Vijayawada Travel
Travel to Vijayawada - The City of
Victory :
Vijayawada, also called as "Bezawada", is 257-km from Hyderabad
and is located on the banks of the Krishna River, and is bounded by the
Indrakiladri hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. Situated
along the Chennai - Howrah and Chennai-Delhi rail route, this is the largest
railway junction of the South Central Railway. The city forms a part of the
Krishna district, spread over an area of 58-sq- kms (urban area).
Vijayawada or the "City of Victory" if literally translated gets
its name from the legend, which says it was here on the Indrakiladri Hill,
that Arjuna, the Pandava Prince, won the blessings of Lord Shiva for his
penance. During the British rule the city experienced significant growth.
In particular, the completions of the Krishna Barrage and the Railway
Bridge on Krishna have helped the region expand its agricultural and
commercial base. The famous Chinese traveller Hieun T`sang has visited this
city. Today, with excellent communications, perhaps the best in the South
where railways are concerned, Vijayawada become one of the big business
centres of the State. Commercially, culturally and industrially the city is
a very flourishing one.
Best For A Temple Journey :
Vijayawada is a must-visit if one wants to go temple hopping in Andhra. The
abode of Kanaka Durga, goddess of power, riches and benevolence, is the
presiding deity of the city. The city is also a base for visiting the
Buddhist sites located around Vijayawada like Amaravati, Gudivada,
Ghantasala and so on.
Also accessible from Vijayawada are the towns of Kuchipudi, Mangalagiri and
Kondapalli, which are famous for dance, temple and handicrafts respectively.
Another important feature of the place is the Krishna Pushkaram an all-India
festival that is held once in twelve years.
The most luscious mangoes, the king of fruits, are grown here and the
region is renowned for its tradition of pickle making. So altogether
Vijayawada presents a colourful and varied picture and can be termed as a
business - cum - pilgrim - cum - tourist centre.
Prime Attractions in Vijaywada:
Prakasam Barrage - Completed in 1957, the Prakasam
Barrage is an impressive 1223.5m long, modern regulator and road bridge that
stretches across the river Krishna. Its panoramic lake and the three canals
that run through the city give Vijayawada a Venetian appearance.
The Gandhi Stupa - The Gandhi Stupa, 15.8ft high, stands
on Gandhi Hill, which was formally known as "Orr Hill". This
Monument built in memory of Mahatma Gandhi and was inaugurated by the late
Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1968. It has the teachings
of Gandhi inscribed on stone slabs .The Gandhi memorial Library, sound and
light show and planetarium are added attractions here. Climb to the top of
the hill for a bird's eye view of the town.
Hazrathbal
Mosque - Hazrat Bal Mosque, a site of religious significance in
Vijayawada. A holy relic of Prophet Mohammad is kept here and displayed once
a year.
Mogalrajapuram Caves - Just 5-km from Vijayawada are the
Mogalarajapuram caves having three cave temples, dating back to the 5th
century AD. Out of the 3 cave temples constructed here only one is still in
good condition with the idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka and others. The
Ardhanareeshwara Murthy found here is considered the only one of its kind in
south India.
Akkana and Madanna Caves - On the way to the Kanakadurga
Temple are the rock-cut caves dedicated to Akkana and Madanna, who were
ministers in the court of Abdul Hasan Tanashah in the 17th century. A short
distance away is another cave that dates back to the 2nd century BC, which
hosts the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara.
Rajiv Gandhi Park - Walk able distance from the new
Vijayawada bus stand, this is an educative park containing built-up
structures of dinosaurs and pre-historic animals, with a playing area where
one can spend time relaxing and learning. Musical Fountain: 7.30 p.m. to
8.15 p.m. Monday closed.
Gundala Church - Gundala Church is situated on a hillock
on the eastern side of the town, at Gundala. It attracts a large number of
devotees. A fair is held annually in the month of February, in which
thousands of devotees participate.
Victoria Jubilee Regional Museum - The Museum of the
Archaeological Department situated on Bandar Road contains beautiful
sculptures and attractive paintings worth seeing. 'Buddha' Alluru
inscriptions of first and second centuries, and Mahishasura Mardhani are
some of the important exhibits.
Undavalli Caves - The Undavalli caves, in the village of
Undavalli, are at a distance of 8-km from Vijayawada and nearly 280-km from
Hyderabad . The high hill overlooking the Krishna river hosts fine specimens
of cut-in architectural and sculptural models.
Bhavani Island - Located upstream the river Krishna,
close to Prakasam Barrage, is Bhavani Island. Make sure you visit this
picturesque island that is a fantastic picnic spot for holiday-lovers.
KanakaDurga Temple - Kanaka Durga, goddess of power,
riches and benevolence is considered the presiding deity of Vijayawada. The
temple is set on the Indrakiladri hill. The deity in the Kanaka Durga temple
is regarded as Swayambhu or self-manifested, hence is considered very
powerful. It is said that Adi Sankara visited this temple and installed the
Sri Chakra here.
Malleswaraswami Temple - Adjacent to the Kanakadurga
temple is the shrine of Malleswara Swamy on the Indrakiladri hill.
Mallikarjuna or the Malleswara as he is known in the Puranas is said to have
been installed by Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Panch Pandavas, as a token
of their victory of the South.
Vijayeswara Swami Temple - The Vijayeswara temple is set
on the Indrakiladri hill in Vijayawada. The installation of Vijayeswara is
said to have been done by Arjuna, to commemorate his victory with Lord Shiva
in the form of 'Kirata' (hunter).
How
to get there ?
Vijayawada is an important link in connecting the three regions of Andhra
Pradesh and is a major transit point. Two National Highways, the National
Highway 5 from Chennai to Calcutta and the National Highway 9 from
Machilipatnam to Hyderabad pass through the city connecting it to other
parts of the country. It is connected to other areas of the state, by state
highways and district roads.
Air - The domestic airport located at Gannavaram, about
20-km, from the city connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam.
It's about a 30-minute flight from Hyderabad.
Rail - Situated along the Chennai- Howrah and
Chennai-Delhi rail route, this is the largest railway junction of the South
Central Railway. There are a number of express and super fast trains that
connect Vijayawada with almost all the important places of the country.
Road - Good motorable roads connect Vijayawada with all
the places within the state and also with the major cities in India.
Transport by road from Vijayawada to all the places of Buddhist interest is
available in the form of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
(APSRTC) buses.
Warangal Travel
About Warangal Travel:
Warangal
is located on northern Andhra Pradesh State lies along the Chennai
-Kazipet-Delhi rail route. Warangal was the ancient capital of the
Kakatiyas, an Andhra dynasty that flourished in the 12th century AD. The
city stands out for its beautiful lakes, temples and wildlife. It is very
rich in antiques and relics.
Warangal's fort, lying southeast of the present-day city, was once
surrounded by two walls, traces of the outer wall remain, as do the four
stone gateways ('sanchar') of the inner wall. A thousand-pillared temple,
built in 1162, is located within the city itself. Warangal is now a
commercial and industrial center.
Prola Raja of the Kakatiya dynasty founded the place in the 12th century
AD, but some identify it with Worakalli, the capital of the Adeva Rajas of
Tuluva Andhra or Telengana in the 8th century AD. Warangal or Varankal is
believed to be the Korun Kula of Ptolemy, while another name is
Akshalinagar, evidently Yeksilanagar mentioned by Raghunath Bhaskar in his
Aravachan Kosh.
The ancient name of Warangal was known to
be Orugallu or Omtikonda on account of huge boulder like hillock situated
near the swayambhu Siva Temple and is also called "EKASILANAGARAM".
In course of time, it was called as "Orugallu", and finally known
as Warangal.
Warangal has many places, which attracts tourists in large number. It finds
a reference in the travel diaries of Marco Polo.
Prime Attractions :
Thousand Pillar Temple - This temple is a fine specimen
of Kakatiya architecture and sculpture. It was built by Rudra Deva in 1163
AD in the style of Chalukyan temples, star shaped and triple shrined. The 3
shrines are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. The temple is famous
for its richly carved pillars, screens and detailed sculpture. The black
basalt Nandi, a monolith, has a lovely polished finish.
Bhadra Kali Temple - Situated on a hilltop between
Hanamkonda and Warangal, it is noted for its stone image of the Goddess
Kali. She is depicted with eight arms and carries a weapon in each hand.
Warangal Fort - Warangal fort is 12-km from Hanamakonda,
which dates back to the 13th century. The Kakatiya king, Ganapati Deva and
his daughter Rudramma built the fort. Though the main fort has been ravaged
over time, the remains of the four huge stone gateways, similar to those of
Sanchi, along with several exquisite pieces of sculpture can still be seen
in and around the fort.
Excursions :
Ramappa Temple - Also know as Ramalingeswara temple, this
is situated in Palampet village, which is 70-km form Warangal This is a
magnificent monument dating back to 1213 AD depicts the glory and richness
of the Kakatiya kingdom.
Kolanupaka - Kolanupaka, 80-km from Hyderabad , is
situated between Hyderabad and Warangal. This was the second capital town of
Kalyani Chalukyas during the 11th century AD. During this period the village
was a religious centre of Jains, and ranks among other great Jain centres in
the south. It was also a great centre of Shaivism. Literary evidences reveal
'Kolanupaka' as the birthplace of 'Renukacharya' the great 'Vira Saiva'
saint, believed to be born from the 'Svayambaghu Linga' at this village and
absorbed into it after preaching Vira Saivism.
Jain Mandir - The 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Mahaveer
is a famous place of worship for Jains in the country. The temple is
embellished with beautiful images of Thirthankaras. The 5ft high image of
Mahavira is entirely carved of Jade.
Sri Veeranarayana Temple - The temple is constructed in
the Chalukyan style around 1104 AD. The appearance of the temple indicates
that it was originally a Jain temple converted into a Vaishnava shrine.
Someshwara Temple - Someswara III the Kalyani Chalukya
emperor constructed the temple of Someswara. Rare specimens of architecture
and sculpture of the western Chalukyan period can be found in this temple.
Kolanupaka Site Museum - Kolanupaka came into prominence
when it was made the alternate capital of the Kalyani Chalukyas in the 11th
century AD. The State Department of Archaeology and Museums established a
sculptural gallery, which exhibits artifacts from the various historical
monuments in Kolanupaka.
Pakhal Lake - A manmade lake completed in 1213 AD by the
Kakatiya king, Ganapathidev, by harnessing a small tributary of the Krishna
River. It is located 50-km from Warangal and spreads over an area of
30-sq-km.
How
to get there ?
Air - The nearest Airport is Hyderabad (140-km) connected
by Indian Airlines flights with Bombay , Bangalore , Bhubaneshwar , Calcutta
, Delhi , Madras, Nagpur, and Vishakhapatnam. Continental Aviation also
operates flights from Hyderabad to Bombay.
Rail - Warangal is linked to all-important cities in
India by rail.
Road - Regular bus services are available (APSRTC) from
Hyderabad, Yadagirigutta, Vijayawada, Armur, Kolanupaka, Jangaon, Kodad,
Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Suryapet, Palampet, Jagtial, Khammam,
Bhadrachalam, Basara, Bangalore , Mysore and Tirupati.
