Amaravati

The temple town of Amaravati is located on the banks of Krishna River near Guntur City of Andhra Pradesh. This tiny town is popular for its holy shrine of Amaralingeswara, which is a form of Lord Shiva. The town has a long history where it is believed that Buddha preached at Amaravati which was known by then by the name of Dharanikota. It is also the place where Buddha conducted Kalachakra ceremony here. The recorded history of this town dates from 2nd century BCE, where it was capital of Satavahanas. Andhra Ikshvakus and later Pallava kings ruled Krishna river valley followed by Satavahanas before Chalukyas and Telugu Cholas held sway over the region. Kota Kings were in control of Amaravati during the medieval times. Kota kings were subdued by Kakatiyas in 11th century and Amaravati became part of the unified Telugu empire.

What to see : The Amaravati Stupa is the main attraction of this place, which was originally built during Ashoka’s period. With decorated carved panels, this stupa tells the story of Buddha’s life. The region between Krishna and Godavari rivers was an important place for Buddhism from the 2nd century. The Amaravati school of art and Shiva temples are other attractions of Amaravati. October to April is the best time to visit Amaravati.

Accommodation : Since Amaravati is a smaller town, it doesn’t offer multiple options for accommodation. Tourists generally stay in Vijayawada, the nearby city located at 65 Kilometers.

Mode of Transport : Vijayawada is the nearby domestic Airport, which is well connected with state head quarters Hyderabad. Amaravati falls in the Hyderabad-Vijayawada and Hyderabad-Guntur line and is connected by numerous trains that pass over the station. It is having frequent buses flying to Hyderabad, which takes about 7 hours by road.

Related links :
• Temple information : http://www.amaravati.org

See also (nearby places ) : Vijayawada and Hyderabad are major nearby tourist attractions.