 Tourism in Vizianagaram district comprises visits to a number of beautiful temples located here. Apart from these places of historical importance are also found here, such as the Vizianagaram and Bobbili fort.
Pilgrimage Tourism Ramathirtham is famous for the 1000 years old Sri Rama temple situated on the Bavikonda hill. It was constructed by the Pusapati Kings during 1650-1696 A.D. Located close to the beautiful Koneru Lake, the unique feature of this temple is that it is built entirely on a single piece of rock. Nearby on a hill, known as Gurubukhatakonda are found the remains of an enormous Buddhist mahasthupa, which is 19 feet high and 65 feet in diameter, a monastery, chaitya, monastic cells, two votive stupas, a solid stone stupa, an enclosed courtyard and a pillared hall. In the vicinity are the ruins of a brick shrine with images of Jain Thirtankaras. Further up on the hill under a massive hanging rock one can see several Jain sculptures. The temple complex is located 13 kms from Vizianagaram. Accommodation is available at R and B Guest House, Vizianagaram. The Jami tree at the Tripurtantaka Swamy temple is considered to be holy for its miraculous properties. It is located in Jammi on the banks of the river Gowthami, 10 Kms from Vizianagaram the temple is said to be thousands of years old. Folklore says that the local inhabitants tried to shift the temple but they could not uproot the sivalinga. Legend has it that the Pandavas hid their weapons on a "Jami Tree" before embarking on the final year of their exile (Agnathavasam). During their stay, King Dharmaraj and Kunthi installed the idols of Sri Thirupuranatha Swamy and Sri Janardhan Swamy, at this place. 500 years ago villagers found an idol of Sri Madhava Swamy and established it between the earlier two temples and named it Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple. Modern day geologists estimate that the Shivalinga extends more than 179 feet deep in to the earth.  One of the oldest Shiva temples is situated at Punyagiri, 25 kms away from Vizianagaram. The sanctum has an underground water source which ensures that the Shivalinga is perpetually bathed with water. In the nearby Trimurthi cave, three lingas are installed over which water constantly drops. Considered to be a very holy spot, a large numbers of devotees flock here during the Mahashivratri festival. Legend has it that if one bathes in the waterfall nearby and then has Darshan of Lord Shiva, he attains Moksha.
The small village of Kumili, 20 kms from Vizianagaram, is famous for a huge complex of temples built by local devotees over a period of ten years. The temples are unique with extremely attractive sculptures, paintings on the walls and idols. The temples within the complex are of Ganapathi, Shiva, Kalika Devi, Navagrahalu, Satyanarayana Swamy, Subramanyeswaraswamy, Seetharamaswamy, Anjaneya Swamy and Venu Gopalaswamy. Incidentally, the village was the former seat of the erstwhile Vizianagaram Kingdom and ruins of a mud fort still exist. Govindapuram is situated in Pusapatirega Mandal, at a distance of 30 kms from Vizianagaram town. The magnificent temple here is renowned for its sculptural beauty and is based on the essence of the Bhagwad Gita. Gyana Ratham with Lord Krishna on the chariot is an impressive image which enthralls the visitors. The Moddukovillu temple is unique in that the Shivalinga in the temple has two different colours, symbolizing the male and female aspects of the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The temple was built by an old woman who dreamt about it on her way to the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi). Saripalli is famous for Dibbi Lingeswara Swami temple, which is over 1000 years old. The Chanukyas constructed this temple. The sculpture carved on the temple is beautiful. Leisure Tourism  The Bobbili fort is situated in the ancient town of Bobbili located 60 kms away from Vizianagaram. It is associated with the historic battle between the Raja of Bobbili and Zamindar of Vizianagaram, who was aided by the French. The fierce war established this as a land of heroism, bravery and courage. The impressive Bobbili fort stands as a silent testimony to this hard fought battle, which saw the Raja of Bobbili lay down his life fighting rather than surrendering. The Venugopala Swamy temple here is quite famous as also the oldest in the district.
The imposing Vizianagaram fort formed the nucleus around which grew the town of Vizianagaram. The quadrangular stone fort is evident of the knowledge and skill of the builders and architects of those days. Also located in this town is the ancient temple of Pydithalli Ammavaru. Legend has it that one of the daughters of the Pasupati royal family was the reincarnation of the pressing deity, Pydithallamma. The locals believe that with the blessings of the Goddess one can lead a happy and prosperous life. The idol of the Goddess was discovered on Vijayadasimi day way back in the year 1752. To mark the occasion, an annual jatra is held on 21st and 22nd October which attracts large crowds. Gosthani Sarovar Vihar is situated at Thatipudi reservoir at a distance of 20 Kms from Vizianagaram town. It is a picnic spot. These are therefore the various places of tourism located in the Vizianagaram district. (Last Updated on : 14-11-2014) |
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Tourism In Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh
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