Nagarjuna_Sagar

Introduction And history :Nagarjuna Sagar is a tourist place that is interestingly different. It is situated in Andhra Pradesh. It is a prominent Buddhist pilgrimage site. During the reign of the kings, it was patronised as Vijayapuri or The city Of Victory! The town derives its name from a Buddhist monk, Nagarjuna The Buddhist monks here preached and thus, helped to create a Buddhist influence in the South. Apart from this, the town is world-renowned for creating the third largest man-made lake by the construction of the famous Nagarjuna Sagar dam. As the tallest and largest masonry dam in the world, it exemplifies engineering excellence in India. However, the creation of this lake left three historical sites submerged-Dhanyakataka, capital of the Satavahanas; Sriparvata, Vijayapuri, capital of the Ikshvakus (one of the first Hindu dynasties in the South) and a Buddhist civilization that thrived here in the third and fourth centuries B.C.

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What To See : The tourist hotspot here, ‘Nagarjunasagar Dam’, is also the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh. It is built across the river Krishna. It is considered by many to be an architectural marvel. It is the tallest masonry dam in the world. The museum on the island of Nagarjunakonda is in the form of a Buddhist Vihara. It houses a stupendous collection of relics of Buddhist art and culture. Famous relics include a small tooth and an ear-ring believed to be of the Buddha. These relics of Buddhist civilization unveiled a great Mahachaitya, the most sacred of the stupas. An inscription in Brahmi characters states that the sacred relics of Lord Buddha lie within the Mahachaitya. A partly ruined monolithic statue of the Buddha, beautiful as it always is the main attraction at the museum. Also visit the temples of Ranganadha and Dattatreya. The best season to visit is in winter when it isn’t very hot.

Things to do: Try the upstream boat ride and another traditional boat ride called ‘theppa’. Visit the Ethipothala waterfalls and its lagoon (infested with crocodiles).Don’t miss the Srishailam Tiger reserve within the bounds of the Nagarjuna sagar wildlife sanctuary.

Accomodations : Nagarjuna sagar is not a big town. Average and middle-class hotels are available. Accommodation is very cheap.

Mode Of Transport : The closest Airport is at the capital of Hyderabad which is at a distance of around 160 Kilometers. It will take little more than 4 hours by a bus to reach Nagarjuna sagar. Macherla is the nearest station that is situated at a distance of around 24 Kilometers from here. Nagarjuna sagar can be reached from Marchela by taking a bus or a taxi. Nagarjuna sagar is well- connected to all the major cities of Andhra Pradesh. Both government and private-operated busses are available. Buses and auto rickshaws are for internal transport. The best way to travel is by hiring a taxi.

Related links:
• Tourist information: http://www.nagarjunasagar.com
• Andra Pradesh Official Tourist site : http://www.aptourism.in/

See also (Nearby places):Sagarmata Temple, Hyderabad, Puttur, Thirupathi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Warangal.

Lepakshi

Introduction And History : Lepakshi is a town situated in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. For those who are interested in Southern temple style of architecture and those who are passionate about lost kingdoms and ancient arts, Lepakshi is a priceless treasure. Lepakshi is singularly famous for its temple. Although now in Andhra Pradesh, the temple is noted for its Vijayanagar style of Architecture and early Kannada inscriptions on its walls. It consists of three shrines — dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Virabhadra. The Virabhadra temple is the most famous of the three and is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his wrathful manifestation form! The temple is noted for its mural paintings apart from elegant architecture. The monolithic Nandi here, the largest bull in India, adds to the grandeur of architectural skills exhibited here. This Virabhadra Temple at Lepakshi was built in the mid 16th century by Viranna and Virupanna.

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What To See : The singular attraction of Lepakshi is its three temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra. This temple is built on a low rocky hill, which is called Kurmasaila because the bill is like a tortoise in shape. The beautifully carved sculptures on the prakaram attract the pilgrims’ attention. These include 14 forms of Siva, like Dakshinamurthi, Ardhanareeswara, Tripurantaka etc. The hall of creepers is another excellent work of art, which still serves as an inspiration to textile designers and art enthusiasts. The sculptures of the nagalinga and balaganapathi are amazing. The best season to visit is in the winter season.

Things to do: Some distance from Lepakshi, there is a big statue of Kumbhakarna from the Indian epic Ramayan. If one is lucky, bird-watching can also be a welcome change here.

Accomodations : There are very few hotels nearby. It is best to carry food and water. One can stay at Ananthpur for overnight boarding.

Mode Of Transport : Bangalore is the nearest airport. Hindupur station is an easy option to reach Lepakshi. Buses regularly ply from Hindupur to Lepakshi. By road, one can take the newly renovated NH-7 towards Hyderabad (and a left near the check-post on the border of the two States).

Related links:
• Tourist information: www.anantapur.com
• Ancient temples of India: http://www.indiantemplesportal.com/

See also (Nearby places):Sri Sailam, Dharmavaram ,Alur Fort ,Gooty Fort ,Hemavathi Fort ,Tadipatri ,Penna Ahobilam ,Penu Konda Fort ,Raidurga Fort ,Thimmamma ,Marrimanu ,Sri Kadiri Laxmi Narayana Temple and Puttaparthi

Chamba

Introduction and Histroy :The quintessential town of Chamba is located on the banks of river Ravi, north-western part of Himachal Pradesh in India. Chamba blossomed as the ancient capital of the Pahari Rajas. It was named after King Sahil Varman’s daughter Champavati who is also a patron deity of this place. Steeped in nearly 1000 years of rich history and with beautiful intricately carved temples standing as a testament to the past glory, the town has a lot to offer for pilgrims and sightseers alike. The temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu and exhibit Shikhara style architecture. But what really sets the hill station Chamba apart is the fact that it isn’t quite tourist-thronged as the other hill stations. As every other town in the bosom of Himachal Pradesh, Chamba is covered with lush deciduous forests, sprinkling waterfalls and sprawling green town squares (Chowgan) with a wide variety of flora and fauna to boast about.

What To See :Akhand Chandi Palace, Bhuri Singh Museum that hosts a wide variety of ancient and traditional Chamba artifacts. The Hari Rai and Lakshmi Narayan temples dating back to the 10th century are wonderfully ornate in architecture. Chamunda Devi temple and many others with a unique story are also worth visiting. Also visit the 100 years old Church here. Dayanand Math founded by Swami Sarvanand Maharaja of Punjab is a spiritual place to visit.Visit the sacred Manimahesh Lake where thousands have a holy dip around Janamashtami. April to September is the best time to visit.

Things to do : Chamba is definitely a trekking paradise. One can go trekking from Chamba through Bhaderwah to Kashmir, through the Sach Pass into Pangi Valley and to other peaks in the Dhauladhar, Peerpanjal and Lashkar mountain ranges. World famed Chamba rumals embroidery and chappal along with exquisite pahari paintings make shopping an enriching experience.

Accomodations :Various low and medium budget hotels are available with prices ranging between 500 and 2000 rupees per day. Besides, hill resorts and spas are fast becoming popular. Also Himachal Tourism and Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam have deluxe rooms in town.

Mode Of Transport :The nearest airport is at Kangra (180 Kilometers) from where there are regular flights to Delhi and Shimla. The nearest railway station is at Pathankot (122 Kilometers) which in turns, is connected with Jammu, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Dalhousie is 50 Kilometers away. Chamba is also well connected to many other major cities and there are regular buses to many cities like Pathankot, Delhi, Dharamshala, Chandigarh, Jammu etc. Within Chamba, travelers can hire taxis or choose to travel in buses and minibuses.

Related links:• Official website: http://www.hpchamba.nic.in
See also (Nearby places): Dalhousie, Khajjiar, Banikhet and Shimla.

Golconda Fort

Introduction and history: The Golconda Fort is an extraordinary monument of Hyderabad. Its history traces back to the 13th century which was built by the Kakatiya kings. The present structure of the Golconda Fort was renovated by Qutub Shahi kings into a massive fort. The magnificent fort of Golconda in Hyderabad is one of the most magnificent complexes in India which lies on the western outskirts and is around 11 kilometers from Hyderabad. The construction of Golconda Fort of Hyderabad dates back to the early 13th century.

What to see and when to go: The Golconda fort consists of 87 semi circular bastions, 80 gateways, 4 drawbridges and many royal apartments. Apart from the main fort it also consists of a palace, a parade ground, a mosque, an armory and other buildings. More than 380 uneven stone steps starts from the Balahisar Darwaza to Hyderabad Golconda Fort. There is a sound and light show organized for about an hour at 7 PM every day.

Things to do: Apart from enjoying the beauty of the fort one can visit Birla mandir, Charminar, Hussain Sagar Lake, Mecca masjid, Ramoji film city and Salarjung museum.

Accommodation: There is lot of hotels available depending on the budget. The accommodation price per day will vary from 800 to 8000 rupees per day.

Mode of transport: The city of Hyderabad is well connected with other parts of India by all modes of transport. Recently constructed international airport offers frequent flights to all parts of the country. The local travel is mainly via taxis. Plenty of package touring agencies are located near the Charminar area.

Related links:
• Official website:http://hyderabad.nic.in/
• Hyderabad tourist information:http://7wondersofhyderabad.com/

Interesting points:
• The city of Hyderabad is very famous for perls.

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