Rajahmundry :

Rajahmundry or Rajamahendri is a Greater City and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in INDIA. It is situated 400 kilometres (249 miles) east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh, Rajahmundry is noted for its versatile Vedic culture and intellect. It is one of the oldest cities of India. It is the fourth largest by area and eighth most populous city in Andhra Pradesh.

History :

The City origins can be traced back to the rule of the Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra who reigned around 1022 A.D, after whom it is named Rajamahendri or Rajamahendravaram.

Rajahmundry is acclaimed as the birthplace of Yasaswi the Great and the Telugu language -- its grammar and script evolving from the pen of the city-born poet, Nannayya. Known also called 'Adi Kavi' (the first poet) of Telugu, Nannayya along with Tikkana and Yerrana, translated the Sanskritversion of Mahabharata into Telugu. Kandukuri Veeresalingam --a social reformer and the author of Rajashekhara Charithra, the first Telugu novel-- was also from Rajahmundry.

Rajahmundry was one of the biggest cities in South India. It was the hotbed of several movements during India's freedom struggle and acted as a base for many key leaders. When the Indian National Congress had its first meeting in Bombay (Mumbai), two leaders from Rajahmundry, Nyapathi Subba Rao and Kandukuri Veeresalingam participated in it. Subba Rao, founder of Hindu Samaj in Rajahmundry, was also one of the six founders of India's noted English daily The Hindu.

The rail road connecting the city with Vijayawada was laid in 1893. Colleges and various other institutions of Learning were set up at the same time. The Gowthami Grandhalayam, a well-known library was established in 1898.

Geography :

Rajahmundry is located at 16.98°N 81.78°E with an average elevation of 14 meters (45 feet). There is a lot of paddy and sugarcane cultivation in the area. River Godavari flows through the west of Rajahmundry.

The Rajahmundry traps, part of the Deccan Traps, are located on the Godavari River and are of particular interest to geologists.

Climate :

The climate is mostly hot and humid, with mostly a tropical climate and thereby, with no distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature is 36 °C. The hottest season is from April to June, with temperature ranging from 34 °C to 48 °C -- with maximum of 51 °C recorded in May 2007. The coolest months are December and January, when it is pleasant at 27 °C - 30 °C. There is a lot of rain due to the monsoon and cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal.

Tourism :

The biggest attraction in Rajahmundry is the River Godavari. The three bridges over the river are the longest in Andhra Pradesh. Numerous ghats and parks are situated along the river's banks as well.

• Sir Arthur Cotton, a British irrigation engineer, oversaw the construction of the Dowleswaram Barrage in nearby Dowlaiswaram, a village eight kilometers downstream of Rajahmundry. Asia's second longest after the Japan's Kansai International Airport Sky Gate Bridge.
• The First Godavari Rail Bridge was built in 1897, under the supervision of Er. Walton, a British engineer, across Godavari connecting East and West Godavari districts.
• A third railway bridge, The Godavari Arch Bridge, was built between 1991 and 1997. On the banks is the Rallabandi SubbaRao Museum displaying coins, sculpture, pottery, inscriptions and palm-leaf manuscripts.
• Rajahmundry is also a major Hindu pilgrimage sites, with a number of temples like the Kotilingalu (10 million Sivalingas) temple on the bank of Godavari. It hosts holy congregations called Pushkaram held once every 12 years. A huge and beautiful Krishna temple has been constructed by the ISKCON foundation on the banks of Godavari. Popularly called as Gowthami Ghat, it is a major attraction for young people as a recreational center.

Must Visit Places and Major Attractions

• Gowthami Ghat,  ISKCON Temple, Riverbay Resorts and Water park, Ayyappa Temple, Kailash Bhoomi
• Godavari Bund,  Pushkhar Ghat, Sivalingam at Pushkhar Ghat, Markandeyaswamy Temple, Raghavendraswamy Temple, P.V. Narasimharao park
• Kotilingala Ghat
• Sir Arthur Cotton Museum in Dowleswaram (beside barrage) and Sri Shirdi Saibaba Temple
• MainRoad (From Fortgate till Syamala theatre)
• Nurseries (around 200+) in kadiyam, which is around 12 kms from heart of the city where you can find thousands of variety plants
• A boat cruise on the river Godavari to Pattiseema, Papikondalu, Bhadrachalam through the waterfalls at Perantala Palli, is a major attraction along with the City view Godavari River trip (You can get information from APTDC).
• Maredumilli, a thick dense forest with waterfalls and resorts which is around 70kms away from Rajahmundry.
• Annavaram (Lord Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Temple), which is around 70 kms from Rajahmundry
• Dwaraka Tirumala (Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple), which is around 80 kms from Rajahmundry
• Draksharamam (Lord Sri Bheemeswara Swamy Temple), also known as Dakshina Kasi which is around 50 kms from Rajahmundry
• Rosemilk is very famous in Rajahmundry for its taste which will be available in a small stall near Bommana Brothers on Mainroad - A must visit
• The city is also known for rare breed of fish named Pulasa, available only during monsoon.
• Many traditional pen-making shops (viz. Ratnam Pens near Fort Gate) where people can place order for a variety of vintage fountain pens in bulk.
• Pootharekulu are also known as Paper sweets which will be availble on in Rajahmundry Preparation and trading of this sweet is from Atreyapuram near Rajahmundry.
• ONGC Golf Course at ONGC Base Complex, Most happening places like Main roads of DeviChowk, Danavaipet, Prakash Nagar and Syamala Nagar

Transportation

• Rajahmundry is well connected to all parts of the state. NH-5 passes through Rajahmundry (via lalacheruvu). With one national highway and two state highways, it has excellent road connectivity to all important places like Annavaram Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Bhopal, Gwaliorm, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Bangalore and Lucknow. It is the main transportation hub for both the Godavari districts.
• The City is also well connected by the railway network. Rajahmundry has one of the biggest railway stations in Andhra Pradesh and is one of the top revenue generators for South Central Railways. All trains along the Howrah-Chennai route stop here. It is also connected by a number of trains from Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and other major cities in the country.
• Rajahmundry Airport situated near Madhurapudi 10km away from the heart of the city Rajahmundry is accessible by air from Hyderabad, Chennai, Banaglore, Vijayawada. Daily four flights are operated by Jet Airwaysand Spicejetfrom Rajahmundry
• In few days, Flights to Tirupati and Mumbai flights from Rajahmundry are going to get started.
• The recent tourism developments by the government has made excellent platform for Rajahmundry to boast itself as water-way transport hub. Though currently the water way transport caters for select few purposes like pilgrimage, tourism etc., the government has huge plans for the future.
• The Municipal Corporation of Rajahmundry is planning to upgrade it form corporation to urban development authority the "Vision City". Recently this city has secured Greater status.

Food and Stay

Star Hotels & Resorts

Major Start Hotels and Resorts in the city are

• Anand Regency
• Hotel Shelton Rajamahendri
• Riverbay Resort
• La Hospin Hotel & Resort (Mahalakshmi)
• Jetty Grand

External links

• Rajahmundry.net
• Rajahmundry.co.in
• Rajahmundry.info
• Rajahmundry.city.com
• Rajahmundri.in
• Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation

Vijayawada :

Vijayawada is the biggest city of the Krishna District and the third largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, after Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, with an area of 61.88 km2. The city has a population of 1,048,240 (2011 Census), while the population of the metropolitan area is 1,491,202. The name Vijayawada, meaning "Land of Victory", is derived from the presiding deity, Kanaka Durga, also called Vijaya. The city is also popularly known by its historic name Bezawada, which is used by the Indian Railways in assigning its railway station code "BZA".

The city originated along the southern bank of the river Krishna, with hills on its northern bank. By 1855 AD, it took shape as small settlement on the eastern side of the Indrakiladri hills. Vijayawada has been ruled by different dynasties from time to time, including the Gajapathis of Orissa, Chalukyasof Kalyan and the great ruler Krishna Deva Raya.

The city experienced modest socio-economic growth in pre-independence India. As the commercial capital of Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada is politically active, sociologically dominant, agriculturally rich, and is an industrial transportation hub.

Today, the city is home to many of the most well-recognized educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected to other regions by road, air and rail, and has the second biggest railway junction in India.

History :

There are many tales behind the origin of the name Vijayawada. Legends have it that this was the place where Arjuna was blessed by Shiva, on Indrakiladri Hill. In another legend it is stated that Goddesses Durga killed the demon and relaxed in this place for some time. As she was victorious (Vijaya), the place got the name as Vijayawada (vijaya: victory and wada: city/place/location) which literally means "City of Victory". The Epic of Mahabharata refers to Indrakiladri hills as the place where Arjuna secured "Pasupathastra" from Lord Siva.

In some legends, Vijayawada was referred to as Vijayavata and Rajendracholapura.

A tale behind its acquiring the name "Bezawada" is that Goddesses Krishnaveni (River Krishna) requested Arjuna to make a passage for her to merge into the Bay of Bengal. Hence Arjuna made a bejjam (hole) through the mountains and the place came to be known as Bejjamwada which later changed to Bezawada.

Vijayawada was referred as Blaze-wada (city of high temperatures), during British rule.

Geography and climate

Vijayawada is surrounded by the Krishna River on the east and west and the Budameru River on the north. The northern, northwestern, and southwestern parts of the city are covered by a low range of hills, while the central, southwestern and northwestern parts are covered by rich and fertile agriculture lands with three major irrigation canals. Three canals originating from the north side of the Prakasham barrage reservoir, Eluru, Bandar and Ryves, run through the city. Buckingham Canal originates from the south side of the reservoir formed by Prakasam Barrage.

The climate is tropical, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate, with hot summers and moderate winters. The peak temperature reaches 47 °C (117 °F) in May–June, while the winter temperature is 20–27 C. The average humidity is 78% and the average annual rainfall is 103 cm. Vijayawada gets its rainfall from both the southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon. It was nicknamed "Blaze-wada" for its scorching summer heat by Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy.

Tourism

The city includes many tourist attractions. Some famous landmarks and places to visit in Vijayawada are:

• Prakasham Barrage: Built across the river Krishna connecting Guntur District, Prakasham Barrage has created a panoramic lake. Its three canals that run through the city give Vijayawada a Venetian look.
• Kanaka Durga Temple: One of the most popular temples in Andhra Pradesh, it is located on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the city as well as the River Krishna. It was built after 12th century by Maharaja Poosapati Madhava Varma, the ancestor of Vijayanagaram Poosapati Kings, according to History. He is the builder of Modern Vijayawada kingdom.
• Gandhi Hill: The first Gandhi Memorial with seven stupas in the country was constructed on this hill at a height of 500 ft (150 m). The 52 ft (16 m) stupa was unveiled on 6 October 1968 by Dr. Zakir Hussain, the President of India. Gandhi Memorial Library, a Sound and Light Show on Mahatma Gandhi's life and a planetarium are the other attractions.
• Mogalarajapuram Caves: These caves are said to be excavated in 5th century A.D. The caves are reputed to be the first of their kind in South India. The idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka & Arthanareeswara are carved here, but none of the statue are available here.
• Victoria Museum: A place for archaeology lovers, Victoria Museum has a carefully preserved collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, and inscriptions.
• Hazarat Bal Mosque: A holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed is kept here which is displayed once a year. A large number of non-Muslims too join the celebrations.
• Rajiv Gandhi Park: Created by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation with great care, this park welcomes the tourists at the entrance of the city with its impressive horticultural network. A mini zoo and a musical water fountain are added to it.
• Gunadala Matha Shrine: In 1925, Rf. Arlati, the Rector of St. Joseph's Orphanage at Gunadala, installed a statue of Our Lady and later a church was built and consecrated in 1971, now popularly known as St. Mary's church. Since then the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became an annual event here, attended by hundreds of people. The church is situated on a hillock on the eastern side of the city.
• Bhavani Island: Perhaps one of the largest islands on a river, Bhavani Island is in Krishna River close to the city. AP Tourism is converting this 133-acre (54 hectare) island into an attractive tourist spot and a riverfront resort. The island has some cottages to stay in and some good adventure and fun sports. The journey to the island by boat is very pleasant.
• Mangalagiri: Mangalagiri is a near by town which is a famous pilgrim centre for its Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Temple which is one among the tallest temple towers of the India. Mangalagiri is also famous for its traditional textiles.
• Namburu: Namburu is a suburban of Guntur and Vijayawada. Though a village, it gives an ornate urban living because of well-established townships. Nambur is famous for spiritual centres namely Kaligardens, Hreenkar theerth (Jain temple) which is one of the master piece for its architecture. Acharya Nagarjuna University is in Nambur.

Vijayawada is well connected to nearby tourist attractions like Amaravati, Namburu, Kuchipudi, Kondapalli, Gudivada, Chodavaram, Krishna district, Undavalli caves and Machilipatnam.

HAILAND near Vijayawada is a very good recreation place for families with beautiful Laser shows,games. amusement parks and all varieties of food restaurants and guest houses.

Transport

Vijayawada is an important link connecting the three regions of Andhra Pradesh and is a major transit point. Two National Highways, the NH-5 from Chennai to Kolkata and the NH-9 from Machilipatnamto Mumbai, pass through the city connecting it to other parts of the country. National Highway 221 connects the city to Jagdalpur in Madhya Pradesh. It is connected to other areas of the state by state highways and district roads. Pandit Nehru bus station is the second largest bus station in Asia next to Chennai. The APSRTC-run city buses (Metro Express, City Sheetal (A/C Buses) and Ordinary) and auto rickshaws are the main mode of public transport. A BRTS project is under construction as well.

• Air

Vijayawada is well connected by air. The domestic airport at Gannavaram, about 19 km from the city, connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi. Vijayawada Airport is served by Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, spicejet and Air India. Annually, about 180,000 passengers use this airport.

• Rail

Vijayawada Junction is the second biggest and second busiest railway junction in India and contributes the highest revenues in the South Central Railway region. Situated along the Chennai Howrah and Chennai – Delhi rail route, Vijayawada Junction is the largest railway junction on the South Central Railway network. Vijayawada junction had been given A-1 status by the central government. Madhuranagar, Gunadala, Rayanapadu, Kondapalli, Nidamanuru, Krishna canal junction and Ramavarappadu are the other railway stations in the city. The railway station has ten platforms for passenger trains and is the only station to have five entrance gates with booking counters in India.

• Road

Vijayawada is well connected to the rest of the country by National Highways: NH-5, NH-9 and NH-221. Transport by road from Vijayawada is available in the form of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses. Private bus operators also provide transport services to parts of the country.

All major streets are connected with the Local Public Bus Transit (City Buses) operated by APSRTC. It is the first city in the south to introduce CNG buses in its fleet. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is planning to launch Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with dedicated bus corridors. The initiative, however, is mired in procedural delays and was expected to be launched by mid 2010. Motor-driven auto-rickshaws and manual-driven cycle-rickshaws are the other alternative means of transport within Vijayawada. Private lorries, cars and two-wheeled vehicles are common.

Vijayawada has the second biggest and busiest bus terminal in the Asia, next to Chennai(CMBT). It was inaugurated on 23 September 1990 and is officially named as Telugu Satavahana Prayana Pranganam with its current name of Pandit Nehru Bus station.

Education

Vijayawada, also called "Vidyala wada" (Place of Education), occupies a large amount of the education infrastructure of Andhra Pradesh. The city was named "The Educational Sahara" by a foreign ambassador. Education in the city is implemented by the government and private institutions. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation takes care of the government educational institutions.

The NTR University of Health Sciences is the first medical university in India. It is a public university in the city of Vijayawada. It started functioning 1 November 1986.

In 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India established School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada as an autonomous institution. SPAV is a premier centrally funded technical institution (CFTI) under the MHRD, for excellence in the fields of planning and architecture.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport, with national-level matches played at Indira Gandhi Stadium. A new international stadium is being built in a 20-acre (81,000 m2) site in Mangalagiri which will be the venue for international and Ranji matches. .

Badminton, volleyball and chess are also popular.

Famous sports personalities from Vijayawada include:

• Weightlifting – Dandamudi Rajagopal – Participated in 1948 and 1956 Olympics, played Bhima role in hit movies like Narthanasala.
• Chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, Harikrishna
• Badminton - Chetan Anand
• Volleyball - Guttikonda Pradeep
• Indian Archer - Cherukuri Lenin

Food and Stay

Star Hotels & Resorts

Major Start Hotels and Resorts in the city are

• The Gateway Hotel
• Fortune Murali Park
• Hotel DV Manor
• Minarva Grand
• Hotel Marg Krishnaaya
• Haailand Resort