Erramatti Dibbalu

Erra Matti Dibbalu mean Red Mud Hillocks in Telugu, a notified National Geo-heritage Monument, is situated at the outskirts of Visakhapatnam City. It is located very near to the Bay of Bengal and is one of Visakhapatnam's many heritage sites. 

Popularly known as the Red Soil Hills, these natural ravines spread extensively in various formations  some jagged, some deep, some maze-like and some creating walls along trekking pathways thanks to recurring wind currents and soil erosion. Said to be over a million years old, they comprise sand, clay and silt and are acknowledged as a rare geographic phenomenon. They are also favourite location spots for film shootings and for tourists.

Large bramble bush embedded in loose red soil, just off the Vizag-Bheemili Road, conceal the Erra Matti Dibbalu from sight. On the Bay of Bengal drift, toward the south of the Bheemunipatnam edge, is a region involving profoundly gullied red sand hills of around 4 km length and 2 km width. It is bounded by streams “Chittigadda” in the North-West and “Peddagadda” in the South-West. During that time the sea level rose to as much as 150 feet and fell away a number of times to the current level. Between these oscillating sea levels the coast was submerged and exposed over and over again, huge volumes of clay, silt and sand covered the coast from where the sea water had receded. Due to the extreme changes in climatic conditions the material under the sandy dunes “baked” in the sun like a brick gets baked in a kiln leading to the peculiar red sand dunes. Subsequently action of the wind and flowing water caused the deeply gullied characteristic landscape. Scientists are of the opinion that the initial chapter of this epic story started as far back as 1.8 million years ago and stretched across the broad canvas of geological time to around 10,000 years ago. They are also favorite location spots for film shootings and for tourists.