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Capital of Andhra Pradesh, India
Photo: iMahesh, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Amaravati or Amaravathi (Telugu: అమరావతి Amarāvatī) is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of the Krishna River, opposite Vijayawada (Bezawada) and northeast of Guntur. Once the capital of the Satavahana dynasty and a major Buddhist centre in ancient times, Amaravati has become a cautionary tale in urban planning in the 21st century, where a change in state administration put a megaproject into a halt, with a series of legal battles for a few years.
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The ruins of an ancient Buddhist site, probably built in phases between the third century BCE and about 250 CE. It has been considered one of the greatest monuments in Buddhist Asia, as well as the "jewel in the crown" of early Indian art. A lot of surviving sculptures from the site are now in different museums, including in Chennai, London and Amaravati itself.
Serves Lord Amareswara, has a history of about 2,000 years.
This 38 m tall statue of the Buddha in a meditative (Dhyana) position was completed in 2015 to celebrate the Buddhist heritage of the city in ancient times.
One of the eight sacred places of Lord Vishnu in India. It is also known for being one of the eight mahakshetras Narasimha in India. The hill where the temple is on used to be an active volcano. It is at an altitude of 30 m above the sea level. Here at the temple, jaggery water is offered to the lord by the devotees. According to the ancient scriptures, the lord has been worshipped since Satya Yuga (The first of the four yugas). In the downhill, there is another temple dedicated to Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. It is said that Yudhishthira (Dharmaraju, the eldest of the Pandavas) installed the main deity in this temple. The temple has a very tall tower with a beautiful sculpture, which has 11 stairs.
Built across the river Krishna connecting this city with Vijayawada, Prakasam Barrage has created a panoramic lake.
on the banks of river Krishna with a vast sandy beach for recreation and leisure. The famous Someswara Swamy temple is situated here. According to the legend, Lord Rama wept here for Sita when she was abducted by Ravana, hence the name Sitanagaram.
These caves are said to have been carved in the 7th century AD. Buddhist monks used this two-storeyed cave structure as a rest house during the monsoon. A huge monolith of the Lord Anantha Padmanabha Swamy in reclining posture is a magnificent sight.
Village with Jasmine and Cauliflower
A sixth-century town, used to be famous for oranges. Now, it is very famous for curry leaves. Other crops like rice, cauliflower, bananas, flowers, and vegetables are the main crops. The village contains 75% Hindus, but there are also Muslims and followers of other religions.
By bus
The most convenient way to reach Amaravati. APSRTC runs bus services from Vijayawada, Guntur, Mangalagiri, Sattenapalle, Piduguralla, Narasaraopet and Hyderabad to Amaravathi Bus Station.
By train
Amaravati does not have any railway station of its own. Although {{station|Krishna Canal Junction|city=india|scor}} is the nearest station, not all trains stop here.
By car
The NH 16 connects the capital city Amaravati to Guntur and Vijayawada, whereas SH 288 directly connects Guntur to the old town Amaravati.
By car
Parking in the city is improving. It may be easy to park two wheelers, but finding parking for cars is a bit harder.
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