I stand at the edge of a precipice, staring out into a maze of golden cliffs and the sparkling blue of the Pennar River far below. The cliffs of Gandikota are steep, jagged in places, soaring straight up with no crevices in sight in others. Around the canyon’s walls, the Erramala Hills of Andhra Pradesh sprawl. Blue rock pigeons flutter around these craggy walls, their feathers painted a grey-blue. Small patches of grass — well-browned under the May sun — wave in the hot wind. A black-naped hare darts behind the cracked stone wall of the ancient fort, seeking cooler grounds for a late-morning nap.