Vijayawada: A Travel Guide to the Heart of the Krishna Delta

Vijayawada is one of the largest and most important cities in Andhra Pradesh, spread along the banks of the Krishna River in the heart of the fertile Krishna delta. It is a major commercial, transport and cultural hub, so often called the Business Capital of Andhra Pradesh, and known for generations by its older name, Bezawada. This is a hot, hard-working, bustling delta city, ringed by the rocky Indrakeeladri hill and crowned by the temple of Kanaka Durga, one of the most visited shrines in the state. Vijayawada also sits at the edge of the Amaravati capital region, with the state’s new capital city rising nearby on the banks of the same river. As a long-standing centre of Telugu language and culture, the city has a strong presence in Telugu cinema, cuisine and festival life, and it makes a lively, unpretentious base for exploring the wider region.

Kanaka Durga Temple

The undisputed star of Vijayawada is the Kanaka Durga Temple, perched on the Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the Krishna. Dedicated to the goddess Kanaka Durga, a form of Durga or Shakti, it draws pilgrims from across South India and is among the most important Shakti temples in Andhra Pradesh. According to belief, the goddess is here in the form in which she slew the demon Mahishasura, and local tradition also holds that the warrior Arjuna performed penance on this very hill, which is said to take its name, Indrakeeladri, from that episode. The temple reaches its most dramatic during Dasara and Navaratri, when the goddess is adorned in different alankarams or forms each day, huge crowds gather for darshan, and the Krishna comes alive with the Theppotsavam, a float festival in which the deity is taken out on the river. Visitors can reach the temple by the ghat road that winds up the hill or by the flight of steps, and it is worth noting that queues can be long, with special darshan arrangements sometimes available, though it is best to check current details locally rather than assume anything in advance.

Beyond the religious significance, the hilltop setting itself is worth the visit, with fine views down over the river and the city spreading out along its banks.

Prakasam Barrage and the river

The Krishna River is really the reason Vijayawada exists where it does, and the Prakasam Barrage is where that relationship is most visible. This long barrage, carrying a road across the river, holds back the water to create a wide lake upstream, and it is a lovely spot to visit in the evening when the structure and the water are lit up. Boating is a popular activity here, particularly around Bhavani Island, a large river island that has been developed as a park and recreation spot with eco-tourism facilities and a resort. Punnami Ghat, on the riverfront near the barrage, is another pleasant place for an evening stroll or a boat ride as the light fades over the water. Fanning out from the barrage are the canals of the Krishna delta, which explain why this stretch of Andhra Pradesh is such rich agricultural country, and why the city grew into such an important trading centre in the first place.

Undavalli Caves

A short distance across the river, around six kilometres from the city, are the Undavalli Caves, one of the finest pieces of ancient rock-cut architecture in the state. Carved from the living rock in around the fourth or fifth century, the caves were originally associated with Buddhist monastic use before being adapted for Hindu worship, and the most striking feature today is a huge reclining figure of Vishnu, known as Anantasayana, carved from a single block of stone. Protected as a monument by the Archaeological Survey of India, the site is rightly considered one of the highlights of a visit to Vijayawada, and the multi-storeyed, monolithic design of the caves gives a real sense of the skill of the craftsmen who worked here well over a thousand years ago.

History and heritage

Vijayawada and its surroundings carry a long and layered history, much of it tied to the Satavahana dynasty and the Buddhist heritage of the Krishna valley. Kondapalli Fort, a medieval hill fort around sixteen kilometres from the city, is worth the trip both for its ramparts and gateways and for the nearby village of Kondapalli, famous for its wooden lacquered toys, a traditional handicraft recognised with Geographical Indication status. Buying a piece or two directly from the artisans is a nice way to take a bit of the region home. Closer to the centre, the Mogalarajapuram Caves are a set of ancient rock-cut cave temples that offer another glimpse of the area’s early religious architecture. The Victoria Jubilee Museum, also known as the Bapu Museum, holds a collection of archaeological finds from the region and is a useful stop for anyone wanting context on the area’s Satavahana and Buddhist past. For panoramic views over the city, Gandhi Hill is home to a memorial stupa to Mahatma Gandhi, along with a planetarium and a toy train, making it a pleasant, easy outing.

No account of the region’s heritage would be complete without Amaravati, only around thirty five kilometres upriver, where the great Amaravati stupa, or Mahachaitya, once stood as one of the most important Buddhist sites in India, its story told today through the site itself and its museum. Amaravati is also, of course, the location chosen for the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, making it a place where ancient and contemporary history sit side by side.

Around Vijayawada

Vijayawada is a natural base for exploring the wider Krishna delta and beyond. Amaravati combines its Buddhist past with its present as the emerging capital. Kondapalli offers the fort and its toy-making tradition together. Mangalagiri is known for the Panakala Narasimha Temple, where jaggery water is traditionally offered to the deity, and for its handloom sarees. Guntur, a short distance away, is famous across India for its chillies, which go a long way to explaining the fire in the local food. Machilipatnam, also called Bandar, gives access to the coast and is well known for its sweets. Further afield, travellers heading south along the Krishna often pair Vijayawada with Srisailam, another major temple town on the same river, deeper in the Nallamala hills.

Food

Vijayawada sits at the heart of one of India’s most serious food regions, and Andhra cuisine here, closely tied to neighbouring Guntur, is famous for its heat. A proper Andhra meal, often served on a banana leaf with rice and a procession of curries, chutneys and the fiery pickle known as avakaya, is not for the faint hearted, though most restaurants are happy to tone things down if asked. Vijayawada biryani has its own local reputation, gongura dishes made with sour sorrel leaves are a regional speciality, and pesarattu, a lentil crepe, is a popular breakfast or tiffin item across the city. Bandar laddu, from nearby Machilipatnam, is a well-known sweet worth seeking out. For anyone interested in food, a stop in Vijayawada is as much a culinary trip as a sightseeing one.

Where to stay

As a major business and transport hub, Vijayawada has a strong supply of hotels at every price point. Business and mid-range hotels are spread across the city, catering to the steady flow of commercial travellers passing through, while budget lodges cluster near the railway station and around the temple area, convenient for pilgrims arriving for darshan. There are also some more upscale hotels for those wanting extra comfort. Whatever the budget, it is worth booking ahead if visiting around Dasara, when the city fills up for the Kanaka Durga celebrations.

Tips for visiting

• Visit the Kanaka Durga temple early in the day to beat the queues, which build up quickly on weekends and become very large during Navaratri, so plan around this period or be prepared for crowds.
• The Prakasam Barrage and Bhavani Island are especially lovely in the evening, with boating and the lights along the barrage worth timing a visit around.
• Do not miss the Undavalli Caves and their reclining Vishnu, and try to fit in Kondapalli for the fort and its toys.
• Avoid the peak summer months, when the heat in Vijayawada is extreme.
• Dress modestly when visiting temples.
• The local food is genuinely spicy, so ask for milder versions if you prefer less heat.
• Consider combining a trip with Amaravati, Srisailam or the coast, given how well connected the city is.
• Carry water and stay hydrated, particularly given the heat for much of the year.
• Take advantage of the excellent rail connections when planning onward travel.

The heart of the Krishna delta

Vijayawada is the vibrant heart of the Krishna delta, a hot, hard-working river city crowned by the hilltop shrine of Kanaka Durga, where a great barrage lights up the Krishna at night, a fifth-century Vishnu reclines in a rock-cut cave, wooden toys are still painted by hand in a fort village, and the food is some of the spiciest in all India. It is a bustling, deeply Telugu city and a thoroughly natural hub from which to explore the rest of the state.