Tirumala Natural Arch

A natural arch of scenic beauty and geological significance is situated on the Tirumala hills, in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is located about 0.8 km from the well-known shrine of Lord Venkateswara on the Tirumala hills. As the name suggests, these arches are supported by two columns of rock on both sides of the ground. Among the locals, this natural phenomenon is known as ‘Sila Thoranam’, which means ‘garland made of rocks’.

The arch has a width of around 8 meters and a height of 3 meters and is a part of the Palkonda range. The Arch is an erosional feature that happened many years ago.

Geological agents like wind, water, and ice act continuously on the rocks to erode and bring out marvelous changes in the landscape. It has been carved out of quartzite of the Cuddapah Supergroup of the Middle to Upper Proterozoic, about 1600 to 570 Ma years ago, by the action of weathering agents like water and wind over a long period of time. Sila Thoranam came into light in the year 1980 when geologists were conducting excavations in this area. This area is also a rare geological feature called ‘Eparchean unconformity’.

This geographical arch is only one of its kind in the whole of Asia. Two other such arches are known to exist in the world – ‘the Rainbow Arch’ of Utah in the USA and the Arch of “Cut Through“the del radian quartzite of the UK. Tirumala’s natural arch is naturally compared to the divine serpent Adishesha. Legends say that Lord Venkateswara, the presiding deity of this sacred hill, appeared through this arch as Swayambhu and took up his abode at the temple, which is just a kilometer away.

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The Sila Thoranam is not really a secret. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam operates regular buses from the temple to this place. A garden has been developed around, and it is good to see that this rare feature is getting the importance it deserves. Travelers can rest in the garden; it is mostly used when the surroundings are filled with fog. It’s just an extraordinary experience to see the natural arch under the light of the setting sun.

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The nearest railway station is the Tirupati Railway Station from the natural arch, and you will have to travel a distance of 19km to reach the destination from here. The nearest airport is the Tirupati Airport at Reninguta, around 15km away from this place.