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A
legend narrates that Vijayawada was established by Arjuna around the
Malleswara temple and Indrakiladri hills in commemoration of Lord
Shiva's Darsan that he had, and thus named it after him as Vijayawada.
Another
legend states that Goddess Durga rested here after killing a Rakshasa
(Demon) and since she was victorious (Vijaya), it is called
Vijayawada.Besides being an important religious centre for Buddhists and
Hindus, Vijayawada is also a centre of Andhra culture. The Chalukyas of
Kalyan and the great king Krishna Deva Raya once conquered this place,
and the famous Chinese traveler Xuanzang (Hsuan-tsang) had visited this
place in 639 when Buddhism was at its zenith in the region. During the
British Raj the city experienced significant growth. In particular, the
completion of the Prakasam Barrage in 1959, and railway bridge on the
Krishna River have helped the region expand its agricultural and
commercial base. And Vijayawada Railway station is one of the busiest
railway junctions in India. The regions around the city have fertile
soil and are irrigated by the river.
The Victoria Jubilee Museum
The
Museum of the Archaeological Department situated on Bundar Road
contains sculptures and painting. Pre historic materials, such as stone
tools, microliths and Neolithic implements are also on display. There is
a colossal granite statue of the Buddha and also a well preserved
standing white limestone figure of the Buddha from Alluru, dating from
the 3C- 4C.
Kondapalli
Kondapalli village, the famous toy
making centre is located 14km northwest of Vijayawada. The toys are
usually made of light wood called 'Poniki' and lacquered in brilliant
colours. These colourful toys depict themes centered around rural life,
mythological characters, animals, birds, fruits, vegetables and houses.
There is a picturesque hill fort at Kondapalli which passed hands
successively through various dynasties.
Prakasam Barrage
The
barrage first completed in 1855, located on the outskirts of Vijayawada
is one of the earliest major irrigation projects in Southern India. The
barrage 1000m long was named after the first Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh, Sri Tanguturi Prakasam. The scheme irrigates nearly one million
ha, converting the Krishna delta into the richest granary in Andhra.
Kanaka Durga Temple
Kanaka
Durga, goddess of power, is the presiding deity of Vijayawada. The city
derives its name from the goddess, also known as Vijaya. The temple of
the goddess is situated on the Indrakila hill along the river. The deity
in the Kanaka Durga temple is 'Swayambhu' or self-manifested, hence is
considered very powerful. Nearby are the Vijayesvara temple and
Malleshvaraswamy temple, said to have been installed by Arjuna and
Yudhishtira, the Panch Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata Epic.
Gandhi Stupa
The
tall Gandhi Stupa situated on Gandhi Hill, was erected in 1968, in
memory of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the nation. Gandhi's teachings are
inscribed on stone slabs. There is also a memorial Library, a
planetarium on the hill. A toy train skirts the hill.
Hazrathbal Mosque
A holy relic of Prophet Mohammad is kept in the mosque in the city and displayed once a year.
Mogalrajapuram Caves
Mogalrajapuram
caves located 3km east of the city centre has five rock cut sanctuaries
dating back to the 7th century AD. The Mogalarajapuram temple has an
'Ardhanarisvara' statue which is thought to be the earliest in South
India. Cave 2 shows an overhanging cornice with artificial windows. The
idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka in one cave are still in good condition
among the worn images of deities.
Rajiv Gandhi Park
Located
near the new Vijayawada bus stand, this educative park contains
built-up structures of dinosaurs and pre-historic animals. There is also
a Musical Fountain. |
