NELLORE

NELLORE– ANDHRA PRADESH TRAVEL GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

The most highly populated state in southern India and the land simultaneously of the Telugu and the Charminar, Andhra Pradesh on the Bay of Bengal offers a plethora of the most diverse tourist experiences. From dilapidated fortresses to untamed wilderness, magnificent monuments to rustic tribal villages, Andhra Pradesh has it all. Home also to a bipolar communal environment, Tourism of Andhra Pradesh has always been a flourishing industry and still has not lost any of the attention due to it. The Nellore District owes its nomenclature to its sumptuous paddy fields. Nelli in Tamil means paddy and therefore Nellore. Nellore was originally part of the composite Madras state until October 1, 1953. On November 1, 1956, when the states were reorganized on a linguistic basis, the district was transferred to Andhra Pradesh. Potti Sriramulu, a Telugu patriot and activist from Nellore fasted to death for formation of the Andhra Pradesh state. A tour to Nellore is tour down the history lane and means a close glance at the suburban life in Andhra Pradesh.

History

Nellore is quite a historically significant Telugu city. Nellore has been under the rule of the Pallavas, Cholas, Kakatitayas and Vijayanagara Empire in its history. The city was most famous in 13th century as the hometown of Tikkana Somayaji who translated the Mahabharat into Telugu. The city was then known as Vikrama SimhaPuri, and was the capital of King Manuma Siddhi. Tikkana, a minister in the court of Manuma Siddhi developed friendly relations with mighty Kakatiya kings with his poetry and was instrumental in getting military support from Warangal to protect his kingdom. Molla, the first Telugu poetess had also written the Telugu Ramayan here.

How to Reach :

1.By Road :

There are so many buses connecting Nellore from Chennai and Hyderabad. There are 2 main bus stations available to connect rural areas of district called PSR Bus Station (more recognized as Atmakur bus stand) and RTC Bus Stand. All APSRTC buses to Hyderabad and Chennai start from RTC bus stand. There are also many private luxury bus services available to connect Hyderabad and Chennai from the Railway station area. Buses of Tamil Nadu state road transport corporations start from Madras bus stand very close to the RTC bus stand and they operate mainly to Chennai.

2.By Train :

Direct railway services are available from Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore.

3.By Air:

The nearest airport with vast connectivity to the rest of India and other parts of the world is Chennai (Madras) about 177 kilometers south of Nellore on NH5. You also have the Tirupati airport that is about 130 kilometers south-west; however the connectivity to Tirupati airport is limited to Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam and other cities in AP.

Best Time to Visit :

A popular tourist destination in Andhra Pradesh state, Nellore can best be explored in the winter months of October to April. The temperatures do not generally fall below 20 degree Celsius and the weather is pleasant for sightseeing and exploring the prime attractions of Nellore. The days is quite pleasant and the night are a bit chilly at this time. It is best to avoid the months from April till June, the summer season when the temperatures rise up to 39 degree Celsius. This time is not recommended as the weather is dry and hot. July and September are the monsoon months when the town receives rainfall. If you do not have problems with rain, you can visit Nellore at this time.

Places to Visit :

Places to visit include temples such as Jonnavada/Narasimhaswamy Temple, Ramalingeswara Temple in Nellore besides several other temples in towns across Nellore district. There is a “dargah” called the barah shaheed dargah which is very popular around this part of the world.

Ranganatha Temple: The most famous temple on the southern bank of the River Pennar, the Galigopuram of the temple is 29 m high and has seven gold Kalasams. The most beautiful chamber of the temple is the Addalamantapam (mirror parlor), walled with high-class mirrors arranged at proper angles to reflect only the deity seated in an elevated ornate seat for the Lord in the centre.

Mypadu Beach: Located about 25km away from Nellore city, Mypadu beach is one Andhra’s most picturesque beaches. The tree-lined golden sandy beach slips into the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal sea. Bask in the sun or bathe in the sea or take walk along the beach; round up your visit with a snack break at the beachside stalls. The speedboats are the newest addition.