Historical Monuments of Andhra Pradesh

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Historical Monuments of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh, a state in South India shares its boundaries with Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and the Bay of Bengal. It offers some of the country’s most beautiful tourist locations. The Monuments of Andhra Pradesh are well known for their architecture and history.  Often called the Rice Bowl of India, Andhra Pradesh is blessed with a glorious past and an ancient historical era. Andhra Pradesh finds mention in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas and the Jataka Tales.  Andhra Pradesh is divided into three major regions. They are Kosta, Telangana and Rayalaseema. Two important rivers flowing through the region are Krishna and Godavari which helps in the huge amount of rice production in the state.

Kurnool

Kurnool has in its domain remains of the palace of Gopal Raju ( the last Hindu king ), ruins of a medieval fort built by Vijaynagar Empire having ancient Persian and Arabic inscriptions and the summer palace built by Kurnool rulers during the 16th century. A town which blends religious and historical significance, it houses some of the most sacred of temples in its demesne such as the Peta Anjanyeswami temple, the Venugopalaswami temple, the newÊShirdiÊSai Baba Temple, to name a few. The Belum caves, Birla Mandir, Oravakallu Rock Garden, Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Tomb of Abdul Wahab are other major attractions.

Amaravathi

Amaravati is a small town located on the banks of the River Krishna in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It serves as quiet a familiar name for the Buddhists in India and is a prime hub for pilgrimage and sightseeing for tourists. Thus, Amaravathi is also called the Abode of God.

Nagarjunakonda

Nagarjunakonda or Nagajuna Hills is located 150 km from Hyderabad, near the Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir in the Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh. Excavations have revealed that Buddhist civilizations existed here almost 1800 years ago, scriptures and artifacts have been found to give evidence of this fact.

Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi

The Veerabhadra temple is in Lepakshi in the Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Built in the 16th century, the architectural features of the temple are in the Vijayanagara style with profusion of carvings and paintings at almost every exposed surface of the temple. It is one of the centrally protected monumemts of national importance. The fresco paintings are particularly detailed in very bright dresses and colours with scenes of Rama and Krishna from the epic stories of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas and they are well preserved. There is a very large Nandi (bull), mount of Shiva, about 200 metres (660 ft) away from the temple which is carved from a single block of stone, which is said to be one of the largest of its type in the world.

Charminar 

Hyderabad is a magnificent piece of architecture. Charminar is located in Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. A Tour to Hyderabad is never complete without a visit to this monument. It has become the pride of the 400 year old city of Hyderabad.

Charminar or the Four Minarets was built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah. This monument is a perfect amalgamation of the Indo-Islamic architecture. It also shows the influence of the various Islamic style from Arab, Turkey and Persia. The artistic style and tradition of the Islamic countries assimilated with the Indian styles as the Muslim rulers invaded and settled in India at different periods of time.

Charminar, Hyderabad is a huge square structure built with granite. The monument of Charminar is 56 meter high and 30 meter in width. The four artistically carved minarets of Charminar is constructed at each corner of the monument. Actually these four pillars face the four directions. There are double balconies at each minarets of the Charminar. Charminar is a two storied structure. There is a open roof mosque built in the top floor of the structure that faces the holy city of Mecca. The ground floor of Charminar, Hyderabad has beautiful balconies from where one can have a view of the surrounding areas.

Golconda Fort 

Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh is known for its architectural splendor. The Golconda Fort, Hyderabad is reflective of the military architecture during the time of Qutab Shahi rulers. The fort was built mainly as a defensive structure. It acquired an important place in the political map of India at one point of time due to its strategic location.  The Fort of Golconda in Hyderabad has a long association with historical rulers. The Kakatiya rulers built a mud fort in Golconda in 1143.

Later the rulers of the Bahamani Kingdom got hold of this fort in 1364. But it has been highly fortified under the rule of Quli Qutab Shah when he founded the kingdom of Golconda in 1507.  Golconda Fort, Hyderabad consists of numerous halls, royal apartments ans mosques. There are a number of gateways that increases the charm of the Fort of Golconda. The Fateh Darwaza of the fort marks the victorious march of Aurangazeb’s army. The Balahisar Darwaza is another magnificent gateway of Golconda Fort.

Falaknuma Palace 

Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra Bahadur during the years 1883 to 84. It is built on a 2000 feet high hill. The palace, designed by an Italian architect happens to be one of the finest Palaces in Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. In the later years, it was purchased by the Sixth Nizam of Hyderabad and used for the royal guests. But now the ownership of Falaknuma Palace belongs to the grandson of the Seventh Nizam.

The Falaknuma Palace is designed in the shape of a scorpion and its two wings are spread out towards north. Its residential quarters of are situated in its ground floor. The Italian marble staircase leading to the upper floor adorns the palace which is decorated with marble figures. The staircase is lined with the portraits of the British Government Generals. The dining room of the palace can accommodate 100 guests at a time. The ballroom of the Falaknuma Palace has a precious organ that has to be manually operated.

Paigah Tombs 

Paigah Tombs, Hyderabad is a unique example of architectural splendor of the 18th century. It is one of the recently discovered Tourist Spot in Hyderabad. The tombs are spread for about an area of 30 to 40 acres of land. The tombs reflect the majestic heydays of the Nizams of Hyderabad.

The Paigah nobility was founded by Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung. He is known to render service to the second Nizam of Hyderabad. For his excellent service, the Nizam conferred him the title of Shams-ul-umra. The Paigah nobles were very influential and they were assigned to look after the security of the state. A marital tie between the Nizam and the Paigahs further strengthened the bond between the two families. The Paigah Tombs are the burial chambers built for the family members of the Paigahs. At the very entrance of the complex of the Paigah Tombs, Teng Jung has been buried in 1786 and since then tombs came to be known as the Paigah Tombs. The devotees of the Islamic religion and the lineage of the Paigahs have been highly eulogized on an iron plaque, kept at the entrance of the complex.

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