Vijayawada – Heart of Andhra Pradesh

The city of Vijayawada blends tradition, modern growth, history, and culture. Once you visit this place, you will fall in love with it. It is also called a Place of Victory, The Business City, an Educational Hub, and a connecting platform to all the major destinations in the country. Vijayawada is not just the fastest-growing and cleanest city in India, but also a city full of life, colour, stories, and memories waiting to be explored. Whatever you are or wherever you come from, you fall in love with this place once you visitit. This is for people who love to explore the city like a local!  

1. A City of Great History and Victory

Vijayawada has been one of the major cities for many decades. The earlier name of “Vijayawada” is “Bezawada, " which means " visits rich agricultural land. Visits Kanaka Durga, who killed the demon Mahishasura in this place and attained victory over evil forces. In Telugu Language the meaning of “Vijaya means Victory”, “Wada means Place”, so Vijayawada “Place of Victory”. This Place is ruled by many dynasties like Chalukyas, Vijayanagara and Qutb Shahis. The city is being situated on the banks of river Krishna which is one of the largest and major rivers in India and is 80km from nearest sea cost Bay of Bengal. Due to river Krishna and abundant water resources rich agriculture lands surround the city. The town evolved into a significant urban centre through the years, but still holds on to its cultural and spiritual roots.  

2. Geographical Location and Importance

Geographic Location of Vijayawada

Vijayawada is located in Andhra Pradesh. The goddess Kanaka Durga Temple is located. Vijayawada is also called “The Business Capital” of Andhra Pradesh State. After Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada is the second largest city in the state with a population of over 2 million. Vijayawada Railway Junction is one of the busiest and major railway junctions in Andhra Pradesh and South India. It is the 4^th major station among the stations in India.   

3. Kanaka Durga Temple - Religious Icon of Vijayawada

Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada

One of the most essential is not just a normal religious place, it has centuries of history and has had a prominent place in the Hindu Mythology as well.  Through out the year people from across the country visit this place mainly from neigbouring states like Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Orissa. During the festival seasons, the no.of people visiting this temple is very high, especially during the Dasara festival.  

The view of the city and the river from the top of the mountain is breathtaking. For the people of Vijayawada, it is more than a temple.

4. Places To Visit

Along with Kanaka Durga Temple, there are several other places to visit in Vijayawada.

 Prakasam Barrage

Prakasam Barrage Vijayawada

This is primarya freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh. It is a beautiful place with spectacular views of the city, the river, and the temple.

 Bhavani Island

Bhavani Island Vijayawada

Bhavani Island is one of India's largest inland river islands, famous for lush greenery, river views, and views of the river Krishna. People who want to enjoy their weekends with family and friends can visit this place. It is also 1 km to the city centre and NH65. People can try speedboats, jet skis, and other water activities.

 Undavalli Caves

Undavalli caves Vijayawada

These caves are artificial rock-cuts made during 4^th to 5^th century initially they were Buddhist centres later turned into Hindu Temple they are constructed under the rule of Vishnukundina Kings. These caves are the symbol of the region's spiritual history.

5. Food - Taste of Vijayawada

Vijayawada city is also famous for food, foodies and food lovers must visit this place to try the spicy, tangy and most delicious local cuisine that truly resembles the city's vibrant nature.

Here are the top picks:

Andhra Chicken Curry - Bold and Spicy.

Pesarattu Upma – Dosa topped with ghee and spicy Karam (Chilli Powder).

Punugulu is a deep–fried,  crispy snack item made of idli or dosa batter.

 Sweets - Rava Laddu and Pootha Rekulu are most famous in the city.

Ulava Charu – Horse Gram Soup is very renowned in Vijayawada.

6. The People & Culture of Vijayawada

Vijayawada people were well known for their hospitality and welcoming nature, and were business enthusiasts. Telugu is the native and most widely spoken language; many also speak English and Hindi. The major festivals are Ugadi (Telugu New Year), usually celebrated in April. Other major festivals like Diwali, Ramzan, and Christmas are also celebrated well in the city.

7. Education  

Vijayawada is also famous for education and the state. And the city is home to many educational institutions, some of the renowned institutes are Nalanda College, Siddhartha College, Loyola College, Stella College, Laki Reddy and Bal Reddy College, MIC College, Vignan University, VIT- AP University, SRM-AP University.

8. Shopping & Markets

The most popular places for shopping in Vijayawada are

M.G. Road (Bandar Road) – Best for shopping for branded footwear, clothing, watches, jewellery and many more.

Besant Road – Named after Anne Besant, famous for street shopping, cinema and street food courts.

Eluru Road is also called Karl Marks Road, which connects Vijayawada with Eluru city. This road is famous for furniture shopping, Children's wear, electronics, jewellery and textile shopping.

Kaleswara Rao Market – An old traditional place famous for silver, gold, vegetables, flowers, fruits, books, stationery, pharmaceuticals, and vegetables, flowers and fruits, books and stationery, pharmaceuticals and textile.  

Mango Market – It is famous for fruits and vegetables, and you can find a variety of fruits and vegetables, both seasonal and non-seasonal.

9. Public Transport & Connectivity

Road - Vijayawada is in the heart of Andhra Pradesh between two major highways NH65 and NH16, which connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad and Mumbai towards west and Chennai towards south and Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata in north. The APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation) is one of the largest state-run bus service which carries both people and cargo within and outside the state  with a fleet size of over 12,000 buses and Vijayawada Bus station one of the largest bus stations in terms of number of platforms called “Jawah. Vijayawada Station” which is the headquarters of APSRTC is in Vijayawada.

Air - Vijayawada has an International Airport called “Vijayawada International Airport” at Gannavaram   approximately 25 km from city centre which connects directly to Bengaluru, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi and International routes like Kuwait, Sharjah and many other routes through connecting flights both domestic and international from those cities.

Rail – Vijayawada is well connected with all the major and minor stations in the country. Vijayawada Railway Junction is one of the busiest and major railway junctions in Andhra Pradesh. It is the 4^th major station with over 10 platforms among the stations in India. One hundred trains pass through this station, making it a major railway connecting point in the Indian Railway Network.

 10. Why We Love Our City - Vijayawada

At Vijayawada Expresss, we are not just highlighting the city of Vijayawada infrastructure like roads, buildings etc. We are highlighting the soul of the city – the people, the food, the vibe and the feelings we get when we walk around the city. It is a great city that respects its past while embracing the future. It is also a place of warmth, resilience, and ambition. We love our city because it is not just a place where we live, it is an emotion, and we feel like our home. We strongly believe that many people will visit the city, especially outsiders, which makes this city more special.