An important Buddhist site located near the ancient Satavahana capital, Dhanyakataka,
is now called Amaravati. It was one of the four renowned Buddhist centers
of learning in the country which attracted students from all over the world.
The temple of Saraswati at Basar is one of the two famous Saraswati temples
in India, the other being in Kashmir. Legend has it that Sage Vyasa during
his stay here used to bring daily three handfuls of sand after a bath in Godavari
and kept it at a place, which transformed as the images of Saraswati, Lakshmi
and Kali.
This is a Buddhist site of great significance about 150 kms.from Vijayawada.
Take a look at a unique double terraced stupa on top of a hillock known as
Singarakonda (beautiful hillock).
On the right bank of the river Vamsadhara, about 116 kms from Visakhapatnam,
in the Srikakulam district, there are a number of Buddhist stupas and huge
monastic complex on a hillock amidst scenic surroundings.
Historically considered as the cultural, political, pilgrimage and educational
center of the state, Vijayawada is located on the banks of the holy river
Krishna. It is believed that Arjuna, of the epic Mahabharatha prayed at the
Indrakeeladri Hill and won the blessings of Lord Shiva.
A delightful blend of the old and the new, Hyderabad presents to the onlooker
an interesting skyline, with modern buildings standing shoulder-to-shoulder
with fascinating 400 year old edifices - the remains of the city's Islamic
roots.
Seventeen hundred years ago, Vijayapuri served as the capital of the Iakshvaku
kingdom, and was home to a centre of Buddhist learning. Today, in its place
flourishes Nagarjunasagar, a modern township named after Acharya Nagarjuna,
the founder and father of Mahayana Buddhism.
Climb or drive high up to Tirumala, nestling among the seven hills in the
Eastern Ghats. Catch the exquisitely carved gold gopuram of the Lord Venkateswara
Temple, glinting in the sun. the Trimala shrine is a masterpiece of Dravidian
architecture.
Visakhapatnam was named after the God of valour, Visakha. Once a small fishing
village, it formed part of the Kalinga empire, under Ashoka in 260 B.C., passing
successively from the Andhra kings of Vengi to the Pallavas, Cholas and Gangas.
Warangal, 157 km from Hyderabad, is noted for its beautiful lakes, splendid
temples and wildlife. It was once the capital of the legendary Kakatiya kingdom,
and mentioned.