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Famous temples in Andhra Pradesh

Discussion in 'South India' started by Hassandani, Jul 18, 2016.

  1. Hassandani

    Hassandani New Member

    I am going Andhra Pradesh and would like to spend some time there exploring some temples, which I have a great interest in.

    I will not be able to see all the temples but it would be great to visit at least the famous temples in Andhra Pradesh. I will be booking a taxi so have no problems traveling, all I need is the list.
    Please also mention the location of the temple you are listing and some kind of information about the temple would be like a cherry on top of a cake.

    Thank you.
     


  2. briannagodess

    briannagodess Well-Known Member

    Hello, @Hassandani!

    Andhra Pradesh is the fourth largest state in India. Supposed to be, its capital is Hyderabad. But since the new state Telangana was formed, the city of Hyderabad was moved to this state as well. Hyderabad will continue to be the capital of Andhra Pradesh for 10 years until a new capital is decided upon.

    The tourism industry of Andhra Pradesh is a thriving one. Here, temples, natural sceneries and rivers are part of the tourist attractions. Here are some of the most famous temples in some cities in Andhra Pradesh:

    1. Visakhapatnam. With the transfer of Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam is now the largest city in Andhra Pradesh. Here is the most famous temple in the city:
    • Sri Kanakamahalakshmi Temple - This temple is dedicated to Goddess Sri Kanakamalalakshmi. She is also the presiding deity of Visakhapatnam. Here, the devotees are allowed to go to the deity directly and offer their prayers. This is the address: Burujupeta, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh 530001.
    2. Tirupati. This is probably one of the most famous pilgrim cities in the state. Some temples worth visiting here are:
    • Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple - This temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The deity is believed to have appeared here to save humanity from Kali Yuga. Another name for the temple is Kaliyuga Vaikuntham or Tirupati Balaji Temple. As the temple lies on the seventh hill in Tirumala, the temple is also called the "Temple of Seven Hills." It is said that this is the richest temple in the world, when it comes to donations received. About 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims all over the country and the world visit the temple everyday. The yearly festival called Brahmotsavam, sees more pilgrims at the place rising to about 500,000 during that time. This is the address: S. Mada Street, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517504.
    • Sri Govindarajaswami Temple - This temple is dedicated to Sri Govindaraja Swamy. It is believed that the deity helps pilgrims increase their wealth and at the same time, manage their wealth. Inside this temple are a number of smaller sub-temples or shrines. Some of them are: the Parthasarathy Temple and the Kalyana Venkateswara Temple. This is the address of the temple: Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple,
      Near Railway Station, Tirupati, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India.
    3. Nellore. The meaning of Nellore is "Paddy Region" which you can find in many areas in the region. These paddy regions are the main agricultural sources of the city, where they cultivate rice and other crops. One famous temple here is the:
    • Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple - This temple is dedicated to Sri Ranganatha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is located in an island in Cauvery River. This is also one of the largest temple complexes in India. The temple has about 7 prakarams although non-Hindus are only allowed up to the 2nd prakarams. The address of the temple is: Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620006.
    4. Srikalahasti. The name of the city came from three animals: spider, elephant and snake. They were believed to have received salvation from Lord Shiva because of their faith. One temple here stands out from the rest:
    • Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple - This is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The story goes that this is the site where Kannappa offered both of his eyes to cover the blood flowing from the Shivalinga. But the Lord Shiva stopped him and offered him Mukti. The entrance here has a large tower about 36.5 metres in height. The address of this temple is: Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh 517644.
    5. Ongole. The major industry of this city is tobacco. It is also famous for its temples and beaches. Some temples worth visiting here are:
    • Chennakesava Swamy Temple - This temple was built in 1113 AD. It was the Haihaya Kings that built this temple. Another significance of the temple is that Sankeerthana Acharya Sri Annamacharya was born here. The address is: Seetha Ram Puram, Devuni Cheru, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh 523001.
    • Kashi Visweswara Swamy Temple - You can find this in the banks of Kusasthali River. This is a newer temple built in 1945. Devotees of Addala Mandapam visit Ongole for this temple. The address is: Kusasthali River, Prakasam, Ongole.
    • Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir - This temple is dedicated to Sai Baba. It was Sri Telledevulappali who built this temple. The address is: Lawyer Pet, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh 523001.
    6. Secunderabad. The majority of the population here are Anglo-Indian and Parsis. Sometimes, this city is referred to as the twin city of Hyderabad, although there are many differences between the two. The most famous temple here is the:
    • Birla Mandir - This temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara. The architecture of the temple is a combination of Dravidian, Rajasthani and Utkala styles. This was made by the Birla Foundation which has other temples around India of the same name. The address is: Hill Fort Road, Hyderabad, Telangana 500004.
    I hope this helps!