About Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the commercial capital of Andhra Pradesh and is recognized by McKinsey Quarterly as a ‘Global City of the Future.’ Vijayawada is the most central transportation point in the state and is also well connected to the rest of the country with two national highways passing through it. Pandit Nehru Bus Station in Vijayawada is slated to be one of the largest bus stations in Asia while Vijayawada Junction Railway Station is the largest railway junction in the region. The Krishna River flows to the east and west of Vijayawada while the Budameru River holds the north. Fertile agricultural land irrigated by three major canals cover Vijayawada’s central, southwestern and northwestern parts and small to medium-sized hills surround Vijayawada from the northern, northwestern and southwestern sides. The 30,000 acreKondapalli Reserve Forest provides Vijayawada with clean air and the soft wood used to make ‘Kondapalli toys,’ popularized by the celebration of BommalaKoluvu.
Vijayawada is well known for the Kanaka Durga temple that beckons busloads of devotees everyday. It is located on top of Indrakeeladri Hill, from where one may enjoy an eagle’s eye perspective of Vijayawada. Ancient epigraphs line the two routes leading to the temple, still retaining ancient stories of religious significance. According to one version of mythology, Vijayawada was GodessDurga’s resting place upon slaying the demon, Durgama. Another version recalls Arjuna receiving his holy weapon, the Pasupatha, on top of this hill. Upon doing so, he built the Kanaka Durga temple, around which the city of Vijayawada would bloom. Other sites of religious significance include the MarkataRajarajeswari Temple; the SubramanyaSwamy Temple; the MahalakshmiAmmaravu Temple; The Narasimha Temple in Mangalagiri; The HazratBal Mosque that displays a holyrelic of the Prophet Mohammed once a year; HinkarThirtha, the region’s largest Jain temple, and the GundalaMatha Shrine that hosts the annual Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, attended by hordes.
An escape route from the city life in Vijayawada leads to the 133-acre Bhavani Island located on the Krishna River. Visitors may enjoy boat rides to the island, water sports and stay at a river front resort. The town of Amaravati, 33 kms outside Vijayawada, is the site of Chintapalli, a Buddhist settlement during the reign of Asoka. A massive stupa once stood here, said to be bigger than the ones found in Sanchi. The Archaeological Museum in Amaravati boasts of exhibits dating back to the 3rd century BC. Another site of educational significance, just 8 kms from Vijayawada, is that of the Undavalli Caves that showcase the rock-cut sandstone architecture of the Guptas from as long ago as the 7th century BC.
Vijayawada’s 1.2 km Prakasam Barrage built across The Krishna River is the largest of its kind in Asia. It was first constructed in 1855 and reconstructed in 1957. The barrage irrigates over twelve lakh acres of farmland and supplies water to the thermal power plant at Ibrahimpatnam, which powers much of Andhra Pradesh.
Other places of general interest in and around Vijayawada include the Mogalarajapuram Caves, with carvings said to be the first of their kind; the hamlet of Kuchpudi, located 60 kms from the city at the birthplace of the age-old Kuchipudi dance form; The historic Victoria Jubilee Museum in Bandar Road; Gandhi Hill with a 50 ft. stupa in memorial of Mahatma Gandhi and the Kondapalli Fort, 16 kms from Vijayawada, which served as a center of commerce for many dynasties and as a training station for the British army.
About Vellore
Morning Star Travels takes to the Vellore is a city and administrative centre of the Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In 2008, the 142 year–old municipality was made a City Corporation.
It is considered to be one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati. The city has colleges, ancient temples and one of the best hospitals in India. Vellore is a major transist point for travellers, a hub for medical tourism and is emerging as a tourism hot spot. You can visit these place by
Morning Star TravelsThe newly established Vellore City Corporation has merged several areas into its borders including the area stretching East to West between Walajapet (including Ranipet, Arcot, Melvisharam and Sathuvachari) and Virinchipuram (including Shenbakkam and Konavattam) and North to South from Christianpet (including Katpadi and Gandhinagar) to Adukamparai (including, Thorappadi, Ariyur and Bagayam).
The places to visit to Vellore
Morning Star Travels Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in Vellore city near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The Fort was at one point of time the head quarters of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry. The Fort's ownership passed from Vijayanagara Kings, to the Bijapur Sultans, to Marathas, to the Carnatic Nawabs and finally to the British, who held the fort until India gained independence. During British rule, the Tippu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha were held in as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a Christian church, a Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter of which is famous for its magnificent carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it is also a witness to the tragic massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya.
Another places to visit to Vellore
Morning Star Travels is the fortifications consist of a main rampart broken at irregular intervals by round towers and rectangular projections. The main walls are built of massive granite stones surrounded by a broad moat fed with water by subterranean drains from the Suryagunta tank. Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple. The fort is one of the most perfect specimens of military architecture in Southern India. One of the interesting features of this fort is that there is a Hindu temple, Christian church and Muslim mosque within its ramparts. The Fort also houses the famous "Tipu Mahal" where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British. The graveyards of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore. The Fort is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India. The Vellore Fort has been declared as a "Monument of National Importance". The fort has become a tourist attraction for visitors to Vellore.
The state Government Museum is inside the fort and was opened to the public in 1985. The historical monuments of the North Arcot District are depicted in the Gallery. Special exhibits include a bronze double antenna sword from Vellore Taluk dating back to 400 BC., stone sculptures from the Late Pallava to Vijayanagar periods, an ivory chess board and coins used by the last Kandian King of Sri Lanka Vikrama Raja Singha. The educational activities of this Museum include an art camp for school students, the study of inscriptions and iconography for college students.
Vellore has a magnificent golden temple which is located at Sripuram near Thirumalaikodi. It is approximately 12 km from the Vellore bus terminus.
The temple is located on 20 acres of land and has been constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peedam headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma. The temple covers 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2) and has intricate carvings and sculptures in gold. The lighting is arranged in such a way that the temple glitters even during night. The temple construction was completed in on August 24, 2007. This places can be visited by
Morning Star TravelsThe Jalakandeswarar Temple is situated inside the Vellore Fort and has a majestic Gopuram (tower). Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of "Jalakandeswarar". The temple is located at sub-ground levels below the temple moat – hence the name Jalakandeswarar. The temple was closed for a very long period. The main effigy of the deity of the sanctum sanctorium was taken away to a distant location to save him from being dishonoured by an appraisal. It was brought back amd put in place in 1980 when there was a severe water scarcity. The then Collector was key in getting the deity back to its location.
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