AP - Sunshine State

A Subramaniam - Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh. A state that has captured the hearts and minds of its visitors. A state that has caught the fancy of some of the world's leading archaeologists, heritage protectors and scholars of culture and craft. And yet, it can be said, a state that has barely scratched the surface when it comes to displaying its rich and deep traditions - ways that some say, go all the way back to the Stone Age.

Andhra Pradesh, or AP as it is better known, is the land of the Telugus. These are an ancient folk, gifted in the arts and higher contemplations, they have carved out temples and monasteries of such exquisite design that they rival only the miracles of Mother Nature herself. Various rulers have contributed to the charm of Andhra. Namely, the Satvahanas, Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara kings and the Muslim rulers - the Qutub Shahis, the Mughals and the Asaf Jahis. Each dynasty encouraged their citizens to hone their respective art, craft, language, literature, architecture, festivals, dance and music. Each inevitably left the state richer for it.

A rich mosaic of natural resources

The state is bestowed with the natural bounties of forests, hills, valleys, rivers and a rich variety of flora and fauna. At 1000 kilometres, the state also possesses the longest coastline in the country. Five major rivers flow through the state. The waters of the Krishna, the Godavari, the Nagavali, the Vamsadhara and the Pennar constitute about 15 per cent of the water available in India. Besides that another thirty small rivers wind their way across AP. Good resource for the locals, good viewing for the tourist. The falls at Ethipothal (about 11 kms downstream of Nagarjunasagar), Kailasanathakona (40 km from Tirupati) and the Kuntala (the highest in the state) make for some pleasant viewing.

AP's golden beaches overlook the magnificent Bay of Bengal. Ramakrishna beach, Bheemunipatnam beach, Rishikonda beach and Yarada beach in Vizag, Manginapudi beach near Machilipatnam, Perupalem beach near Narsapur in West Godavari district, Vodarevu beach near Chirala and Mypadu beach near Nellore are perhaps the more well known and frequented beaches in AP. For those who like to stray off the beaten path, there are many smaller, less populated beaches with equally breathtaking views.

AP's lakes are a sight for sore eyes indeed. The Kolleru, the Pakhal, the Pulicat near Nellore, the Nagarjunasagar and the Wyra near Khammam should be on every traveller's map. Hyderabad's Hussainsagar with its giant statue of Buddha, Himayatsagar and Osmansagar lakes are also places one should visit.

The state has on offer, some spectacular caves, hills and valleys. The Bohra caves near Visakhapatnam, with their stalactite and stalagmite deposits, leave the visitor with a bewildering experience and the Belum caves in Kurnool district, the second largest natural caves in the Indian sub-continent are full of natural wonders such as chambers, passages, stalagmite and stalactite formations, fresh water galleries and siphons. Horsley Hills, 24 kms from Madanapalle in Chitoor district and located at an altitude of 1265 metres above sea level, and Araku valley located 110 km from Visakhapatnam are the two famous hill resorts with refreshing landscapes and clean, rejuvenating air.

The varied topography of the state with its tall hill ranges and dense forests has given shelter to rich and diverse flora and fauna. The sanctuaries and national parks include Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Sanctuary, Kolleru, Pakhal, Kawal, Pranahita, Eturnagaram, Kinnerasani, Papikonda, Coringa, Krishna, Manjira, Pocharam, Nelapattu, Nehru Zoological Park, Sri Venkateswara Sanctuary and National Park, KBR National Park, Mruganayani National Park, and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park. These sanctuaries and national parks harbour a colossal variety of plants, birds and animals which are a delight to the visiting tourists.

There are about 35,000 temples in Andhra Pradesh. Of these, the most important in the religious light, are the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirumala, Lord Narasimha temple at Ahobilam, Lord Mallikarjuna temple in Srisailam (one of the 12 jyothirlingas), Lord Kodandarama temple at Bhadrachalam, Sri Kalahastiswara temple at Srikalahasti, Lord Narasimha temple at Simhachalam and the Sri Kanakadurga temple at Vijayawada.

Equally prominent are the Sri Satyanarayana Swamy temple at Annavaram, Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple at Arasavalli, Navabramha temples at Alampur, Sri Saraswati temple at Basar, Bhimeswara temple (one of the 12 jyothirlingas) at Draksharamam, Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple at Yadagirigutta, Ramalingeswara Swamy and Lakshminarasimha Swamy temples at Keesaragutta, Mahanandiswara Swamy temple at Mahanandi and Sri Raghavendra Swamy temple at Mantralayam. These temples are visited by pilgrims all year round. The Mecca Masjid near Charminar in Hyderabad, The Church at Medak, and Prasanti Nilayam in Puttaparthi are the other prominent places of worship.

Buddhism was a popular religion during the Satavahana reign in Andhra. The fact that there are more than 100 Buddhist sites in AP signifies the level to which the religion was patronised by the rulers and peoples of Andhra. Acharya Nagarjuna, the founder of Madhyamika philosophy of Buddhism belongs to this region

and established a University at Nagarjunakonda. Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Guntupalli, Bhattiprolu, Chandavaram, Ghantasala, Bavikonda, Ramathirtham, Salihundam, Chinaganjam, Nandalur are some of the important Buddhist sites in Andhra. Realising the significance of Buddhism, the Government of AP has embarked on the Buddha Purnima Project. As part of this project, a magnificent 17m high and 320 tonne large monolithic statue of Buddha was installed in Hussainsagar lake, which has since come to be the most famous landmark in the thriving capital city.

The Telugus are ardent lovers of art and craft. And why not, since the talents come naturally to them!! The big three of of Carnatic music - Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Sastry, composed their lyrics in Telugu and so gave the language scope to grow and flourish in South Indian music. Annamayya, Kshetrayya and Ramadas also composed many lyrics and contributed to the enrichment of classical music. The modern day musicians include such stalwarts as Chittoor Subrahmanyam Pillay, Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, Parupalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Voleti Venkateswarlu, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Nookala China Satyanarayana and Dr. Shobha Raju.

The Kuchipudi style of classical dancing originated in Andhra. Siddhendra Yogi of Kuchipudi village in Krishna district developed this form of dance as long back as 14th Century AD. The must-see performances in Kuchipudi include Bhamakalapam, Satya Harishchandra, Bhakta Prahlada and Ushaparinayam. Bhamakalapam is a dance-drama which gives great scope for expression, dance and singing.

Classical theatre in Andhra has evolved through the ages with its literary prose, flowery poetry and melodious singing which were patronised by the educated people. Apart from the literary theatre, the Andhras have been patronising Perini Thandavam, Harikatha, Burrakatha, Oggukatha, Tolubommalata, Veedhi natakam etc. Theatre in Andhra invariably draws its inspirations from the epics and revolves around social problems and moral issues. These plays aim at enlightening the audience besides entertaining them. Other folk arts in Andhra include solo dancing like Namala singadu, Jyothi nrityam; group dancing like Kolatam, Chekkabhajana, Dappulu, Thappetagullu, Garagalu etc. While performing folk arts, the artistes use various folk musical instruments. Painting by the artists of Andhra found its early expressions in the frescos and murals of 3rd Century BC at Ajanta. The Lepakshi paintings are renowned world over.

Painting in Andhra was initially confined to the temples and the themes were mostly from the epics. But gradually the subject of the paintings changed with the changing times. Dance and social issues have given new horizons to painting. Many new styles have emerged and experiments have been made with the colours. The artists who made a name for themselves are Damerla Ramarao, Adavi Bapiraju, Varada Venkataratnam, Kauta Ramamohana Sastry, Gurram Mallaiah, Varahagiri Venkata Bhagirathi and Ankala Venkata Subbarao. Among the modern painters, the noteworthy are M. Krishnamurthy, P.L.N. Murthy, C.B. Rao, C.N. Venkatrao, S.N. Chamkur, A. Pydiraju, P. Madhusudana Rao, P.T. Reddy, K. Rajaiah, P. Vijayalakshmi, T. Vaikuntham, K. Ramamurthy, K. Laxmi Goud, N. Krishna Reddy, S.V. Rama Rao, Bapu, Surya Prakash and Kavita Deuskar. Each painter has developed his/her own style, which is unique in nature and theme.

AP's handlooms and handicrafts add to its cultural fabric. Kalamkari prints, Bidri work, Filigree from Karimnagar, Budithi works of Srikakulam, Pembarthi sheet metal works, Nirmal paintings, Kondapalli toys and the sarees from Pochampalli, Gadwal, Uppada, Peddapuram, Mangalagiri and Venkatagiri have already transcended lore. The Telugu contribution to the field of cinema cannot be ignored. Today the Telugu film industry produces the largest number of films every year in India. Makar Sankranti, Ugadi, Mahasivaratri, Diwali and Ramnavami are AP's biggest festivals. They are all celebrated with pomp and splendour. The other religious festivals which are important for the Telugus are Brahmostavams in Tirumala, Godavari and Krishna Pushkarams (held every 12 years in rotation!!), Chandana festival in Simhachalam, and Bonalu in the region of Telangana. Mohurrum, Milad-un-Nabi, Ramzan and Bakrid are celebrated by the Mohammedans in their traditional manner. Besides these, The AP Tourism Department conducts four cultural festivals annually - the Deccan festival in Hyderabad, Lumbini festival in Hyderabad and Nagarjunasagar, the Rayalaseema Food and Dance festival at Tirupati and Visakha Utsav at Visakhapatnam. The Department of Horticulture also holds flower shows and nursery melas every year in Hyderabad. Like its neighbours, AP is famous for its mouth-watering Deccan cuisine. Regular breakfast includes idlis, pesarattu, dosa, upma with coconut and ginger chutneys and karappodi (red chilli powder) with ghee. Lunch and dinners are dominated by rice, dals, pickles, rasam, sambar, papad, and sweets.

Hyderabad City - The Jewel of the Deccan

A legacy of the Nizams, the four-hundred year old city of Hyderabad remains a jewel in the Deccan crown. Hyderabad is celebrated for its forts, mosques, mausoleums and palaces, not to forget the delectable Nawabi cuisine.

The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad offer the curious combination of new-age cosmopolitan environs wrapped in quaint old-world charm. A tour of this city isn't complete without a visit to the famous Charminar and buying the legendary Hyderabadi bangles and pearls.

Athithi Devo Bhava

The Tourist Department has also been hard at work ensuring that all amenities and conveniences are placed at the feet of the visitor. Be it accommodation, budget hotels and restaurants, transport, tourist information or guidance, the Department and other participating agencies have it covered. Finally, it must be said that the people of Andhra Pradesh are known for their traditional hospitality and service.

The chant of Athithi Devo Bhava ("The Guest is God") resounds throughout the state. An opportunity to visit AP is not one that should be passed up lightly.