South India · Andhra Pradesh
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
The Kanaka Durga temple above the Krishna is one of Andhra's great Shakti shrines; Dasara is the peak.
About Vijayawada
- Riverside
- Hills
Where it is
Vijayawada is a city on the north bank of the Krishna river in NTR district of Andhra Pradesh, set among the rocky Indrakeeladri and other hills at the head of the Krishna delta.
History
Legend says Arjuna won the Pashupata weapon from Shiva on Indrakeeladri hill, and the rock-cut cave temples at Undavalli and Mogalrajapuram date from the early medieval period. The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited in the 7th century, the Eastern Chalukyas and later dynasties ruled the region, and the Prakasam Barrage, completed in 1957, made the city the hub of the Krishna delta's canals.
People
Vijayawada speaks Telugu and is a busy commercial and railway hub of coastal Andhra, known for its fiery Andhra cooking. During Dasara the goddess Kanaka Durga is taken out on the Krishna in a decorated float, the Teppotsavam, which draws huge crowds.
Known for
- The Kanaka Durga Temple on Indrakeeladri
- Prakasam Barrage on the Krishna
- The Undavalli cave temples
- Kondapalli toys
- Dasara and the river float festival
Did you know?
Nearby Kondapalli is famous for brightly painted toys carved from tella poniki, a soft wood from the local hills, a craft protected by a geographical indication.
Shrines and sites
- Sri Kanaka Durga Temple on Indrakeeladri hill
- Undavalli caves
- Amaravati Buddhist stupa
- Prakasam Barrage
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.