Tourism: 2018

Friday, 14 September 2018

Tourism in Bihar

BIHAR in eastern India is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world with a history going back 3000 years. The rich culture and heritage of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over the state. Bihar is home to many tourist attractions and is visited by large numbers of tourists from all over the world. Around total 6 million tourists visit Bihar every year.

Mahabodhi temple

A Buddhist shrine and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is situated in Bihar

History of tourism

The documented history of tourism in Bihar region dates back to the 4th century BCE. Greek geographer Megasthenes (c. 350–290 BC) visited the region in reign of Chandragupta Maurya. His observations were recorded in Indika. Dionysius was son of Megasthenes, who visited Pataliputra in reign of Ashoka. Hsuan-Tsang and I Ching visited Nalanda to study in the 7th century. Educational tourism as Bihar was home of some prominent ancient universities like Nalanda and Vikramashila.

Pilgrimages

Bihar one of the most sacred place of various religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism & Islam, Many tourist travel to Bihar to visit their pilgrimage.

Mahabodhi Temple, a Buddhist shrine and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also situated in Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna, is one of the longest bridge in the world.

Hindu pilgrimages

Mahavir Mandir

Sitamarhi

Madhubani

Punausa

Buxar

West Champaran

Munger

Jamui

Maa Tara chandi Temple

Sasaram

Darbhanga

Anga

Patna

Gaya

Deo

Aurangabad

Bhabua

Thawe mandir

indradamaneshwar mahadev mandir , Balgudar , Lakhisarai

Sikh pilgrimages

The capital of Bihar, Patna is one of the holiest city in Sikhism, as The tenth Guru of the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh was born here in 1666 and spent his early years before moving to Anandpur. Patna was also honoured by visits from Guru Nanak in 1509 as well as Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1666.

A view of Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb

Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb - is, one of the Five Takhts of the Sikhism. The Gurdwara at Patna Sahib is in remembrance of the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, The tenth Guru of the Sikhs.

Gurdwara Pahila Bara - commonly known as Gurdwara Ghai Ghat, is dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev, who during his visit in to Patna stayed here in 1509 and later by Guru Tegh Bahadur along with his family visited this place in 1666.

Gurdwara Gobind Ghat - is where the child Guru Gobind Singh used to play with his playmates on the bank of the Ganges. It is situated on the bank of river Ganges and hardly 200 yards from Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb. It is also known as Gurdwara Kangan Ghat.

Gurdwara Guru ka Bagh - This Gurdwara is situated 2 miles far from the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh.

Gurdwara Bal Leela - This place is just few meters away from Takhat Patna Sahib. Guru ji were playing with other children during his childhoodied Gurdwara Bal Leela is also known as Maini Sangat.

Gurdwara Handi Sahib - This Gurdwara was built in the memory of Guru Teg Bahadur as Guru Teg Bahadur with Mata Gujri and Bala Preetam stayed here in 1728.

Gurdwara Taksali Sangat

Gurdwara Chacha Phaggu Mal

Gurdwara Pakki Sangat

Gurdwara Bari Sangat Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Chauki.

Rajplace Rajnagar madhubani

Buddhism pilgrimages

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya

Vaishali

Nalanda

Rajgir

Kesariya

Vikramashila

Areraj

Pataliputra

Islamic pilgrimages

Sasaram

Maner Sharif

Bihar Sharif

Phulwari Sharif

Gaya

Aurangabad

Siwan

Katihar

Bhagalpur

Darbhanga

Purnia

Jain pilgrimages

Jal Mandir at Pawapuri

Rajgir - Rajgir is supposed to be the birthplace of Munisuvrata, the twentieth Tirthankara

Pawapuri - Bhagwan Mahavira, the last Jain Tirthankar, attained Nirvana from Pawapuri.

Pataliputra

Arrah

Vikramashila

Vaishali

Champapur - Champapur is a Jain Teerth Kshetra. It is the place where all the five kalyanaks of Bhagwan Vasupujya have taken place. The tallest statue of Bhagwan Vasupujya which stands 31 Feet in height was built in Champapur in 2014. The Panch Kalyanak Pratishtha Mahotsav of the statue was done from 27 Feb to 3 Mar 2014.

Other pilgrimages

Padri Ki Haveli

Hawa Mahal

Science museums

Patna Planetarium - is one of the largest planetariums in Asia. The Patna Planetarium was dedicated to the Nation and opened for the public from April 1, 1993.

Srikrishna Science Centre - This institution forms a unit of the National Council of Science Museums, an autonoums body under the ministry of Culture. It is located at south-western corner of the Gandhi Maidan.

Eco Center

Karkat Waterfall

Valmiki National Park

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary

Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary

Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary

Manjhar kund

Dhuan Kund

Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan - is classified as one of the 16 large zoos in the country and is also known as Patna Zoo. This is situated on Bailey Road in Patna.

Kakolat Waterfall

Telhar Waterfall

Karkat Waterfall

Karkat Waterfall

Connectivity and access

Bihar is also an important transit point of Bihar for the tourists dropping in from the other states of India. Bihar is well-connected by air, rail and road transport.

By air

Patna has its own airport known as Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport or Airport Patna. It is a national airport and it is connected to all major cities of India via daily flights. Gaya Airport is the only international airport in Bihar and Jharkhand which is 96 km from Patna. It is an international airport which is connected to Colombo, Sri Lanka through two airline operators: Bangkok, Thailand, Singapore, and Bhutan.

By rail

Bihar is strategically located in the main line of the East Central Railway and therefore connected with important cities of India and most cities within Bihar.

By road

The cities of Bihar are well connected by public transport including both private and government transport. The cities are interconnected as well as connected with the capital. The roadways also connected to adjacent states and regular bus service is available for different cities of adjacent states like Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh. The roadways also connects to Nepal. To boost the state roadways, the state government have introduced Mercedes Benz luxury buses. The Mercedes luxury buses, 92 in number, ply between 17 routes including Patna, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Ranchi and Jamshedpur.

Sunday, 26 August 2018

Tourism in Assam

Roughly shaped like a bird with wings stretching along the length of the Brahmaputra river, Assam is the central state in the North-East Region of India and serves as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. The land of red river and blue hills, Assam comprises three main geographical areas: the Brahmaputra Valley which constitutes the expansive wingspan, the Barak Valley extending like a tail, and the intervening Karbi Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Assam shares its border with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal; and there are National Highways leading to their capital cities. It also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh. In ancient times Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa. 6th International Tourism Mart 2017 began in Guwahati on 5 December 2017.

Tourist Hotspots

For the purposes of tourism there are wildlife reserves like the Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Nameri National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park etc. It has a rich cultural heritage going back to the Ahom Dynasty which governed the region for many centuries before the British occupation.

Notable tourist destinations are listed below : -

Guwahati

One of the key urban centres of Assam and the biggest city in North-East India, this serves as the major gateway to the whole region. The major tourist spots of Guwahati are Kamakhya Temple, River Cruise on the river Brahmaputra, Shankardev Kalakshetra, Umananda Temple, Assam State Zoo, Shilpagram etc. Chandubi Lake, Sonapur, Madan Kamdev, Chandrapur and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are other famous spots outskirts the city. While visiting Madan Kamdev Tourists also visit the ancient temple Gopeswar Mandir situated in the village Deuduar.

Kamakhya Temple

Majuli

A view of Majuli

The largest freshwater island in South Asia on the Brahmaputra River. Majuli is famous for its Vaishnavite Satras such as Kamalabari Satra, Dakhinpat Satra, Garamurh Satra, Auniati Satra, Bengenaati Satra and Samaguri Satra.

Kaziranga National Park

This protected area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serves as one of the last remaining habitat of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros.

Jatinga

The village of Jatinga located in Dima Hasao, is famous for mysterious suicides of the birds on the night of new moon.

Sonitpur

Protected areas to see in the district are Nameri National Park, Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary, Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary and a part of Orang National Park. Bhalukpong is also an important tourist place. Tezpur is a small town steeped in history and culture. Some of these are Agnigarh, Mahabhairav Temple, Chitralekha Udyan, Bamuni Hills, Usha Pahar etc. Biswanath Chariali town is 75 km away from Tezpur, is famous for the Biswanath Ghat, also called popularly as "Gupta Kashi".

Jorhat

Situated at 318 km east from Guwahati, Jorhat is a very important city, the last capital of Ahom era, as well as the tea capital of India. Important spots in and around Jorhat city are Jorhat Science Centre and Planetarium, Jorhat Gymkhana Club, Raja Maidam, Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar, Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Lachit Maidam, Molai forest, Kaziranga Golf Resort, Thengal Bhawan etc.

Sivasagar

As Sivsagar was the seat of the Ahom Kingdom, it is surrounded by many ancient monuments of Ahom era. Those are Rang Ghar, Talatal Ghar, Sivadol, Kareng Ghar of Garhgaon, Joy Dol, Sivasagar Tank, Joysagar Tank, Joymati Maydam, Vishnu Dol, Devi Dol, Gourisagar Dol and Tank, Charaideo, Namdang Stone Bridge etc. Tai Museum and Uttaran Museum which exhibits the history of Ahom. Panidihing Bird Sanctuary, the abode of more than 250 species of birds.

Hajo

Hajo is an ancient pilgrimage centre for three religions Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.

Haflong

Haflong is the only hill station of Assam. The headquarters of Dima Hasao.

Tinsukia

Many prominent shopping malls are there in Tinsukia. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park one of the biggest national parks in India are situated in Tinsukia. This national park is considered as one the biological hotspots. The Tilinga Mandir (Bell Temple) is a well-known temple situated in the outskirts of Tinsukia city. Digboi Refinery the Asia's oldest refinery is situated here. A railway park is recent addition to the city. Dehing Patkai Festival annual festival helds at Lekhapani in Tinsukia district. India's only coal museum is situated at Margherita town in Tinsukia district. Tribal communities in Tinsukia district have taken initiatives to promote ecotourism in the region. The Singpho Eco Tourist lodge in Margherita-Pengari road and the Faneng Village at Lekhapani are two such initiatives by the local tribal communities.

Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh is called the tea capital of the world. The town is situated on the edge of the Brahmaputra River. Set amidst extensive tea estates, Dibrugarh offers tourists the opportunity to experience a life in a tea estate. Recently, tea tourism has started becoming popular, with travel companies such as Greener Pastures and Purvi Discovery offering tea tours. Tipam is a famous tourist spot of Dibrugarh. Tipam is an ethnic village which is famous for its historical places. Besides Tipam, Dehing Patkai rainforest is the other attraction. Presently the city has the biggest railway station in Assam with 18 Lines opened in 2009. Rajdhani Express Train Originate from Dibrugarh and Dibrugarh Town.

A scenic tea estate of Assam

Transportation

Arriving by Air:

Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is well-connected to the major cities in India. Taxi service is available at the airports for transfer to the city. There are also other Airports at Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tezpur which run flights to Kolkata and the other parts of the northeastern region.

Arriving by Rail: The three major routes of the North East Frontier Railway connected Assam to nodal stations in the rest of the country. Guwahati, Assam's largest railway station, is served by direct trains to New Delhi, Kolkata (Saraighat Express), Mumbai (Dadar Express) and Banglore (Banglore Express). There are also direct trains from these cities to Dibrugarh, which is a further 12 hours from Guwahati.

By Road: The Assam State Transport Corporation along with several private companies operates buses connecting Guwahati with Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Silchar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal, Aizawal and Itnagar.

The landscape beauty of Blue water lake at Kathalguri village

in Karbi Anglong district of Assam

Chandubi lake, near Guwahati

Sunday, 19 August 2018

Tourism in Gujarat

Gujarat is the 6th largest state in India, located in the western part of India with a coastline of 1600 km (longest in India). It is one of the most popular tourist regions in the country and was visited by 20 million domestic and international tourists in 2010-11. Gujarat offers scenic beauty from Great Rann of Kutch to the hills of Saputara. Gujarat is the one and only place to view pure Asiatic lions in the world. During the Sultanate reign, Hindu craftsmanship mixed with Islamic architecture, giving rise to the Indo-Saracenic style. Many structures in the state are built in this fashion. It is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, iconic figures of India's independence movement. Amitabh Bachchan is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism. The ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki' campaign by celebrity Amitabh Bachchan has increased tourism in Gujarat by 4 per cent per annum, twice that of national growth rate.

Gira falls, Saputara

Business tourism

Gujarat is one of the most industrialized states in the country. There are many Indian and global companies located in Gujarat and the area has seen double digit GDP growth in past decade. It is also known as "Growth Engine of India".

Vibrant Gujarat is biennial investors' summit held by the Government of Gujarat. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the state. It has become a model for economic success for many states. According to the list of the top 10 Indian cities by GDP in 2009, based on a Pricewater houseCoopers study, Ahmedabad ranks 7th in India with an annual GDP of 59 billion USD.

Gujarat International Finance Tec-City is an under-construction city in Gujarat. It will be located next to the Sabarmati river, 12 km north of Ahmedabad and 8 km South of Gandhinagar, the political capital of the state. It will be built on 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land. Its main purpose is to provide high-quality physical infrastructure so that finance and tech firms can relocate their operations there from Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon and other regions where infrastructure is either inconsistent or very expensive.

Hill stations

Wilson Hills

Saputara

Pavagadh

Palitana

Wilson Hills in South Gujarat

Archeological and heritage tourism

Within Gujarat there are a wide variety of historic forts, palaces, mosques, temples, and places of historical importance in India’s struggle for independence. Many of these palaces and forts have been converted into heritage hotels to keep tourists close to the vibrant history of Gujarat. For example, Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built at the time and it is four times the size of Buckingham Palace in London. These sites are under-developed and are considered to have huge development potential. World heritage sites like Lothal, Dholavira and Champaner are also located within Gujarat.

The Palitana temple complex

Cultural tourism

Gujarat is well known for its rich culture. The folk arts of Gujarat form a major part of the culture of the state. It preserves the rich tradition of song, dance, drama as well. Handicrafts include Bandhani, patolas of Patan, kutchhi work, Khadi, bamboo craft, block printing, embroidery, woodcraft, metal crafts, pottery, namda, rogan painting, pithora and many more handicrafts. The Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, Mughals and British as well as Parsis have left their mark on Gujarat’s culture.

Religious tourism

Somnath Temple

Gujarat - Home to multitude devotional centres and temples with famous religious centers like Dwarka, Dakor, Ambaji, Palitana, Mahudi, Shankheshwar, Hutheesing Jain Temple, Somnath, Girnar, Shamlaji, Bahucharaji, Pavagadh, Kabirvad, Sun Temple, Modhera, Akshardham (Gandhinagar), Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad, Vasai Jain Temple, Jain temples, Hindu Temples and Sudama Mandir. Ashapura mataji madh- Kutch, Swaminarayan Mandir - Bhuj, Narayan Sarovar, Tulsi Shyam, Sattadhar, Lojpur, Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups etc.

Gujarat is also known for world famous shrine of shehenshah e Gujarat hazrat syed Ali meera datar and it comes under government heritage site. Shrine of hazrat syed ali meera datar baba is one of the few shrines in india where thousands of people from all religions visit daily to take blessings. Followers of shrine believe that each and every problem and suffering of human life can be solved by spiritual force of shrine. Shrine is situated in a small village named Mehsana which is about 90 km from Ahmedabad.

Wildlife tourism

Flamingoes

Gujarat is habitat for the world's rarest as well large number of fauna and flora. Fauna includes Asiatic lions, wild ass, blackbuck, bears, monkeys, nilgai, paradise flycatcher, chinkara, dolphins, whale shark and migratory birds like flamingos, pelican, and storks. Flora includes species of khair, sadad, timru, babul, salai, khakro, ber, asundro and bordi. The state also has national park. Sanctuaries at Gir National Park, Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch, Vansda National Park, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Purna Wildlife Sanctuary and Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar.

Fairs and festivals

Garba (dance)

Gujarat celebrates unique festivals like "Navratri Garba" (October–November,all over the state),"Diwali" (November), "Kite Festival (Makar Sankranti,11–15 January, Ahmedabad), "Kankaria Carnival" (25–31 December, Ahmedabad), "Rann Utsav" (November–December, Kutch), "Modhera Dance Festival" (3rd week January, Modhera) and fairs like Tarnetar Fair (August, Tarnetar) & Vautha Mela (November, Vautha).

Royal Orient Train

The Royal Orient Train is an Indian luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states. The train started in 1994-95 as a joint venture of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat and the Indian Railways. There are 13 coaches in the train, named after erstwhile kingdoms of Rajputana. The coaches provide five-star hotel comforts to passengers. Cabins are furnished in a palatial style and have spacious baths attached. There are multi-cuisine restaurants that offer Rajasthani, Gujarati, Indian, Chinese and continental cuisine. The Royal Orient train also has a bar on board, as well as a lounge in every coach where passengers can read books and magazines, watch television, listen to music and interact with other passengers. Other facilities include an intercom, channel music, TV, DVD system and a massage-cum-beauty parlor. The Royal Orient offers a 7-day/8-night package that covers important heritage tourist locations in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The train starts from Delhi Cantonment station and has stops at Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Junagarh, Veraval, Sasan Gir, Mandvi, Palitana and Sarkhej.

Hutheesing Jain Temple

Rani ki vav, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Saturday, 11 August 2018

Tourism in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is a state in India. Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Andhra Pradesh, describing the state as the Koh-i-Noor of India. Andhra Pradesh has a variety of tourist attractions including beaches, hills, caves, wildlife, forests and temples.

Tourist destinations

Visakhapatnam city has many tourist attractions such as Kailasagiri park near the sea, Visakha museum, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, the INS Kursura (S 20) Submarine museum, City Central Park, VUDA Park, the Dolphin's nose and Lighthouse.

Beach view at Tenneti Park in Visakhapatnam

Baruva (Beach)

Baruva is a village located near Sompeta in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at 18.53N 84.35E., at an average elevation of 10 meters (36

feet). The Mahendratanaya river merges into the Bay of Bengal at this place. Baruva was used as a seaport in the era of British colonial rule in India up to 1948. In July 1917 a ship carrying goods sank in the sea. To commemorate this incident a pillar was constructed. The harbour is closed, but the old lighthouse stood until 2000. A light house has been constructed next to the beach resort. Baruva's beach is one of the oldest in Andhra Pradesh.

Population : 5795

Availability of accommodation: At APTDC Beach Resorts, Baruva

Nearest Road Head: Sompeta (12 km)

Nearest Railway Station : Sompeta (12 km) & Palasa (27 km)

Nearest Airport : Visakhapatnam (216 km)

Attractions at Baruva.

Beach

Confluence of River Mahendratanaya into Bay of Bengal

Light House

Kotilingeswara Swami Temple, Janardhana Swami Temple and Durga Temple.

Kalingapatnam (Beach)

Kalingapatnam is located in Gara mandal of Srikakulam District. It has one of the major beach sand deposits of the state. Kalingapatnam was one of the ancient Andhra's harbour towns. Perfumes, textiles and so on were exported to other countries from the port. Kalingapatnam port was closed during British rule of India, but the light house constructed by the British at Kalingapatnam port. Kalingapatnam Beach is the place where river Vamsadhara empties into Bay of Bengal.

Population : 6459

Availability of accommodation: APTDC Haritha Hotel

Nearest Road Head: Srikakulam (28 km)

Nearest Railway Station : Amadalavalasa (28 km)

Nearest Airport : Visakhapatnam (138 km)

Attractions at Kalingapatnam

Beach

Light House

River vamsadhara confluence into Bay of Bengal

Mandasa (Place of worship)

Mandasa is a village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is known for a revered Vasudeva temple. The history of this place dates back to 14th century. This temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is highly renowned. The place is of high religious and mythological importance. It is believed that the Pandavas, during their exile took shelter at the Mahendra Giri Hills. The Mandasa temple flourished during the 17th century. It served as a great inspiration centre for devotees, many young aspirants thronged the temple for acquiring Vedic knowledge. The temple has been reconstructed a few years back in an exactly way restoring its novel Kalinga architecture. The Mandasa Mandal is enclosed by the mighty Bay of Bengal in the east, Mahindra Hills in the west and Two rivers, Sunnamuddi and Mahendra Tanaya originating from the Mahendra Giri hills flow through this region into the Bay of Bengal.

Population : 9747

Availability of accommodation: Palasa (18 km)

Nearest Road Head: Palasa (18 km)

Nearest Railway Station : Palasa (18 km)

Nearest Airport : Visakhapatnam (207 km)

Attractions at Mandasa

Mahendragiri Hill:

Mahendragiri, is a mountain peak at in the Paralakhemundi subdivision of the district of Gajapati, Orissa, India. It is situated amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metres. Mahendra Giri is also known as the abode of the revered Sage Parasurama. In Mahabharata it has been mentioned that Parasurama, the 6th incarnation of Lord Shri Vishnu stayed near the Mahindra Hills for twelve long years.

Vasudeva Temple:

The Mandasa temple flourished during the 17th century. It served as a great inspiration centre for devotees, many young aspirants thronged the temple for acquiring Vedic knowledge. The temple has been reconstructed a few years back in an exactly way restoring its novel Kalinga architecture.

Fort:

Mandasa Fort is an enchanting abode of the erstwhile landlords of Mandasa and it is known for its several fortifications and the adornment of beautiful paintings and carvings seen at the fort.

Clock Tower at Bheemunipatnam (28 km)

The big clock tower in the town was built by British.

Dutch Cemetery at Bheemunipatnam (28 Km)

A far View of the Flagstaff Dutch cemetery at Bheemunipatnam beach. The cemetery situated in the west of the town at the sea beach speaks of the Dutch who gave their lives here. The unique feature of the cemetery is the depiction of the cause of the death on the grave enlivens the past. Written in Portuguese this cemetery is located close to the sea beach. There are 52 tombs spread across two locations. Out of which 15 are stone capped and 5 of them have Dutch have inscriptions in Dutch language. These inscriptions are even visible today. One of pyramid shaped grave of Federick Kesslerus who died in Oct 8th 1661 is considered to be the earliest. This cemetery is divided in two parts, while entering to the right is for British people and rest of the area is for Dutch.

Light House at Bheemunipatnam (28 Km)

The small light house was built by the Dutch in 1868 and must have served the Dutch and British sailors well in its time. It has been partly renovated by the local administration and made functional.

St Peters Church (Red Church) at Bheemunipatnam (30 Km)

It was consecrated on March 17, 1864, (by Rev. Bishop Gell, who named it in honour of St. Peter) and it has completed 150 years today and is still functional. The architectural splendor, location and the history connected with the St Peter’s Church make it stand apart. The design and plans were made with help of a draughtsman of the 38 Madras Infantry. The east window of the church has an exquisitely designed stained glass depicting Christ's baptism, breaking of bread and Crucifixion. This unique piece was specially ordered and imported from London.

Tourist spots at Vijayawada include Prakasam Barrage, Kondapalli Fort, Krishna River, Bhavani Island and many more parks in the city.

Some of the tourist spots in Andhra Pradesh are:

Rajahmundry city, located on the banks of Godavari River is one of the main attractions of the state. Talakona city, located on the banks of Chittor District is one of the main attractions of the state.

Nature tourism

Beaches

Visakhapatnam has many beautiful beaches along the Bay of Bengal namely R.K. Beach, Yarada Beach, Rushikonda Beach, Lawsons Bay Beach, etc. There are other beaches too along the long coastline of the state, such as Mypadu beach in Nellore, Suryalanka Beach, located 9 km from Bapatla in Guntur District.

R. K. Beach

Caves

The Borra Caves in the Ananthagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats, near Visakhapatnam at an altitude of about 800 to 1300 metres are famous for million-year-old stalactite and stalagmite formations. They were discovered by British geologist William King George in 1807. The caves got their name from a formation inside the caves that looks like the human brain, which in Telugu language is known as burra. The Belum Caves in Kurnool District have a length of 3,229 metres (10,594 ft), making them the second largest natural caves on the Indian subcontinent. The Belum Caves derive their name from Bilum, the Sanskrit word for caves. The caves have long passages, spacious chambers, freshwater galleries, and siphons. The caves' deepest point is 120 feet (37 m) from the entrance and is known as Patalaganga.

Hills and valleys

Araku Valley is a hill station in Visakhapatnam district. The Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest, which are part of Araku Valley, are rich in biodiversity. It has thick forests, coffee plantations, waterfalls. This scenic beauty attracts large number of tourists.

Horsley Hills is a summer hill resort in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated at an elevation of 1,265 metres and attracts lots of tourists. The site which is the departure point for the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary at a distance of 87 km (54 mi). The Papi Hills located in Khammam district near Bhadrachalam surrounding the Godavari river is also famous.

Fields and lakes

Konaseema is a place in East Godavari for nature lovers, with scenic greenery of lush paddy fields and coconut groves along the banks of river Godavari and its canals.

Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India. It is a located between Krishna and Godavari delta. The lake was declared as a wildlife sanctuary, and designated a wetland of international importance. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 km². During the winter season, many birds such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks migrate here from Siberia and other countries to nest at the sanctuary. The sanctuary is situated about 15 km from Eluru and 65 km from the city of Vijayawada.

Religious and pilgrimage sites

The state's many temples and shrines, mosques, and churches attract many pilgrims. Most of the temples were built during the reign of Vijayanagar empire. A number of festivals are organised with thousands of tourists visiting them. Some famous temples are:

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in the town of Tirumala in Tirupati in Chittoor district is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus throughout India. It is one of the richest pilgrimage temple of any religious faith in the world. It is the abode of Lord Venkateswara.

Ranganayakula swami Temple in Nellore it is only Temple in world.

Penchalakona Lakshmi narasimha swami Temple in Nellore district.

Mallikarjuna Swamy temple situated at Srisailam in the Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, is the abode of lord Mallikarjuna Shiva and is one of the twelve

Jyotirlinga shrines in India. Lord Rama himself installed the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged the Panchapandava lingas in the temple courtyard. The

Vijayanagara Empire built a number of monuments, including the Srisailam and Lepakshi temples.

Kanaka Durga Temple of the goddess Durga is situated on the Indrakeeladri Hill in the city of Vijayawada on the banks of Krishna River. A large number of pilgrims attend the colourful celebrations of Tepotsavam and for a holy dip in the Krishna river during the festival of Dusshera.

Simhachalam, located on a hill 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Visakhapatnam city centre, is another popular pilgrimage site of national importance. Simhachalam is said to be the abode of the savior-god Narasimha.

The five ancient Hindu temples of Lord Shiva, known as Pancharama Kshetras, are located at Amararama, Draksharama, Somarama, Ksheerarama and Kumararama. Other religious places include Srikalahasti temple in Srikalahasti in the Chittoor district, Raghavendra Swami Mutt in Mantralayam of Kurnool district, Lord Venkateswara temple in Dwaraka Tirumala of West Godavari District, Annavaram temple in East Godavari and Arasavalli Surya temple in Srikakulam District are also located in the state.

Religious sites in Anantapur District include Prashanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi, the home of Sathya Sai Baba, as well as Lepakshi, home of a famous temple and statue of the Nandi bull.

Islam is also popular religion, with a number of mosques built during the reigns of Muslim rulers. One of the famous is Shahi jamia masjid in Adoni of Kurnool

district. There are many famous churches constructed centuries ago with historical significance. One of them is the Gunadala Church at Vijayawada.

The state has numerous Buddhist centres at Amaravati, Nagarjuna Konda, Bhattiprolu, Ghantasala, Nelakondapalli, Dhulikatta, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Shalihundam, Pavuralakonda, Bojjannakonda (Sankaram), Phanigiri and Kolanpaka.

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Tourism in Bihar

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Tourism in Assam

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Tourism in Gujarat

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Tourism in Andhra Pradesh