Vijayawada is on the bank of the river Krishna surrounded by hills. Though it has established its name as a modern city today, but it flourished as one significant Buddhism and Hinduism religious center in the past. The golden pages from History declares that once Hiuen Tsang came to this famous Buddhist center, Amravati, through this place. Moreover, history also mentions that once it was under the rule of King Krishnadevaraya and the Chalukya kingdom. Though the river Krishna drenches one side of the city the other side is rough and dry. The Prakasam Barrage controls and tames the flow of river Krishna. The Bhavani island is in the middle of the huge water mass.
How to get there?
Vijayawada is reachable from all the cities of India through the bus, and the rail routes. It is an important place in the South India tourism map. After getting down at the railway station, or in the bus stand one needs to hire a rickshaw to reach the place. The city connects well with all the other cities of Andhra Pradesh. If you are touring Horsley Hills, make sure to return to Tirupati and board a bus to Vijayawada. Learn more about Horsley Hills and its tourist attractions from this website. Different buses leave for the place from this region every hour. The distance is 340 Kilometers and it takes ten hours to get there. Besides, buses are also available during the night. The bus fare ranges from RS 250 to RS 500.
Accommodation
From the bust stand or railway station, take a rickshaw to the Governor Pet region of Vijayawada. Some of the well-known edifices of this region are hotel Anupama, Lloyd Plaza and Abhiram Palace. The rent ranges from RS 600 to RS 1000. Moreover, some of the other well-known edifices are Hotel Leela residency, hotel Manorama and hotel Mamta. The rent of these hotels vary from RS 1000 to RS 2000. State tourism hotels are available only in the Bhavani Island. The rent ranges from RS 2000 to RS 3000.
Attractions
Vijayawada does not have any arrangement for conducting tours. However, one may hire an auto to visit the nearby attractions. It may take around four hours to complete the sightseeing. If Kondapalli Durga excluded from the list of sightseeing it may cost RS 500 to RS 600 for the rest of the sightseeing places. On the other hand, if one includes Kondapalli Durga in the list of sightseeing places then one may have to pay RS 200 extra. Alternatively, it may cost around RS 1000 to RS 1200 to hire a car from the railway station.
Undavalli Caves are in the Guntur district and eight Kilometers ahead of the Prakasam Barrage. This three story-ed structure has many caves in it. There are several rock-cut statues inside the caves and the walls are richly decorated and crafted. There is a minimal entry fee of RS 10.
The Kanaka Durga temple is at the top of the Indrakeeladri hill. This is the second biggest temple of the state. Private cars are not allowed to visit the temples. Instead, one has to board the private bus of the temple committee. The walls and door of the temple plated with costly metal. Festivals like Navratri and Saraswati Puja celebrated here with elegance and honor. There is a minimal entry fee to see the idol of the Goddess.
Other major attractions of this tourist place are Victoria Museum and Gandhi hill. After completing the visit to the Kanak Durga temple, one may choose to visit these places. Gandhi hill has the everything related to Gandhi, and it remains open during the evening.
Amravati is 60 Kilometers away from the Vijayawada city. More than 2000 years ago, the biggest Buddhist stupa built here. It is kept safely in the museum. Besides, other interesting and religious temples are worthy of notice. These remain open every day except Friday from 10am to 5pm. From Vijayawada to Amravati the bus fare is around RS 50 to RS 60.