Vijaywada, Information about Vijaywada, Vijaywada Tour

Vijaywada is located about 66 km. from Amaravati, between the Krishna and Badanmeru rivers in the mid of Telugu heartland. Vijaywada literally means the place of victory. It is also known as Bezawada or Blazewada because of its heat. It is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh. Vijaywada is bounded by the lndrakeeladri Hills on the west and the Budameru canal on the north. Vijaywada has a history of two thousand years and often considered as the gateway to the south. This city was a part of the great Vijayanagar empire. The city is also known as the business capital of Andhra Pradesh. Vijaywada can be visited throughout the year.

History of Vijaywada

The birth of Vijaywada is traced to Hindu mythology. According to legend, Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, prayed to Lord Shiva at the top of Indrakila Hill for victory. He was blessed with the victory and thus the place came to be known as Vijaywada. According to another legend, the goddess Durga rested here after killing a demon and since she was victorious (vijaya), it is called Vijaywada. Kanakdurga, also locally known as Vijaya is the presiding deity of the town. Vijaywada was also a great centre of Andhra culture. The Chalukyas of Kalyan and the great king Krishna Deva Raya once conquered this place. The city was visited by the great Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang and he has described about the town in glowing terms. Some of the remains of its past, preserved in its cave temple reminds of the importance of Vijaywada. After the fall of the Mauryan empire, Amaravati became the principal center of Buddhism in South India under the Satavahanas. Adi Shankara blessed the city by installing a ‘Sri-Chakra’ at the temple here. Two Jain temples recall 1000-year old heritage of Vijaywada. During the British Raj, the city experienced significant growth. In particular, the completion of the Prakasham Barrage in 1959, and railway bridge on the Krishna River have helped the region expand its agricultural and commercial base.

Tourist Attractions in Vijaywada

Kanaka Durga Temple
Kanaka Durga Temple is one of the most popular temples in Vijaywada. This temple is located on a hill (Indrakeeladri) and overlooks the city as well as the River Krishna. Inscriptions of different dynasties are found in the temple. During Dussehra Festival, thousands of devotees from the city and its environs visit the temple after taking a holy dip in the River Krishna.

Prakasam Barrage
The Prakasam Barrage is built across the Krishna river and created a panoramic lake. Three canals from the lake run through the city giving it a Venetian look.

Gandhi Hill
The first Gandhi Memorial with seven stupas in the country was constructed on the Gandhi hill at a height of 500 feet. The 52 feet stupa was unveiled on 6 October 1968 by Dr. Zakir Hussain, the President of India. Gandhi Memorial Library, a Sound and Light Show on Mahatma Gandhi's life and a planetarium are the other attractions on this hill.

Victoria Museum
Victoria Museum is an excellent place for archaeology lovers. Victoria Museum has a carefully preserved collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, and inscriptions.

Mogalarajapuram Caves
Mogalarajapuram Caves were excavated in 5th century A.D. The caves are reputed to be the first of their kind in South India. The idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka and Arthanareeswara are carved here.

Undavalli Caves
Undavalli Caves are situated about 8 kms. from Vijaywada. These caves were carved in 7th century A.D. During monsson, these caves were used by the Buddhist monks as a rest house. A huge monolith of the Lord Buddha in reclining posture is a magnificent sight in the caves.

Bhavani Island
Bhavani Island is one of the largest island located on the Krishna river. Andhra Pradesh Tourism has now converted this 54 hectare island into an attractive tourist spot and a River Front Resort. Journey to the island by boat is very pleasant.

Kondapalli Fort
Kondapalli village is situated 16 km from Vijaywada. Kondapalli Fort, a 7th century fort is situated on the hill with an impressive three storey rock tower. This fort was witness to the various dynasties. This fort was built by Krishna Deva Raya and served as a business centre. Later, the fort was used as a military training base by the British rulers. The Kondapalli wooden toys were first made in Kondapalli. These toys have characteristic Indian themes of mythological figures, birds, animals, fruits and vegetables.

Hazarat Bal Mosque
A holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed is kept in the Hazrat Bal mosque which is displayed once a year. A large number of non-Muslims too join the celebrations.

Rajiv Gandhi Park:
This well-laid out park has an impressive horticultural network. There is also a mini zoo and a musical water fountain.

St. Mary's Church
In 1925, Rf. Arlati, the Rector of St. Joseph's Orphanage installed a statue of Our Lady at Gunadala and later a church was built and consecrated in 1971. This church is popularly known as St. Mary's church and situated on a hillock on the eastern side of the city. The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is an annual event here that is attended by hundreds of people.

Mangalagiri
Mangalagiri is situated about 12 km from Vijaywada. The famous temple of Lord Narasimha, one of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu is situated in Mangalagiri on a hillock. The unique feature of this temple is that the mouth of the idol accepts half the quantity of panakam (jaggery dissolved in water) offered by devotees, irrespective of the size of the vessel.

Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a small town, located about 60 kms. from Vijaywada. Kuchipudi, the famous classical dance of Andhra Pradesh originated from this village. The dance was created by Sidhendra Yogi who was born here. Today, the Dance School offers a five-year program to prepare master dancers in Kuchipudi.

Around Vijayawada

Amaravati (60 kms.)
Amaravati, formerly known as Dhanyakataka and Andhranagari, is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the country. Acharya Nagarjuna constructed the country's largest stupa here, 2000 years back. Amaravati is considered as the most sacred pilgrim centre for Buddhists in South India. This major Buddhist pilgrim centre on the banks of river Krishna was the former capital of the Satvahanas and one of the four important places of Buddhist worship in the country. The 2000 years old Mahastupa, locally known as Deepaladinne or ‘Hillock of Lamps’ is the largest stupa in India, measuring 36.5 metres wide and 16.5 metres metres high. Besides this, only few scattered ruins is all that remains of the once grand city. A small replica of the few scattered ruins is all that remain of the once grand city. A small replica of the Mahastupa can be seen at the nearby museum. The Amareswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is another famous holy site.

Kolleru Lake & Bird Sanctuary (95 kms.)
The marshes and wetlands around this large sweet water lake attracts a large number of birds during the nesting season pelicans arrive in large flocks to raise their young ones. Other important birds arriving here are grey herons, white ibis, pond herons, egrets and several other species of ducks and water birds. The best time to come here is from Oct. to Feb. the Famous Peddinti Amma / Jaladurga temple is located here.

Machilipatnam (70 kms.)
This sea-side township was an important trading post. It is also the birth place of Kalamkari art of textile printing. The Maginapudi beach near the town is simply irriesistible andis very safe for bathing. Thousands of pilgrims take a holy dip in the sea during Mugha Poornima. The Panduranga Swamy temple here is a famous Hindu pilgrim center.

How to get here

By Air:
The nearest airport is located at Gannavaram, about 20 km from the city and connects Vijaywada to Hyderabad by air.

By Rail:
Vijaywada is the largest railway junction of the South Central Railways and links Andhra Pradesh with Calcutta, Madras, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Puri, Thiruvananthapuram, etc.

By Road:
Vijaywada is well connected with Hyderabad, Chennai and Calcutta by state highways and district roads. National Highway No. 5 from Chennai to Kolkata and the No. 9 from Machilipatnam to Pune pass through the city that connect it to other parts of the country.

To know the distances from Vijaywada click here.