Andhra
Pradesh Information
Travel to Andhra Pradesh and discover the virgin beauty of the land. As
a perfect holiday destination, your Andhra Pradesh travel will
undoubtedly mesmerize anyone with its natural splendor. It's a state
that boasts of the nation's second largest coastline, dotted with serene
beaches. Also known as the 'Rice Bowl of India', Andhra Pradesh is the
largest producer of rice in the country. A sightseeing tour to Andhra
Pradesh will unfold numerous temples and Buddhist sites, which date back
to thousands of years. Besides its spiritual legacy, it has innumerable
monuments and structures that have become the pride of the state over
the years. Comprising the world's richest temple at Tirupati, Andhra
Pradesh is famous for its spicy cuisine, rich culture and incredible
history. A variety of tours will let you explore the cultural, spiritual
and beautiful facets of Andhra Pradesh.
Explore wildlife and bird sanctuaries of Andhra Pradesh on your state
tour. Spend your holidays in Andhra Pradesh and make your vacations an
incredible experience.
Festivals of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh has many colorful festivals that are celebrated with
great pomp and show. Some festivals are religious whereas some are
organized by the state. These festivals depict the vibrant and varied
culture of the state such as Deepavali, Dasara, Mohurrum, Shivratri,
etc. are celebrated nation wide. Some of the popular festivals of Andhra
Pradesh are Sankranthi celebrated in the month of January, Ugadi or the
Telugu New Year in March/April, Vinayaka Chavithi in August, Dasara in
October and off course Deepavali in November.
Besides, there are many state festivals celebrated here. These festivals
are organized by the state government to promote tourism in the state.
To name a few are, the Deccan Festival, Lumbini Festival, Visaka Utsav
and the Rayalaseema Food and Dance Festival.
Shopping in Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad is the main shopping destination in Andhra Pradesh. Some of
the famous bazaars of Hyderabad are Laad Bazaar and Pearl Bazaar, they
are known for beautiful shops of clothes and jewelery. Here you can look
forward to buy some exquisite jewelery, with precious stones set in gold
and silver. Apart from these you can also buy pearls, glass embedded
bangles, antique 'kundan' and enamel ornaments. The temple saris and
Pochampalli silks are also a must buy.
At Hyderabad, you can also buy traditional handicrafts including
bidriware, which is a black gun metal inlaid with fine silver wire in
delicate patterns and filigree work that is jewelery made of twisted
silver wire having a delicate trellis-like appearance. Besides these,
one can also buy Nirmal lacquerware items, bags and belts embroidered by
the Lambadi gypsies with sparkling mirrors and beads.
The other major shopping areas in the city of Hyderabad are Abid's,
Nampally, Basheerbagh and Sultan Bazaar.
Excursions from Andhra Pradesh
Thousand Pillar Temple: Thousand Pillar Temple, as the name suggests,
has no less than thousand pillars. To be found near the
Warangal-Hanumakonda Highway, this temple was built by the Kakatiya
ruler, Rudradeva, in 1163 AD. Raised on a platform, this temple is about
10 km from the Warangal city of Andhra Pradesh.
Kolanupaka: Kolanupaka was a great centre of Jainism and Shaivism. Here,
you can see the museum, which has been established by the State
Department of Archaeology and Museums. It has a sculptural gallery that
displays artifacts collected from the various historical monuments in
Kolanupaka.
Ramappa Temple: Located in Palampet village, Ramappa Temple is also
known as Ramalingeswara Temple. This colossal temple presents a
remarkable sight with its superb architecture. Interesting fact about
this shrine is that it was named after its sculptor 'Ramappa'. Dedicated
to Lord Shiva, the temple is encircled with innumerable date palm trees.
Ramappa Lake, which dates back to the same period, still flows along
side the temple.
Pakhal Lake: Pakhal Lake was assembled by using a small tributary of
Krishna River. The initiative to construct this man made lake was taken
by Ganapathidev, the Kakatiya king. Sprawled over an area of 30 sq km,
the picturesque lake is located at a distance of 50 km from Warangal.
Sri Veeranarayana Temple: This temple is a typical specimen of Chalukyan
style of architecture. It is sited at Hanumankonda, a town near Warangal
city. From its structure, it appears that initially it must be a Jain
temple and later converted to a Vaishnava place of worship.
Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary: Next to Pakhal Lake, the sanctuary is
sprawled over an area of 90 acres. Its vegetation comprises of tropical
dry deciduous forests and teak forests. Many exotic species of plants
and animals can be seen here.
Eturnagaram Sanctuary: Known for embracing rare bird species, the haven
has rich vegetation of teak trees. The setting appears enchanting amidst
hills and springs. Tiger, Sloth Bear, Chinkara, Black Buck etc are some
of the endangered animals found here.
Things
to see
