Vijayawada earlier known as Bezawada, is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. Vijayawada literally translates to "The Place of Victory". Its prominence as a major trading and business center has earned it the title of, “The Business Capital of Andhra Pradesh”.
Vijayawada history reveals that Bezawada (Vijayawada) was ruled by King Madhava Varma. Chinese Buddhist scholar Xuanzang stayed few years in Bezawada (Vijayawada) in around 640 A.D. to copy and study the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the last of the three pitakas (Pali for baskets) constituting the Pali canon, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism.
Kanaka Durga Temple is located on the Indrakiladri hill, on the banks of Krishna River. It is a famous Hindu temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Kanaka Durga. According to the legends, Arjuna obtained the Pasupatha astra at this site and after gaining the astra, he constructed this temple for Goddess Durga.
Mangalagiri is one of the eight important Mahakshetrams (sacred places) in India. It is also oldest Vaishnavite Temples in the entire South India, whose presiding deity is Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. This temple was built by the Zamindar Sri Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu during the period 1807-1809.
Undavalli caves were carved out of solid sandstone on a hillside in the 4th to 5th centuries and is a paradise for history lovers. There are three layers in the cave. The lower level resembles to the Jain abode with many chambers and Thirthankara Sculptures. The second level has as the statue of reclining God whose identity cannot be found out. However, locale believes the statue is of Lord Vishnu. The caves are made in Gupta style of architecture.
A fort with roots in parallel histories, this one is said to have been built as a center of recreation, business and trade. The main entrance gate, carved out of a single boulder of granite is called the Dargah Darwaja.
These are ancient caves, dating back to 5th century and one of the most significant landmarks of the heritage of Vijayawada. Though a lot has been lost to ruins, the caves still hold religious and spiritual value as they house idols of Lord Nataraja and Lord Vinayaka amongst many more, a few cave temples
Prakasam Barrage is a 1223.5 m long structure across the Krishna River, which connects Krishna and Guntur districts. The construction of the barrage started in 1852 and completed in 1855.