Planning a Trip to Andhra Pradesh? Allot Two Days to Explore this place!!!

The Visakhapatnam-Araku circuit is the most popular destination in Andhra Pradesh and thousands of tourists visit this circuit every year but end their trip without exploring Vijayawada which is located just 350km from Visakhapatnam.

Here are the reasons to why you must allot two days time in hand and explore Vijayawada as well.

(1) Explore the exquisite Monolithic Undavalli Caves

Undavalli caves are located at just 6kms from the Vijayawada city. These fifth century rock cut caves are four storeyed and each storey is exquisitely carved with sculptures of Hindu deities. The ground floor is a simple pillared hall and as one climbs up the rock cut steps to the upper floors, the beauty of this cave temple unfolds gradually. The second floor has a 5m long granite structure of Lord Vishnu in the reclining position. On walking along the paved path circling along the hills ,one can see more engravings on the hillside. Surrounded by lush greenery this exquisite rock cut temple is an example of the artistic adroitness of the fifth century artisans. One must visit this temple to experience the beauty.

This is an archeological museum which houses a large collection of Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, paintings and other artifacts from 2nd and 3rd century. However, what makes this museum special is the historical significance attached to the museum building. This building was constructed in 1887 as a part of Golden jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria. On 1st of April 1921 Sri Pingali Venkayya, the designer of our Indian National Flag, presented the first tri-colour to Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to Vijayawada. This Museum is managed by the ASI and currently a new building is constructed to house the artifacts where an interesting digital feature has been introduced. An app of the museum when downloaded on phone would narrate the history of the artifacts displayed when scanned with it.

A visit to this museum would definitely be enriching.

This is a beautiful lush green riverine island situated in the midst of the Krishna river which can be reached by a boat ride. There are APTDC boats available at regular intervals which transfers tourists to this beautiful island. There are food outlets , resorts and children parks at the island. There are facilities for various water sports as well. If one wants to explore this beautiful but huge island, one can hire bicycles as well. Cycling around among the greenery is a very refreshing activity.

This beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Kanka Durga perched on top of a hill of the eastern ghats would take you on a blissful spiritual journey. The chants of 'om Kanaka Durgaya Namah' fills the air with a positiveness that is sure to make you feel peaceful and happy. From the temple premises, the sprawling Vijayawada city appears so picturesque. The temple architecture is exquisite and the ambience is blissful. One can spend hours just imbibing the sounds of the hymns, smells of the flowers and incense and the sights of the rituals. This temple is considered to be one of the very important temples in Andhra and sees a huge footfall of devotees. The temple is located on the banks of the Krishna river and one can pay a visit to the temple along with exploring the Bhavani islands.

If you enjoy exploring offbeat but interesting places , then you must head off to explore Kondapalli located on the outskirts of Vijayawada about 30km from the main city. Tucked among the hills, in the Kondapalli forest reserves is situated the ruins of the Kondapalli Fort. The surrounding Kondapalli forests is said to have hundreds of waterfalls and after the rains, one can enjoy trekking here to the waterfalls. The 14th Century Kondapalli fort also houses a museum which would take you through the history of the fort. On exploring the ruins, you would realise how majestic and enormous this fort was in its glorious days.