In the heart of the Deccan Plateau, Hyderabad is bestowed with a unique landscape of stony ridges, hillocks and spectacular ancient rock formations sculpted into picturesque, precariously balancing forms by the forces of nature. 

Although these natural monuments are almost extinct in the central part of the ever-growing metropolis, they are quite well spread in the suburbs and come in a myriad of shapes and sizes; many of them are under protection and have very imaginative names as well.

As one drives around the outskirts, it is impossible to ignore the beautiful gigantic granite rockscapes appearing in very eye-catching positions. Many a time, an onlooker would be left wondering how a rock has not rolled down to create a mishap. Or how a smaller rock hasn’t crumbled under the weight of another boulder more than ten times its own size, in spite of carrying it for so many years. These formations seem to give the phrase "steady as a rock" a totally new meaning.  

Geologists have dated these rocks to 2500 million years back, which makes them amongst the oldest and hardest rocks on the planet, much older than the pristine Himalayas which are 40-50 millions years old, and it is interesting to know how these rocks were formed and what has caused them to assume such unique shapes. When the Earth’s crust solidified, molten magma was pushed outwards but was unable to reach the surface, hence cooled and hardened beneath the crust forming sheets of granite. As it solidified, vertical and horizontal cracks were formed and over time the top layers of the crust eroded exposing these granite sheets. These granite rocks are made of quartz and feldspar, are pink and grey in colour, and although they are resistant to erosion, changing temperatures, water and wind have made their mark over millions of years and resulted in these gorgeous shapes. .

As much as these prehistoric rock formations are a visual treat, they are also a home to unique species of flora and fauna and play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance of the region. Water flows through the underground passages created by these rocks and helps create small lakes and ponds thereby improving the ground water levels. Alongside the lakebeds and ponds, varieties of grass, plants and shrubs can be found which in turn attract various species of insects, birds and reptiles. In short these rocks help create small bio-diversity hubs around them.

In the current scenario, where the city is growing at a frantic pace, these rocks are being destroyed indiscriminately paving way for technology parks and structures of glass and concrete. It’s a common sight to see trucks towing away broken remains of these rocks, so a registered society had been formed in 1996 with the main objective of protecting this rocky landscape and preventing indiscriminate destruction and illegal quarrying of these rockscapes. The Society to Save the Rocks has members from many walks of life; students, housewives, businessmen, beaurocrats, professionals, all pledging their support to save our natural monuments and conducting excursions every month to discover the pleasures of rock-gazing.

Hyderabad is the only city in the country, and possibly the world, to protect rocks as natural heritage. Around nine rock-sites have been declared as heritage site and another twenty have been identified for conservation. The Society has encouraged the government to preserve these rocks by promoting them as tourist attractions. Some individuals have built their homes around these rocks making them an integral part of the interiors or courtyards, while builders have constructed their apartments around these rocks.

Over the years, the society has been reasonably successful in generating awareness about the necessity in preserving these wonderful structures and their eco-systems. But with the steep rise in construction activity, the rocks are in peril and it seems very likely that in a not so distant future, the pictures are all that would remain of these rocks. 

Without a doubt, these splendid and surreal creations of nature are awe-inspiring to a beholder. One can just spend hours looking at them or walk around them; they have come such a long way, and by all means, deserve to stand their ground.