the nearest railway station and people need to travel a distance of 19 kms by road from the railway station in order to reach the destination. The airport at reninguta which is around 15 kms away from the tirumala hills is the nearest airport. Regular bus services are available from the railway stations and from the closest towns which could be used by the travelers to reach Tirumala Hills. The travelers will have to walk a distance of around 1 km from Varamahaswamy Temple inorder to reach the natural bridge. This twenty minute walk to reach the destination is quite thrilling. These are some of the features of the natural arches in tirumala hills.
No one should miss a chance to visit this naturally formed wonder which will give you a pleasant view. The location of the garden in front of the Silathoranam attracts many people who had done with their city life. People planning to visit this place should bring some food and enough water which could be used on the way to the silathoranam. Most people visiting the tirumala hills are nature lovers and adventure seekers.