Tourism in Andhra Pradesh

Tourist destinations

Visakhapatnam city has many tourist attractions such as Kailashagiri park near the sea, Visakha Museum, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, the INS Kursura (S20) Submarine museum, the Dolphins Nose, and the Lighthouse.

Baruva (Beach)

Baruva is a village located near Sompeta in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at 18.53N 84.35E.,[1] at an average elevation of 10 meters (36 feet). The Mahendratanaya river merges into the Bay of Bengal at this place. Baruva was used as a seaport in the era of British colonial rule in India up to 1948. In July 1917 a ship carrying goods sank in the sea. To commemorate this incident a pillar was constructed.[2] The harbor is closed, but the old lighthouse stood until 2000. A light house has been constructed next to the beach resort. Baruva's beach is one of the oldest in Andhra Pradesh.

Attractions at Baruva.

Kalingapatnam (Beach)

Kalingapatnam is located in Gara mandal of Srikakulam District. It has one of the major beach sand deposits of the state. Kalingapatnam was one of the ancient Andhra's harbour towns. Perfumes, textiles and so on were exported to other countries from the port. Kalingapatnam port was closed during British rule of India, but the light house constructed by the British at Kalingapatnam port. Kalingapatnam Beach is the place where river Vamsadhara empties into Bay of Bengal.

Attractions at Kalingapatnam

Mandasa (Place of worship)

Mandasa is a village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is known for a revered Vasudeva temple. The history of this place dates back to 14th century. This temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is highly renowned. The place is of high religious and mythological importance. It is believed that the Pandavas, during their exile took shelter at the Mahendra Giri Hills. The Mandasa temple flourished during the 17th century. It served as a great inspiration centre for devotees, many young aspirants thronged the temple for acquiring Vedic knowledge. The temple has been reconstructed a few years back in an exactly way restoring its novel Kalinga architecture. The Mandasa Mandal is enclosed by the mighty Bay of Bengal in the east, Mahindra Hills in the west and Two rivers, Sunnamuddi and Mahendra Tanaya originating from the Mahendra Giri hills flow through this region into the Bay of Bengal.

Attractions at Mandasa

Mahendragiri, is a mountain peak at in the Paralakhemundi subdivision of the district of Gajapati, Orissa, India. It is situated amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metres. Mahendra Giri is also known as the abode of the revered Sage Parasurama. In Mahabharata it has been mentioned that Parasurama, the 6th incarnation of Lord Shri Vishnu stayed near the Mahindra Hills for twelve long years.

The Mandasa temple flourished during the 17th century. It served as a great inspiration centre for devotees, many young aspirants thronged the temple for acquiring Vedic knowledge. The temple has been reconstructed a few years back in an exactly way restoring its novel Kalinga architecture.

Mandasa Fort is an enchanting abode of the erstwhile landlords of Mandasa and it is known for its several fortifications and the adornment of beautiful paintings and carvings seen at the fort.

Clock Tower at Bheemunipatnam (28 km)

The big clock tower in the town was built by British.

Dutch Cemetery at Bheemunipatnam (28 Km)

The cemetery situated in the west of the town at the sea beach speaks of the Dutch who gave their lives here. The unique feature of the cemetery is the depiction of the cause of the death on the grave enlivens the past. Written in Portuguese this cemetery is located close to the sea beach. There are 52 tombs spread across two locations. Out of which 15 are stone capped and 5 of them have Dutch have inscriptions in Dutch language. These inscriptions are even visible today. One of pyramid shaped grave of Federick Kesslerus who died in Oct 8th 1661 is considered to be the earliest. This cemetery is divided in two parts, while entering to the right is for British people and rest of the area is for Dutch.

Light House at Bheemunipatnam (28 Km)

The small light house was built by the Dutch in 1868 and must have served the Dutch and British sailors well in its time. It has been partly renovated by the local administration and made functional.

St Peters Church (Red Church) at Bheemunipatnam (30 Km)

It was consecrated on March 17, 1864, (by Rev. Bishop Gell, who named it in honour of St. Peter) and it has completed 150 years today and is still functional. The architectural splendor, location and the history connected with the St Peter’s Church make it stand apart. The design and plans were made with help of a draughtsman of the 38 Madras Infantry. The east window of the church has an exquisitely designed stained glass depicting Christ's baptism, breaking of bread and Crucifixion. This unique piece was specially ordered and imported from London.

Tourist spots at Vijayawada include Prakasam Barrage, Kondapalli Fort, Krishna River, Bhavani Island and many more parks in the city.

Some of the tourist spots in Andhra Pradesh are:

1. Rajahmundry city, located on the banks of Godavari River is one of the main attractions of the state.
2. Talakona city, located on the banks of Chittor District is one of the main attractions of the state.

Beaches

Visakhapatnam has many beautiful beaches along the Bay of Bengal namely R.K. Beach, Rishikonda Beach, Lawsons Bay Beach, etc. There are other beaches too along the long coastline of the state, such as Mypadu beach in Nellore, Suryalanka Beach, located 9 km from Bapatla in Guntur District..

Caves

The Borra Caves in the Ananthagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats, near Visakhapatnam at an altitude of about 800 to 1300 metres are famous for million-year-old stalactite and stalagmite formations. They were discovered by British geologist William King George in 1807. The caves got their name from a formation inside the caves that looks like the human brain, which in Telugu language is known as burra. The Belum Caves in Kurnool District have a length of 3,229 metres (10,594 ft), making them the second largest natural caves on the Indian subcontinent. The Belum Caves derive their name from Bilum, the Sanskrit word for caves. The caves have long passages, spacious chambers, freshwater galleries, and siphons. The caves' deepest point is 120 feet (37 m) from the entrance and is known as Patalaganga.

Hills and valleys

Araku Valley is a hill station in Visakhapatnam district. The Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest, which are part of Araku Valley, are rich in biodiversity. It has thick forests, coffee plantations, waterfalls. This scenic beauty attracts large number of tourists.

Horsley Hills is a summer hill resort in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated at an elevation of 1,265 metres and attracts lots of tourists. The site which is the departure point for the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary at a distance of 87 km (54 mi). The Papi Hills located in Khammam district near Bhadrachalam surrounding the Godavari river is also famous.

Fields and lakes

Publications lake in Nellore distract..

Konaseema is a place in East Godavari for nature lovers, with scenic greenery of lush paddy fields and coconut groves along the banks of river Godavari and its canals.

Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India. It is a located between Krishna and Godavari delta. The lake was declared as a wildlife sanctuary, and designated a wetland of international importance. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 km². During the winter season, many birds such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks migrate here from Siberia and other countries to nest at the sanctuary. The sanctuary is situated about 15 km from Eluru and 65 km from the city of Vijayawada.

Religious and pilgrimage sites

The state's many temples and shrines, mosques, and churches attract many pilgrims. Most of the temples were built during the reign of Vijayanagar empire. A number of festivals are organized with thousands of tourists visiting them. Some famous temples are:

The five ancient Hindu temples of Lord Shiva, known as Pancharama Kshetras, are located at Amararama, Draksharama, Somarama, Ksheerarama and Kumararama. Other religious places include Srikalahasti temple in Srikalahasti in the Chittoor district, Raghavendra Swami Mutt in Mantralayam of Kurnool district, Lord Venkateswara temple in Dwaraka Tirumala of West Godavari District, Annavaram temple in East Godavari and Arasavalli Surya temple in Srikakulam District are also located in the state.

Religious sites in Anantapur District include Prashanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi, the home of Sathya Sai Baba, as well as Lepakshi, home of a famous temple and statue of the Nandi bull.

Islam is also popular religion, with a number of mosques built during the reigns of Muslim rulers. One of the famous is Shahi jamia masjid in Adoni of Kurnool district. There are many famous churches constructed centuries ago with historical significance. One of them is the Gunadala Church at Vijayawada.

The state has numerous Buddhist centres at Amaravati, Nagarjuna Konda, Bhattiprolu, Ghantasala, Nelakondapalli, Dhulikatta, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Shalihundam, Pavuralakonda, Bojjannakonda (Sankaram), Phanigiri and Kolanpaka.