Fast Facts
Location : In Andhra Pradesh, India
Attractions : Kanaka Durga Temple, Malleswara Temple,
Victoria Jubilee Museum, Prakasam Barrage, Hazratbal Mosque, Akkana and
Madanna Caves, Mogalarajpuram Caves etc.
Best Time To Visit : October to March
Introducing Vijayawada
An
important city of Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada is situated on the banks of the
Krishna river, about 70 kms far from the sea. Spread over an area of 58 sq.
kms, Vijayawada is flanked by the Krishna river from one side and surrounded
by the Indrakiladri hills on its west. Literally Vijayawada means the 'City
of Victory' and it is named after the famous legend, which says that at the
Indrakiladri Hill, Arjuna - the Pandava brother had succeeded in winning the
blessings of Lord Shiva after hard penance. During the British rule lots of
development works were done in the city.
Now a bustling commercial centre, Vijayawada is also a popular tourist
destination of Andhra Pradesh and visited by thousands of tourists every
year. Vijayawada is home to a number of Hindu temples including the temple
of Kanaka Durga, the presiding deity of the city. Vijayawada is also an
ideal base for visiting the Buddhist sites of Amaravati, Gudivada and
Ghantasala. Apart from these, Vijayawada is also a good starting point for
Kuchipudi - the city of dance, Mangalagiri - the city of temples and
Kondapalli - the city of handicrafts. So, visit Vijayawada to spend a
peaceful vacation and return your home with some unforgettable memories.
How to Reach Vijayawada
By Air : Nearest domestic airport is located at
Gannavaram, 20 kms away from the city centre. Flights are available from
Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam to Vijayawada. From Vijayawada, there are three
flights a week to Chennai. Taxis and cabs are available from the airport to
the city.
By Train : Vijayawada is on the main Chennai - Delhi and
Chennai - Kolkata rail lines. Vijayawada railway station is one of the
biggest railway junction on the South - Central Railway. A number of express
and superfast trains connect Vijayawada to rest of the country.
By Bus : Vijayawada is well-connected by National Highways
and State Highways with rest of the country. Situated at the cross-roads of
the National Highways No 5, Vijayawada is served by a number of buses from
various parts of the states and the neighbouring states. From Vijayawada
regular buses are available to Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam and Chennai.
Distances of some important destinations from Vijayawada - Vishakhapatnam
(365 kms), Tirupati (380 kms) and Chennai (445 kms).
Places Where You Can Stay
Vijayawada offers a lot of accommodation choices to the discerning
travellers. You can choose from luxury hotels to economy and budget class
hotels, as per your requirements. Hotels of Vijayawada provide comfortable
accommodation, alongwith the warm hospitality. Most popular hotels of the
city include Quality Hotel D V Manor (4 Star), Hotel Kandhari International
(3 Star), Hotel Manorama, Hotel Raj Towers and Hotel Swapna Lodge.
Tourist Attractions in
Vijayawada
Kanaka
Durga Temple : Kanaka Durga Temple is an important temple of Vijayawada
and situated on the Indrakildari hill. The presiding deity is Kanaka Durga
who is regarded as swayambhu (self-manifested), which depicts the
manifestation of Chandi as the destroyer of the demon Durgama. It is said
that the deity have been worshipped by Agastya, Markandeya and the Pandavas.
Though it is believed to be thousands of years old, except a few pillared
halls and intricate carvings, what you see today is largely renovated.
Malleswara Temple : Located close to Kanaka Durga Temple,
the Malleswara Temple was built by the Chalukya King, Tribhuvana Malla in
the 10th century. It is said that the Melleswara temple had been originally
built by Yudhisthira, the oldest of the Pandava brothers, to celebrate their
victory in the south.
Vijayeswara Temple : Vijayeswara temple is another
important temple of Vijayawada. According to legends, the Vijayeswara Temple
is believed to have been installed by Arjuna, the younger brother of
Yudhisthira.
Victoria Jubilee Museum : Situated on the Bander road, the
museum has a huge collection of attractive paintings and marvellous
sculptures that includes a huge granite state of Lord Buddha. The museum in
open daily from 10.30 am to 5 pm, except Fridays.
Prakasam Barrage : Constructed in the year 1957 across the
Krishna river, the barrage is 1223.5 m long. Prakasam Barrage is the source
of a beautiful lake and three canals that run through the city and provide a
breathtaking look.
Hazratbal Mosque : A site of religious importance,
Hazratbal Mosque enshrines a holy relic of Prophet Mohammed and it is
displayed once in a year.
Akkana and Madanna Caves : Built in the 17th century, the
rock-cut caves are dedicated to Akkana and Madanna, the ministers of Abdul
Hassan Tanashah. Close to these caves there is an another 2nd century cave
enshrining the Hindu trinity of Brahma.
Mogalarajpuram Caves : A must visit place, the
Mogalarajapuram caves house three cave temple dating back to the 5th century
A.D. Inside the caves there are idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka and many
other deities.
Rajiv Gandhi Park : Rajiv Gandhi Park is basically an
educative park having built-up structures of dinosaurs and pre-historic wild
animals. In the park there is also a musical fountain.
Undavali : Undavali is about 4 kms south of the
Vijayawada. Located close to the village of Sitanagaram, at Undavali there
is a 5th century five story high cave temple, which was discovered in 1797.
On the third story of the temple there is hall with a figure of Vishnu on
the snake Ananta. Apart from this, there are several other interesting
carvings of Lord Vishnu.
Indrakila : At Indrakila there are several temples carved
in stone and a built centuries ago. Indrakila is believed to be the place
where Arjuna got the Pasupathastra weapon from Lord Siva.
Tourist Attractions Around Vijayawada
Amaravati : Located 60 km west of Vijayawada, Amaravati is
the third-century Buddisht Site and visited by large number of tourists.
Buses ply hourly from Vijayawada to Amaravati, you can also take a bus from
Guntur.
Shopping in Vijayawada
Though Vijayawada is small town, but it offers delightful shopping options
to tourists. From antiques, handicrafts, leather goods, dresses, pearls to
semi-precious stones, you will find everything in the markets of Vijayawada.
Famous markets of the Vijayawada town are Gandhi Nagar, Vastralatha and
Kaleshwara Rao Market. You can also visit the nearby toy-making village of
Kondapalli and for 'Kalamkari paintings' the Machilipatnam village.
