Amaravati or Amaravathi (Telugu: అమరావతి Amarāvatī) is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of the Krishna River, opposite Vijayawada (Bezawada) and northeast of Guntur. Once the capital of the Satavahana dynasty and a major Buddhist centre in ancient times, Amaravati has become a cautionary tale in urban planning in the 21st century, where a change in state administration put a megaproject into a halt, with a series of legal battles for a few years.
Nonetheless, Amaravati, Guntur and Vijayawada together constitute the Capital Region (CR) of Andhra Pradesh, the modern heart of the state since 2014.
Understand
[edit]Name
[edit]The name "Amaravati" (uh-muh-RAH-vuh-tee) means the "abode of immortals", and the name holds deep historical, spiritual and mythological significance.
History
[edit]
Amaravati is home to the capital of the Satavahana dynasty at Dharanikota, whose history dates back to the second century BCE. Buddhism was a major religion at the time, especially the Mahayana school. The Buddhist stupas of Amaravati were a major centre of art and education in India. Like rest of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati has changed hands over the history until it came under the British rule in 1759. The present village surrounding the stupa was founded by Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu, the zamindar of Chintapalli.
When Telangana split off from Andhra Pradesh in 2014, its capital Hyderabad joined with Telangana, leaving AP without its own capital city. So, the central and state governments were exploring alternatives for the new capital. At the time, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the new capital would be somewhere around Vijayawada (Bezawada). On 22 October 2015, Naidu announced that the Amaravati would be the new capital, opposite Vijayawada. He was very ambitious about the city's development, especially due to the success of the previous capital Hyderabad as an IT hub in his earlier tenure.
However, following the change of administration in 2019, the state government became more sceptical towards building a city from scratch due to costs, leading to a halt in construction works. The government instead focused on establishing three capital cities (Amaravati, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam) instead of one, believing that it would lead to the inclusive development across the state instead of concentrating it on the Krishna Valley region. This led to widespread protests in the valley for years, which got escalated to the High Court, and then the Supreme Court, putting the future of Amaravati in limbo.
The state administration changed again after the 2024 election, and Chandrababu Naidu came back to power. He focuses on making Amaravati the sole capital again, and the construction works resume. He also ensures that no administration change would alter the status of Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]The nearest airport is in Vijayawada (VGA IATA).
By bus
[edit]The most convenient way to reach Amaravati. APSRTC runs bus services from Vijayawada, Guntur, Mangalagiri, Sattenapalle, Piduguralla, Narasaraopet and Hyderabad to Amaravathi Bus Station.
By train
[edit]Amaravati does not have any railway station of its own. Although 1 Krishna Canal Junction SCoR is the nearest station, not all trains stop here. 2 Mangalagiri SCoR is slightly further, but is considered more tourist-friendly.
The most convenient way is to arrive at Vijayawada Junction SCoR in nearby Vijayawada, and then continue by bus or taxi. Unlike most Indian states, neither Amaravati nor Vijayawada are served by a dedicated Rajdahani Express train, although the Chennai Rajdhani Express serves Vijayawada.
By car
[edit]The NH 16 connects the capital city Amaravati to Guntur and Vijayawada, whereas SH 288 directly connects Guntur to the old town Amaravati.
Get around
[edit]
Buses are available on all major roads. Otherwise, you can get around by taxi, personal car, auto-rickshaw or on foot. Alternatively, cycling or motocycling in city centres and busy areas can often be quicker than taking the auto-rickshaw or a taxi.
By car
[edit]Parking in the city is improving. It may be easy to park two wheelers, but finding parking for cars is a bit harder. Generally parking is provided by the city administration as well as the business owners.
See
[edit]The capital city itself does not have any attractions, other than the scenes of a large city being constructed from scratch for over a decade. However, the old town and the eastern suburbs have many historical and religious sites to visit.
Old town
[edit]
- 1 Amaravati Stupa (1.5 km (0.93 mi) from Amaravathi Bus Station). The ruins of an ancient Buddhist site, probably built in phases between the third century BCE and about 250 CE. It has been considered one of the greatest monuments in Buddhist Asia, as well as the "jewel in the crown" of early Indian art. A lot of surviving sculptures from the site are now in different museums, including in Chennai, London and Amaravati itself.
- 2 Amareswara Temple (2 km (1.2 mi) from Amaravathi Bus Station). Serves Lord Amareswara, has a history of about 2,000 years.
- 3 Dhyana Buddha Statue (3 km from bus station). This 38 m (125 ft) tall statue of the Buddha in a meditative (Dhyana) position was completed in 2015 to celebrate the Buddhist heritage of the city in ancient times.
Eastern suburbs
[edit]- 4 Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Mangalagiri. One of the eight sacred places of Lord Vishnu in India. It is also known for being one of the eight mahakshetras Narasimha in India. The hill where the temple is on used to be an active volcano. It is at an altitude of 30 m (98 ft) above the sea level. Here at the temple, jaggery water is offered to the lord by the devotees. According to the ancient scriptures, the lord has been worshipped since Satya Yuga (The first of the four yugas). In the downhill, there is another temple dedicated to Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. It is said that Yudhishthira (Dharmaraju, the eldest of the Pandavas) installed the main deity in this temple. The temple has a very tall tower with a beautiful sculpture, which has 11 stairs.
- 5 Prakasam Barrage. Built across the river Krishna connecting this city with Vijayawada, Prakasam Barrage has created a panoramic lake.
- 6 Sitanagaram. on the banks of river Krishna with a vast sandy beach for recreation and leisure. The famous Someswara Swamy temple is situated here. According to the legend, Lord Rama wept here for Sita when she was abducted by Ravana, hence the name Sitanagaram.
- 7 Undavalli Caves. These caves are said to have been carved in the 7th century AD. Buddhist monks used this two-storeyed cave structure as a rest house during the monsoon. A huge monolith of the Lord Anantha Padmanabha Swamy in reclining posture is a magnificent sight.
- 8 Pedavadlapudi (Village with Jasmine and Cauliflower). A sixth-century town, used to be famous for oranges. Now, it is very famous for curry leaves. Other crops like rice, cauliflower, bananas, flowers, and vegetables are the main crops. The village contains 75% Hindus, but there are also Muslims and followers of other religions.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]- 1 Lemon Market, Rayapudi. Sa-Th 9AM-5PM, F open 24 hours.
Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]- 1 Pragathi Wines, Amaravathi Rd. Daily 10AM-9PM.
Sleep
[edit]There are several accommodations in the old town as well as the eastern suburbs.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]- Guntur — the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh and home to many ancient and archaeological sites and temples. It is south of Amaravati.
- Vijayawada — the second largest city in Andhra Pradesh. It is north of Amaravati, opposite the Krishna River.