TRIP BLOG
Photo: eclicks_by_bunny · CC BY-SA 4.0
Arasavalli and Srimukhalingam, Simhachalam and Annavaram, Antarvedi, Bhimavaram and Dwaraka Tirumala, then Kanaka Durga.
This route follows the Andhra coast past its great temples. Day one is Srikakulam: the Arasavalli Sun temple and the carved Srimukhalingam temple. Day two visits Simhachalam above Visakhapatnam and the Satyanarayana Swamy temple at Annavaram. Day three crosses the Godavari delta to Antarvedi, where the river meets the sea, Somarama in Bhimavaram, one of the five Pancharama temples, and Dwaraka Tirumala, called the 'Chinna Tirupati'. Day four ends at Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri hill in Vijayawada, which is especially busy at Dasara. October to February is best.
One of the few temples in India dedicated to the Sun god Surya, the Suryanarayana Swamy temple at Arasavalli dates back to the 7th century. It is aligned so that the rays of the rising sun fall on the deity's feet on a few days in March and October, drawing large crowds.
Built by the Eastern Gangas around the 9th century, the Mukhalingeswara temple at Srimukhalingam is a fine example of Kalinga-style architecture, with richly carved walls. The linga bears a face of Shiva, which gives the village its name. Nearby stand the Bhimeswara and Someswara temples.
On a hill north of Visakhapatnam, the Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Simhachalam is one of the most important Vishnu temples in Andhra Pradesh, built in the 11th century and later added to. The deity is covered with sandalwood paste through the year, revealed only on the Chandanotsavam festival in April or May.
On Ratnagiri hill above the Pampa river, the temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy at Annavaram is one of the most visited temples in Andhra Pradesh. Devotees come to perform the Satyanarayana vratam, and the temple is built in the shape of a chariot.
Near where the Vasishta Godavari meets the Bay of Bengal, the Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Antarvedi is an important pilgrimage site, its annual festival in January and February drawing large crowds. A lighthouse and the beach where the river meets the sea are close by.
One of the Pancharama Kshetras, five ancient Shiva temples of Andhra Pradesh, the Somarama temple in Bhimavaram dates back many centuries. Its linga is said to change colour with the phases of the moon, white at full moon and darker at new moon.
Known as Chinna Tirupati, the small Tirupati, the Venkateswara temple at Dwaraka Tirumala stands on a hill named after the sage Dwaraka, who by legend found the self-formed deity in an anthill. The temple has two idols, one self-formed and one installed, and is popular with pilgrims who cannot travel to Tirumala.
On Indrakeeladri hill above the Krishna river in Vijayawada, the Kanaka Durga temple is one of the most important goddess temples in Andhra Pradesh. Its Dasara festival draws huge crowds, when the deity is decorated in a different form each day. A flyover and ghat road lead up to the temple.
Seasons from 20 years of NASA POWER climate data.
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