¤ About Vijayawada
Vijayawada,
also called as "Bezawada", is 257-km from Hyderabad and is located
on the banks of the Krishna River, and is bounded by the Indrakiladri hills
on the West and the Budameru River on the North. Situated along the Chennai-
Howrah and Chennai-Delhi rail route, this is the largest railway junction of
the South Central Railway. The city forms a part of the Krishna district,
spread over an area of 58-sq- kms (urban area).
Vijayawada or the "City
of Victory" if literally translated gets its name from the legend,
which says it was here on the Indrakiladri Hill, that Arjuna, the Pandava
Prince, won the blessings of Lord Shiva for his penance. During the British
rule the city experienced significant growth. In particular, the completions
of the Krishna Barrage and the Railway Bridge on Krishna have helped the
region expand its agricultural and commercial base. The famous Chinese
traveller Hieun T`sang has visited this city. Today, with excellent
communications, perhaps the best in the South where railways are concerned,
Vijayawada become one of the big business centres of the State.
Commercially, culturally and industrially the city is a very flourishing
one.
¤ Major Tourist Attractions
of Vijayawada» Prakasam Barrage - Completed
in 1957, the Prakasam Barrage is an impressive 1223.5m long, modern
regulator and road bridge that stretches across the river Krishna. Its
panoramic lake and the three canals that run through the city give
Vijayawada a Venetian appearance.
» Victoria Jubilee
Regional Museum - The Museum of the Archaeological Department
situated on Bandar Road contains beautiful sculptures and attractive
paintings worth seeing. 'Buddha' Alluru inscriptions of first and second
centuries, and Mahishasura Mardhani are some of the important exhibits.
»
Bhavani Island -Located upstream the river Krishna, close to
Prakasam Barrage, is Bhavani Island. Make sure you visit this picturesque
island that is a fantastic picnic spot for holiday-lovers.
»
Gundala Church -Gundala Church is situated on a hillock on the
eastern side of the town, at Gundala. It attracts a large number of
devotees. A fair is held annually in the month of February, in which
thousands of devotees participate.
» Undavalli Caves
-The Undavalli caves, in the village of Undavalli, are at a
distance of 8-km from Vijayawada and nearly 280-km from Hyderabad. The high
hill overlooking the Krishna river hosts fine specimens of cut-in
architectural and sculptural models.
» KanakaDurga
Temple -Kanaka Durga, goddess of power, riches and benevolence is
considered the presiding deity of Vijayawada. The temple is set on the
Indrakiladri hill. The deity in the Kanaka Durga temple is regarded as
Swayambhu or self-manifested, hence is considered very powerful. It is said
that Adi Sankara visited this temple and installed the Sri Chakra here.
¤
AccomodationA wide range of facilities for accommodation is
available in Vijayawada, from Three Star Hotels to budget accommodation and
Andhra Pradesh Tourism Guest Houses.
¤
ShoppingVijayawada is a delight for tourists with its wide variety
of interesting places. Along with these exciting destinations, the city also
boasts of equally nice and attractive curios. Shopping is an exhilarating
activity and when it is about unique range of handicrafts, the excitement
gets doubled. If you are thinking about what to buy in Vijaywada, then don't
think much, since the 'City of Victory' has more than enough items that
would grab your attention.
Ranging from handloom products to
handicrafts, furniture to textiles, pearl jewelry to silver jewelry, you can
set off with anything and everything in Vijayawada. Besides these
knick-knacks, the city has wonderful antiques, leather goods, pearls as well
as semi precious stones to offer. Kalamkari paintings and handiworks are
things not to be missed on your visit to Vijaywada, the third largest city
of Andhra Pradesh.
Vijayawada
