The state of Andhra Pradesh is dotted with several places of worship. These temples are 1000 of years old and each one has a separate story to tell. Hence besides being holy places the temples in Andhra Pradesh are important as religious and cultural artefacts.

The temples in Andhra Pradesh are as follows
Kumararama or Kottipalli: The temple is dedicated to Lord Someswara (Shiva) and His consort Rajarajeshwari. A dip in Godavari at this spot, where the river meets the sea, is held sacred and is believed to cure ailments. This is known as Koti Theertham.

Annavaram: It is known for the shrine dedicated to Lord Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy. Satyanarayana puja is performed in the shrine by thousands of devotees round the year. It is also considered the second Tirupati. This temple is accessible from Visakhapatnam and Rajamundry.

The temple resembles a chariot with four wheels. The sanctum is constructed in accordance with the principles of Atharva Veda (Tripad Vibuthi Narayana Upanishad).

The Moola vigrahas of Lord Vishnu and His consort Lakshmi and a Lingam are installed in a Tripeeta constructed over a Meru with Beejakshara. A yantra is installed in the lower part of the sanctum with entrances on all four sides.

Kalyana Utsavam, Bheeshma Ekadasi and Vyasa Ekadasi are the major festivals celebrated at the temple.

Ryali: This famous shrine of Jaganmohini Keshava Swamy is unique. The sanctum enshrines Lord Mahavishnu carved out of a single, five-foot-high Saligramam idol. The image of Mohini is engraved on the other side. Sridevi, Bhoodevi, Adi Sesha, Lord Krishna as Govardhanadhari and sage Narada are carved around the image of Mahavishnu. Another miracle one sees here is that of river Ganga flowing from Lord Vishnu`s feet.

In Telugu, Ryali means `fall`. Puranas speak of this place where a flower from Mohini`s hair fell. Another legend has it that the axle of Chola King Vikramadeva fell here to indicate that the idol of Jaganmohini lay buried at this spot. The Lord had revealed this to the king in a dream. The king later built a temple for Jaganmohini Kesava Swami. The temple was renovated in the year 1936.

Opposite to the Vishnu temple, there is a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva as Uma Kamandaleshwara. Lord Brahma is said to have installed the Lingam in this temple.

To check out these temples that is steeped in legends the pilgrims need to travel 24 km away from Rajamundry.

Simhachalam: The hill temple is dedicated to Lord Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha. Prahlada is believed to have built the shrine when he was saved from his father Hiranya Kashipu. The deity is kept covered with sandalwood paste throughout the year as He is considered as Ugra Devatha. Only once in a year, devotees can see the real image when the old coat of sandalwood paste is removed and a new coat is applied. This ritual, known as Chandan Yatra, is celebrated during April-May.

Vaishnavite saint Narahari Theertha established a religious centre here in the 13th century. This centre continues to be popular among pilgrims.

Srikurmam: This is a rare temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in His Kurma avatar (tortoise). The presiding deity is Sri Kurmeswara. The temple has excellent works of art. Srikurmam is a coastal town 19 km from Srikakulam.

Arasavalli: The Sun temple here is dedicated to Lord Suryanarayanaswami. Indra is believed to have installed the deity. The image of Surya with His consorts riding the chariot drawn by seven horses with the sages by the side arrests one`s attention.

Mukhalingam: The ancient shrines of Mukhalingeswara and Madhukeswara are known for lovely sculptures. There are two other shrines dedicated to Someswara and Bheemeswara. This temple is at a distance of 50 km from Srikakulam.

Draksharama: This is another of the five places where the Lingam from Taraka`s body fell. Lord Shiva is worshipped as Bheemeswara. This Lingam is 2.6 metres high. Sage Vyasa had installed the Lingam and Saptha Rishis have worshipped here. Saptha Godavari Kundam is the holy tank.

According to a legend, this place was Daksha Vatika or Yogachala of Daksha. Since Dakshayani had sacrificed her body in the Homa Kundam no sacrificial yagna or rites have been performed on this soil here ever since.

Lepakshi: Here is a well-known Shiva temple dedicated to Lord Veerabhadra. It is noted for its finest order of art, paintings and sculpture of Vijayanagar period. The temple was constructed by Virupanna, the then governor of Penukonda province. The vast area of the temple sprang around an ancient shrine of Siva as Papanaseswara on Kurmasaila, a tortoise-shaped hillock. Sage Agastya is believed to have installed the Lingam here.

The Lepakshi Nandi, the largest of the monolithic Nandis in the country (8.25- metre -long and 4.60- metre- high), is absolutely realistic in every minute detail. The paintings in the temple could be the finest example of classical style. Scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata and the story of Manuneethi Chola are among the noteworthy paintings, equal to those at Ajanta and Ellora.

The beautiful sculptures on the prakaram attract the pilgrims` attention. These include 14 forms of Shiva, such as, Dakshinamurthi, Ardhanareeswara, Tripurantaka and others. The Hall of Creepers is another excellent work of art, which has provided perennial inspiration to textile designers over the years.

Puttaparthi: This small village in Anantapur district has shot into international fame with the graceful presence of His Holiness Sri Satya Sai Baba on this sacred soil. Prashanti Nilayam is the abode of Sri Sai Baba, who preaches love for humanity and religious tolerance. This holy centre attracts thousands of devotees every day. Sri Sai Baba spends most part of the year here but occasionally camps in Whitefield Ashram in Karnataka. This holy place is reachable from Dharmavaram and Bangalore