Horsley hills are a part of the Nallamalai range at 4,152 feet in Chitoor District South West Andhra, an undeveloped rustic hillock. According to a local legend, a spiritual woman called Mallamma used to live on the top of the hill where she was protected and looked after by a tusker (enugu in Telugu).She used to heal  the tribal people on the hills. She suddenly disappeared. The local people believed her to be a goddess and built a temple. The indigenous Chenchu tribes symbolically called the place, Énugu Mallamma Konda’.

Around 1840-43 W.D.Horsley, the Collector of Cuddapah district, visited this place. He fell in love with the natural beauty of the hill and built his summer residence here in 1870. The name also changed from Enugu Mallamma konda to Horsely hills.

Horsely hills may be the few places in India that calls a tree by a name. Near the Horsely Bungalow, a 150 year old eucalyptus named Kalyani planted by Horsely is now a giant size tree, 35 meters high, spread over a radius of 43 metres.

Trees like  sandal wood, flame of the forest, pipal, teak, deodar eucalyptus, Jacaranda, allamanda, gulmohar and mango trees can be seen in this hill. The hill station also boasts of rich fauna like leopards, bears, wild boars, birds and butterflies.

There is an Environmental Park to educate the common man about the importance of saving the environment and encourage ecotourism.

People often confuse the name Gurram Konda with Horsely hills which is 40km from Horsely hills, between Madanapalle and Raichoti .Literally, Horsely hills was so named because its steep pathway was once accessible only on a horseback.

A variety of factors threaten the sacred mountain environment and its tradition.

Source:

http://www.cpreec.org/Vol15-No4Jan10-Mar10.pdf