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Vijaywada

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

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

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 .