KOLLERU LAKE ANDHRA PRADESH

KOLLERU LAKE -THE BIRD HEAVEN

HISTORY OF KOLLERU LAKE:

                          Kolleru forms the largest shallow fresh water lake in Asia. The Kolleru Lake situated about 15 kms from Eluru is a nature's paradise. Kolleru Lake is the best place for nature lovers and for people looking for peace and tranquility. Kolleru Lake is located between the delta of Godavari and Krishna Rivers and functions as a natural flood balancing reservoir between these two deltas. The lake supports about 63 species of fishes, fresh water turtles and other amphibians, apart from being a habitat for many migratory birds that forms Kolleru Bird Sanctuary.

Flock of birds resembling the heaven on earth.

                              Kolleru Lake is one of India’s largest freshwater lakes in India, situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Kolleru is formed between Krishna and Godavari delta and hence spans into two districts of AP, namely Krishna and West Godavari. The lake is an awe-inspiring tourist destination where its water body serves as a natural flood balance for the two rivers.

                           The vast lake, a haven for tourists is fed by water from Budameru and Tammileru streams, which is inturn connected to the Krishna and Godavari delta by many in-flowing drains and channels. The lake is a major tourist attraction. It is home for many migratory birds in winter, such as ibis, Siberian crane, and painted storks. The lake is considered and important wetland habitat for close to 20 million resident and migratory birds, the prominent of them being Grey or Spot-billed Pelican. The lake earned the tag of wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India’s Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and has been designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 by the international Ramsar Convention. The wildlife sanctuary of Kolleru covers an area of 308 km², which is home for several aquatic living forms. It also hosts 193 species of birds and a variety of flora and fauna, including some of the valuable medicinal plants. A trip to Kolleru Wild Life Sanctuary is an unforgettable one and it hosts renowned bird watchers, conservationists, wild life enthusiasts and photographers at any given point of time.

HOW TO REACH KOLLERU LAKE:

                                   The lake is located 15 kms from Eluru town. Eluru is the closest urban settlement to this lake and is the district head quarters of West Godavari district. Eluru is an important railway station on the Grand Trunk rail line that connects it to rest of AP and the country. Eluru is located at a distance of 55 km from Vijayawada. The nearest airport is at Gannavaram, Vijayawada. Eluru is located 35 km away from Gannavaram Airport. From Eluru tourists can visit this sanctuary using private boats. Within the sanctuary, tourists enjoy rids on country boats which are available on hire.

BEST SEASONS TO VISIT:

                                        The best season to visit Lake Kolleru is from November to March, when the lake brims with water. This is the peak season, which attracts thousands of migratory birds to Kolleru Lake. It is a delight to watch thousands of birds, hundreds of species and varieties of wildlife amidst clear and settled water, which are surrounded by green paddy fields. This is the best destination to immerse oneself in the lap of Mother Nature.

BHAVANI ISLAND RESORTS IN VIJAYAWADA

BHAVANI ISLAND VIJAYAWADA

                          Bhavani-Island, one of the very dazzling and alluring places in Andhra Pradesh is located in the Krishna district. The island possesses one of the biggest lagoons in the region. It is enclosed by the River Krishna and is one of the largest river islands of the River and encompasses an area of over 130 acres.Bhavani-Island travel guide is full of references to the enthralling beaches and serene spots of the area. It is known as one of the most beautiful and impressing islands of the state. It offers various water sport activities like snorkelling, reef walking, and kayaking, canoeing and sailing yachts. The island is a fabulous place to plan for a trip with your family and hundreds of visitors visit this place every year to enjoy the picturesque beauty of the island. The popular drink available at the island is fresh coconut water for tourists.

BHAVANI ISLAND RESORTS

ACCOMODATION IN BHAVANI ISLAND:

                              There are a lot of deluxe and medium to budget accommodation options near Bhavani Island. Some of the popular deluxe hotels include Bhavani Island Resort (Bhavanipuram), Continental Park Hotel (Ramamandiram Street), Sripada Hotel (Vijayawada), Marg Krishnaaya Hotel (Vijayawada), Grand Residence (Governorpet, Vijayawada), Minerva Grand Hotel (Vijayawada), Punnami Berm Park (Bhavani Puram), Gateway Hotel(Vijayawada), Fortune Murali Park (Vijayawada) and Ilapuram Hotel(Gandhinagar)Samrat Hotel (Vijayawada), Raj Towers, Hotel (Govenerpet), Sree Lakshmi Vilas Modern Cafe (Governorpet), Taniya Hotel (Vijayawada), Mamata Hotel (Vijayawada), Green Valley Hotel (Vijayawada), Swarna Palace Hotel (Governorpet) and Krishna Residency (Governorpet) are medium to budget accommodations with all facilities which make your stay a reliable and memorable one

EVENTS IN BHAVANI ISLAND:

                              Festivals are celebrated with great zeal and religious sentiments in Bhavani-Island. They are extremely colourful and promote unity and feeling of brotherhood.

PONGAL:

   

                            One of the most awaited events in Bhavani-Island and all over the state, Pongal is celebrated with great passion and vigour. The term Pongal signifies sweet dish of rice which is eaten on the Pongal festival day. Jaggery, Cardamom and cashew nuts are also included in this dish for the celebration. The local people dedicate this dish to God Surya, the Sun God. It is one of the most imperative and well known festivals held in the month of mid January every year.

UGADI:

                          Ugadi is a famous festival in Andhra Pradesh. It is considered as New Year's Day in Andhra culture and also known as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

GANESH CHATURTHI:

                             Ganesh Chaturthi is another famous festival of the town. This festival is held in the months of August-September and is one of the famous festivals in Bhavani-Island. It is celebrated with immense passion.

MAKARA SANKRANTHI:

                            Makara  Sankranti is a beautiful festival of the city and is celebrated with great rejoice. It is a celebration of the occasion of the `ascent` of the sun to the north.

DIWALI:

One of the most important festivals of Hindus, Diwali, is also well known by the name of “Festival of Lights” or Deepavali. It is celebrated in the month of October or November. Diwali in Bhavani-Island is celebrated with pomp and show. Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped on this festival.

CAVES IN VIJAYAWADA

MOGALARAJAPURAM CAVE IN VIJAYAWDA 

MOGHALARAJPURAM CAVE IN VIJAYAWADA

MOGHALARAJPURAM CAVE IN VIJAYAWADA

     Mogalarajapuram Caves, situated near Vijayawada is well-known for the three cave temples and is said to be as old as 5th century AD. One of the three cave temples carries an impressive carving of ‘Ardhanariswara’ which is known as one of its kind in south India. This cave temple has carved deities of Lord Vinayaka and Lord Shiva in Nataraja form and hence, is one of the major Vijayawada attractions. This is a very attractive and antique temple to visit and to observe the ancient standard of living.

FAMOUS TEMPLES IN ANDHRAPRADESH

TEMPLES OF ANDHRAPRADESH

PANCHARAMA DARSHAN IN AP:

             The five very sacred temples dedicated to lord Eshwara (Shiva) located in three district of Andhra Pradesh are of great spiritual importance. These five Pancharama temples are located in East Godavari (two numbers), West Godavari (two numbers) and Guntur (one temple) districts of AP. Visiting all these five temples in one day during Kartika masa(November-December) is considered very sacred. Other temples of AP are Arasavalli Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple ( sun god )Draksharamam One of the Panchrama temple in East Godavari dist Annavaram Between Vizag and Rajahmundry Antarvedi Godavari meeting the sea (Sagara Sangamam)Bhadrachalam Sri Rama temple built by Bhakta Ramadasa Bhimavaram In west Godavari district, one Panchrama temple Kakinada

KANAKADURGA TEMPLE IN VIJAYAWADA

PANCHARAMA FIVE TEMPLES OF LORD SHIVA:

              Palakollu One of the Pancharama temple of Lord Shiva,Ryali Sri Jagan Mohini temple,Samalkot One of the Pancharama temple,Simhachalam Lord Narasimha - anincarnation of Vishnu at Vizag,,Tirupati TTD : Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Thalupulamma Talli Near Tuni and Annavaram Ainavilli Ganesh Temple Close to river Godavari in KonaseemaKotipallI,Siva Temple Near Godavari ,Lord Shiva temple Pithapuram Siva Temple Kukkuteswara Swamy temple Dwarapudi, Ayyapa Temple Sabarimala of Andhra Pradesh,Dwaraka Tirumala West Godavari district,Anjaneya Swamy Lord Hanuman temple at Gurvaigudem

HANUMAN TEMPLE IN PARITALA

FAMOUS TOURIST PLACES IN ANDHRA PRADESH

AP : ANDHRA PRADESH TOURIST PLACES

 Andhra Pradesh or popularly known as AP is the fifth largest state in India both in population and area. This state is located at southern part of India. One of the developed state of India is popular for its agriculture, trade & industry and now Hyderabad is a premium destination for all IT companies of the world. Different areas of Andhra Pradesh are famous for different reasons. Krishna Godavari delta is famous for its rich fertile lands with lashing greenery. Vijayawada city located by the side of Krishna river is famous for its trade and commerce. Visakhapatnam is costal city is popular for its natural beaches and tourist places. The coastal line is 970 Kms which is the second longest in India.

PRAKASHAM BARRAIGE VIJAYAWADA

HISTORY OF AP:

   The History of Andhrapradesh goes back to the years of BC 1000. Aitareya Brahmana of Rigveda, Natya Shastra of Bharata, Ashoka the great and Buddhist culture are all got importance in this present state. During the period of Satakarni (third king of Satavahana kings) this place got importance. Later, during Vijayanagara kingdom, lot of developments took place. Just after independence of India, Hyderabad Nizams who refused to join, were made to surrender to the Indian Army within a very short duration during 1948. Prior to the independence, Kurnool was the state capital. On November 1st 1956, Telugu speaking areas were made different from Madras region into present Andhrapradesh with Hyderabad  as the state capital.

KONDAPALLI KHILLA VIJAYAWADA

ANDHRA PRADESH TOURISM: 

 Some of the importance visiting places in AP include, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Srisailam, Charminar at Hyderabad, Husain sagar at Hyderabad, Golconda fort, RIshikonda beach at Vizag. The only Saraswati temple in India is situated in AP at Basara. Temples at Annavaram, Bhadrachalam, Mantralaya are pilgrim destinations. Borra caves and Araku valley of Eastern Ghats are nearer to Vizag.Krishna and Godavari rivers are two major rivers in Andhrapradesh. Kuchipudi dance is originated in Andhrapradesh.