Andhra Pradesh

Overview

A coastline of 974 km gives Andhra Pradesh the second-longest shoreline among Indian states, and an Andhra Pradesh tour often starts by following it. The Godavari and Krishna rivers cross the state on their way to the Bay of Bengal, building the green paddy plains of the delta, while the Tungabhadra and Penna drain the drier interior. Amaravati, a few kilometres from Vijayawada, is the state capital. Its name comes from a nearby ancient Buddhist site tied to the Satavahana dynasty.

The state suits travellers who like variety. In the south, Tirumala sits on the Seshachalam range at roughly 980 metres. The Venkateswara Temple there draws about 24 million devotees a year, according to published estimates, and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams manages it, so plan around its booking and darshan arrangements. Across in the north-east, the Borra Caves lie about 705 metres up among the Ananthagiri hills near Araku, where Gosthani river water has shaped limestone formations over a long span of time.

Inland Rayalaseema offers a different mood. Gandikota, in Kadapa district, is a fort above a quartzite gorge cut by the Penna, where the channel narrows to about 100 metres. Lepakshi, in Sri Sathya Sai district, has a sixteenth-century Veerabhadra temple known for its Vijayanagara murals and a large monolithic Nandi; it is on India's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Most visitors link a few of these places rather than trying them all. Vijayawada is the main rail hub for the coast and capital, Visakhapatnam anchors the north-east, and Tirupati serves the south. Travel between regions takes real time, so choose a coastal and hill circuit or a southern temple and heritage loop, and keep the rest for another visit.

Known for

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