Experiences:
Lesser known Destinations/ Nearby Tourist Attractions:
● Kondapalli Fort: Kondapalli Fort, situated around 16 km in the west of the city of Vijayawada is a famous tourist spot attracting tourists as well as locals. This historical fort also known as Kondapalli Quilla was built by Prolaya Vema Reddy of Kondavidu during the 14th century. It was initially built as a leisure place and business center and later served as a military training base for the British rulers. Situated on a hillock, Kondapalli Fort offers scenic view of the Eastern ghats and the greenery surrounding this place makes it a must visit tourist attraction of Vijayawada.
● Mangalagiri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple: At a distance of 12 Kms from Vijayawada Mangalagiri in Guntur district is famous for Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple on the hill and Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at foot of the hill.Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple – The idol is said to be Swambhu.Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple ‘ Yudhishtira, the eldest of the pandavas is said to be the founder of the chief image of this temple and the deity here is called Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. The temple has a very tall 153 feet tower with beautiful sculpture which has 11 stairs. It was constructed by Raja Vasireddi Venkatadri Naidu, during the years 1807-09.
● Undavalli Caves: The Undavalli Caves, a monolithic example of Indian rock-cut architecture .It is located in Vijayawada of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The caves are located 22 kms south west of Vijayawada. It is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance.
● Amaravati Dhyana Buddha statue : The Dhyana Buddha statue is one of the tallest Buddha statues in India and is considered The giant Buddha Statue is seated in a resting position on top of a lotus flower. The magnanimous lotus is supported by eight pillars which symbolise Lord Buddha’s eightfold path to attain salvation.Amaravati is 41 Kms from Vijayawada.
● Bhavani Island, Vijayawada:Bhavani Island situated in the midst of the Krishna River, at Vijayawada. It is located at the upstream of Prakasam Barrage and is considered one of the largest river islands in India, with an area of 133 acres. It has a robotic dinosaur park, garden maze, mirror maze, golf and badminton simulator, cycling, etc.Exploring the island before at dawn or dusk is really satisfying.It’s one of the example of sustainable tourism with an option to roam around the island on Cycle.
● Paritala Hanuman Statue :The Paritala Anjaneya Temple in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh houses a 135-foot (41-meters) statue of Lord Hanuman.The statue was the second tallest in the world of Lord Hanuman.The temple is located in the village of Paritala, about 30 kilometres from Vijayawada. It is situated on NH-9. It has two temples within its premises and there is no entry fee
● Bapu Museum, Vijayawada : Bapu Museum in Vijaywada is located on the premises of the Victoria Memorial Hall, Vijayawada .The indoor collections include Indian and European paintings, arms and weapons, pre-historic tools and ornaments.Apart from collections that are housed in the heritage building, there is also an outdoor display of sculptures that range from pieces from the Satavahana era to the post-Vijayanagara era. The stoneworks also depict scenes from Buddhist and Hindu lore.
● Amaralingeswar Temple, Amaravati:It is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras, which are sacred to the Hindu god Shiva. The temple is located on the southern bank of the Krishna River in Amaravati.The temple’s 15-foot-tall white marble Shivalinga is unique. It is believed that the Shivalinga was installed by Lord Indra himself.The distance between Vijayawada to Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple is 39 Km by road
● Kanakadurga Temple, Vijayawada:Situated in the heart of the Vijayawada city, Kanaka Durga temple is located on the Indrakeeladri hill, on the banks of the River Krishna. The temple can be reached by steps or by road.This is only temple in the world where the main diety is decorated in forms of Sri Saraswati, Sri Maha Lakshmi, Sri Bala Tripura Sundari, Sri Rajarajeswari, Sri Mahishasura mardini, Sri Durga devi, Sri Annapurna devi, Sri Gayatri, Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari.The deity of Kanaka Durga is regarded as Swayambhu or self-manifested and is considered very powerful.
● Pavitra Sangam – Confluence of River Krishna and River Godavari at Ibrahimpatnam : Pavitra Sangam-The Confluence of The Krishna & Godavari Rivers at Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada.An Aarati commences at around 6’o clock in the evening and lasts for more than an hour. Nine priests offers prayers to the nine planets.The vibrations are sure to touch your soul. A variety of lanterns/Pradeeps are used. Most of the ‘slokas’ or mantras are in Sanskrit.
● Krishnaveni Mandapam (River Museum) :Krishnaveni Mandapam, also known as the River Museum is located next to the Prakasam Barrage. The museum is dedicated to the Krishna River.This is the only museum that is dedicated to a river in the country. The unique museum portrays all the prospects of the Krishna River
– How the holy river began its long journey as a modest watercourse that took shape from drops of water
– How the simple narrow stream gets ahead into its actual size
– How the river journeys hundreds of thousands of kilometers before falling into the Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladeevi (Andhra Pradesh)
Popular Culinary Delicacies of the region:
● Andhra Bhojanam : Andhra Bhojanam is a South Indian vegetarian lunch menu.Andhra cuisine is known for its spicy, hot, and tangy taste.An Andhra meal typically consists of rice served with ghee, pulihora, chapati or puri, pappu (lentils), sambar, chaaru (rasam), fried and wet curries, appadam (papadum), odiyalu, chutney, pachadi, avakaya, yoghurt and a sweet for dessert. In general, food from the Vijayawada-Guntur region contains more chili and spices than food from the rest of Andhra Pradesh. Rice is considered the main dish and everything else is considered as side dish.
● Punugulu – Snack of Vijayawada : Punugulu is a traditional, deep-fried snack from Andhra Pradesh. It’s made from rice, urad dal, and other spices. Punugulu is crispy, crunchy, and fluffy. It’s often served with chutneys like peanut, coconut, tomato, verusanaga, toordal, or capsicum peanut.
● Idli – Popular Breakfast of Vijayawada : Idli is a traditional Indian breakfast. It is highly popular in the southern regions of India, but you can find varieties of Idlis all over India. Though the ingredients and method of preparing Idli are the same in all states, the taste varies from state to state and region to region within the states. Andhra style Idli is quite famous among the people of South India. It is native to Andhra Pradesh and uses locally procured ingredients to prepare Idlis.
Arts & Crafts of region:
● Kondapalli Toys : Kondapalli toys Or Kondapalli Bommalu are a unique and traditional form of wooden toys handcrafted by skilled artisans in the town of Kondapalli nearby Vijayawada . Bommala Colony translates to Toys Colony in Kondapalli is the place where the art of crafting takes place.It was registered as one of the geographical indication handicraft from Andhra Pradesh These toys were one of the varieties of toys assembled in the houses during the festivals of Sankranti and Navratri and is referred as Bommala Koluvu.Each piece is a masterpiece of intricate detailing and vibrant colors.Made from lightweight, eco-friendly wood.
● Mangalagiri Sarees: The handcrafted gifts of Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam celebrate the artistic prowess of the Mangalagiri weavers promoting local craftsmanship and livelihood. Mangalagiri sarees are a poignant symbol of Andhra Pradesh’s rich cultural heritage, textile legacy and craftsmanship. Mangalagiri cotton sarees are unique soft cotton sarees that come in monotone hues, with gold zari embellished borders. Traditionally, the sarees feature Nizam borders, reminiscent of the rule of the Nawabs in the area.