Amaravati - tourmet

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India /Andhra Pradesh /Krishna /Amaravati

Amaravati Amareswara (Shiva) temple is 46 km form Vijayawada. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Amaravati, famous for its Amareswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a small town situated on the banks of the River Krishna in the Guntur District. Popularly known as Dhanyakataka/Dharanikota, Amaravati was the site of a great Buddhist Stupa built in pre-Mauryan time. One of the major attractions of this holy place is Mahachaitya Stupa, which was formed during the reign of King Ashoka. This brick stupa includes platforms with 95 ft high cardinals and circular vedika. Another prominent attraction of Amaravati is an ancient temple, which houses a deity called Amreswara. This temple is also enshrined with a lingam, which attracts several visitors from all parts of South India.

Amaravati River

HistoryEdit

The recorded history of Amaravati and nearby Dharanikota dates to 2nd century BCE. It was the capital of Satavahanas who ruled from 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE. After the decline of Satavahanas, Andhra Ikshvakus and later Pallava kings ruled Krishna river valley. Subsequently, Eastern 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 CE and Amaravati became part of the unified Telugu empire. The Skanda Purana gives a picture of the place and the Siva temple located here. According to Vajrayana traditional sources the Buddha preached at Dharanikota/Dhanyakatakam and conducted Kalachakra ceremony, which would take the antiquity of Amaravati back to 500 BCE. Taranatha, the Buddhist monk writes: “On the full moon of the month Caitra in the year following his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, Buddha emanated the mandala of “The Glorious Lunar Mansions” (Kalachakra). This shows that Dhanyakatakam (Amaravati) was a very important place at the time of composition of this tantra.

Must SeeEdit

Attraction

Visiting TimeEdit

6 AM to 9 PM

Closed OnEdit

N.A

Best Season to VisitEdit

Throughout the year

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1 – 2 hours.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A

Kids Rs. : N.A

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A

Kids Rs. : N.A

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A

Video Camera Rs. : N.A

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

The Village Family Restaurant ; Subbaiah Chowdary Complex One Cente, Sri Posani Narasimha Rao Chowdari Rd, Gollapudi, Andhra Pradesh ; Ph/M – 0866 241 0066 ; Food Serve – Indian

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Cabs in Vijayawada are available in plenty, and these cabs charge fares of around Rs 14 per kilometer. Cabs, buses and auto rickshaws will all be available from major places like the railway station. Friends Travels- Ph: 0866 2487999 ; Victory Travels- Ph: 0866 2545571

Bus : APSRTC buses connect Vijayawada with all other cities in Andhra Pradesh. Many tourist bus service providers offer deluxe, super deluxe and A/C bus services from Vijayawada to many major cities in South and Central India, including Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore and Mumbai. These buses charge about Rs 2-4 per km.

Train : Vijayawada is an important railway Station on the Chennai – Delhi rail route. The station is connected to all railway stations in India. Regular train services are available from Vijayawada to Hyderabad (Satavahana Exp), Visakhapatnam (Vskp Garib Rath), Delhi (Swarnajayanti E), Mumbai (Konark Express), Kolkata (Vsg Howrah Exp), Chennai (Ghy Sbc Express) and Bangalore (Hte Ypr Express).

Air : Vijayawada airport is located at Gannavaram, which is about 20 km away from the city. Regular flights services are available from Vijayawada to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. International travelers have to get connecting flights from Hyderabad. Taxi services are available from Airport to the city, costing about Rs 400.

Others : Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also available in Vijayawada, with auto rickshaws being the faster mode of transport. They do not run on meter and fares have to be fixed or negotiated in advance. Tariffs during night travel may be one and a half times the actual rate. Cycle rickshaw rides are cheap and fares will range anywhere within Rs 5-15, but these rickshaws are very slow.