Have you been to this National Geo-Heritage monument in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh?

Located in the Tirumala Hills, near the Chakra Teertham waterbody in Tirupati district is the Silathoranam or the Natural Arch, a notified National Geo-heritage Monument. It is one of the most popular natural tourist sites in Andhra Pradesh. Silathoranam literally means a garland of rocks, and it is so called because of the naturally formed arch measuring eight metres in width and three metres in height. This 2.5 million-year-old natural structure is the result of natural weathering.

Back in the 1980s, there was a series of excavation work, as a part of geological studies, in the Tirumala Hills. It was during one such exploration that this natural arch was discovered. And ever since, this site has captured the interest of many. Needless to say, this type of natural formation is a rare sight to see.


Clearly one can see that this is formed by intense weathering and erosion over the years. In geological terms, this type of rare geological formation is called Eparchaean Unconformity.


Quite interestingly, the Natural Arch is also linked to mythology. This may be because the arch is located in the famous Tirumala Hills which is home to the famous temple of Lord Venkateswara or Lord Balaji or Vishnu. There are three known versions of how this natural arch may have a divine connection.



Firstly, people believe that the arch somehow resembles the hood of a serpent, a conch and a chakra or a discus. These are important symbols of worship in Hinduism. It is also believed that the site may have been the source of the idol of Lord Balaji. As per the second version of the mythology, the height of the arch is the same as the height of the main deity of the Tirumala temple. And the third version says that the site of the natural arch is where Lord Balaji or Vishnu stepped next after putting his first step at Sreevaripadalu, the highest point of Tirumala Hills.


Interesting stories, aren’t they?


The divine connection may or may not be true, but what’s true is that this natural formation looks beautiful and there aren’t that many arches like this one in the world.