Sunday, January 17, 2016

Kolanupaka Jain Temple Nalgonda district of Telangana,Andhra Pradesh

Kolanupaka Jain Temple

  • Destination: Nalgonda

Location

Kolanupaka or Kulpak, is a village situated in the Nalgonda district of Telangana, 82 km away from the district headquarters.Kolanu means a pond and Paka means a hut, this place was once full of ponds, hence it was named Kolanupaka.This place is famous for the Kolanupaka Temple, a Jain Shrine. The temple is said to be 2000 years old. It presently houses idols of the three Jain Tirthankaras namely of Lord Rishabha, Lord Neminath and Lord Mahavira. The temple is also known as Kulpakji Jain Temple. The idol of Lord Rishabha carved of a green stone has been historically famous as Manikyaswami. This place also served as substitute capital of Kalyani Chalukyas dynasty during 11th century.

History Of The Temple

This religious place contains much ancient importance. A number of Jain antiquities have been found in Kulpak. It is said that that Kolanupaka flourished as Jain center during the Rashtrakutas period. Near about 20 Jain inscriptions have been also found there. Through these inscriptions, we came to know about that Kulpak was the major center of KranurGana of MulaSangh, an ancient Jain monastic order. A Manastambha was also found with inscriptions of 1125 AD. A 12th century inscription also tells us about Meghachadra Siddhanta deva who entered Sallekhana, a Jain religious ritual of suicide by fasting. However, after 1276 AD, the Jain activities heavily declined. Then, in 1711 AD, the Jain activity was again re-established and with that temple of Manikyaswami was also renovated and a boundary wall was erected. According to a legend, Mandodari, wife of Ravana was the true worshipper of Manikyaswami. The idol is said to be brought here by ruler Sankar of Kalyana.
The main temple is believed to be built by Bharata Chakravarti, son of King Dushyanta and Queen Sakuntala of Hastinapur and the descendant of the Lunar dynasty of Kshatriya Varna. He conquered all of Greater India, united them into a single political entity which was named after him as Bharatvarsa. Jainism was prevalent in Andhra before 4th century and due to its rich history, Kolanupaka remains one of prominent Jainism center from early times.

Construction Of The Temple

The first Tirthankara in the Jain religion was Lord Rishabha, who is popularly known as Lord Adinath also. It is believed that original idol of Lord Adinath, locally known as Manikya Deva, made Kolanupaka its abode by itself. On both sides of the temple, there are eight idols of the other Jain Tirthankaras. The idol of Lord Mahavira is 130 cm tall and is made of single piece of jade. Every Jain Tirthankara has a unique identity like Lord Mahavira is depicted with the lion and Lord Rishabha with the bull on their pedestals and Lord Parshawnath with a multiple headed cobra acting as an umbrella. Idols of Lord Simandar Swami and Goddess Padmavati can be seen on the either sides of the main temple. The temple was recently renovated by calling 150 artisians from Rajasthan and Gujarat. A complete new temple was built around the existing towers and the old garbhagraha was preserved.Kulpakji is the major pilgrimage center for the Svetambara Jains of South India.

Best Time To Visit

October to April

Temple Timings

Temple remains open for public between 6 AM to 7 PM every day.
Fordarshan, one needn’t necessarily take a bath, but if one wants to dopooja, it is mandatory that one should take a bath before going inside the chamber of Tirthankaras and touch the statue of the deity. Also, in order to dopooja, one has to wear the acceptable clothing, dhotis or panchas for men and sarees for women. The clothes need to be clean, washed and unused for any purpose other than performing poojas.

Official Website

There is no official website of this temple.

Transportation

By Air

Nearest Airport is at Hyderabad, 100 km away from the temple and is well connected to major cities of India and abroad.

By Train

Aler is the nearest railway station, which is just 8 km away from Kolanupaka and is well connected to Hyderabad. The major railway junctions near to the temple are Secunderabad (76 km) and Warangal (84 km).

By Road

APSRTC buses are available at regular intervals from Hyderabad and Warangal to Aler. From there, catch a private vehicle to reach Kolanupaka.

Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple, Karimnagar, Vemulawada ,Andhra Pradesh


Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple

  • Destination: Karimnagar, Vemulawada

HY02-TEMPLE_1570645fLocation

Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple is a holy place located at Vemulawada, 36km away from district headquarters of Karimnagar. Vemulwada town is named after the famous poet Vemulawada Bheemakavi who lived there during 11thcentury and composed various poetic works in Chaatuvu style. The temple’s presiding deity is Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. According to the beliefs of the locality, every God is called here as Rajana. To the left of the presiding deity is the idol of Sri Lakshmi SahithaSiddiVinayaka (LaksmiGanpathi) and to the right is the idol of Sri Raja Rajeshwari Devi. Apart from Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu is also worshipped here. The complex of this temple is popular by the name of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swami Temple Complex.

History

This complex comprises of several small temples of various Gods and Goddesses like Goddess Mahalakshmi, Goddess Durga, Lord Ganapathi, Lord PadamanabhaSwamy and Lord Bhimeshwara. Interestingly, there is also a small Muslim Mosque inside the temple which was built as a tribute to a muslim devotee of Lord Shiva who lived for many years in the temple surroundings and breathed his last inside the temple. In real sense, this temple is meeting point of various religious faiths and opinions, irrespective of caste and creed. In the temple premises, there is a holy tank called Dharma Gundam which is used by devotees for taking a dip before proceeding to Darshan of Lord Shiva. There is a historical story related to the origin of how the temple and holy tank was built. Once upon a time a king named Sri Raja Narendra came to this place in search of hunting wild animals. But accidentally, he killed a Brahman boy who was drinking water from the pond. As a result, he got cursed with an incurable disease and to get rid of his wrong deeds, he went on pilgrimage to many holy places and returned back to this place. Then one day, he drank the holy water from Dharma Gundam and slept the night praying the Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy. Then Lord Shiva came to his dreams that night and asked him to take Lord’s existence (lingam) from the Dharma Gundam and put it in the temple. Then he cleaned Lord’s lingam and built a temple on the hill to keep the lingam inside it. But while he was sleeping, the holy priests came and established the Lord’s idol inside the temple that night. After knowing this, King got disheartened as he missed the chance of establishing the Shivalingam. Then, the other night, Lord Shiva again comes back into his dreams and promises him that his name will be associated with this place forever. Thereafter, he also got cured from his incurable disease.

Construction

The temple is said to be built by Chalukya Kings during 750 AD-975 AD. Neither the exact time of construction of the temple is known nor is the name of the particular king available as constructor of temple. The temple is famous for its Mirror Gallery (AddalaMantap) and a large corridor which consists of various idols of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The internal decoration with such magnificent architectural carvings is rarely seen in the temples of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Dharma Gundam has the holy water which is believed to have medicinal properties. There are three mandapas on the Dharma Gundam and statue of Lord Eshwara sitting in a meditation posture with five lingas resides in the middle surrounding the holy tank.

Some Interesting Facts

There are many myths and legends related to this temple. One legend said that, once upon a time God Indra after killing Vrithasura went to many holy places and still could not purify his life. Then as per the advice from Bruhaspathi, the guru of Gods, he visited this holy place. Then he visited the temple and took the holy dip in Dharma Gundam and took the blessings of Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara and hence got purified. By this ancient story, history gives us the evidence of existence of Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara in all yugas.

Best Time To Visit

October to March and August
Thousands of Pilgrims from all over the country flock here especially during the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri and Kalyanotsavam of the deity and also during the SravanaMasa in August.Special darshans and poojas are held to mark this festivity.

Temple Timings

Temple remains open from 4AM to 9PM. There are various sevas/poojas conducted at specific time. One can check the information about the timings from the temple’s official website.

Official Website

For more details about the temple, visit www.vemulawadatemple.org

Transportation

By Air

Hyderabad Airport is the nearest one, located at around 200 km from the temple and is connected to major cities of India and abroad.

By Train

Warangal and Kazipet are the nearest broad gauze railway stations and Kamareddy is the nearest meter gauze railway station.Warangal, Kazipet are the major junctions, 100 km away which are connected to Hyderabad and all other major cities of India. Kamareddy is located on NH-7 and is around 70 kms from the temple which also connects Hyderabad and other major cities of India.

By Road

APSRTC buses are available which link this temple directly to the major cities of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Local transport is also available in the form of taxis and tourist cabs.

Draksharamam Temple East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh


Draksharamam Temple

  • Destination: East Godavari

Location

Draksharamam Temple is located at the Draksharamam village in Ramachandrapuram Mandal of the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated 34 km away from Kakinada, its district headquarters. It lies on the eastern banks of Godavari River. It is one of the Pancharama Kshetras dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is popularly known as “Lord Bhimeshwara Swamy Temple”. It is considered highly sacred place, next only to Benaras, in context to Shiva temples in the whole country. That’s why, this place is also known as “Dakshina Kashi”.

History of the Temple

There are many myths and legends associated to the temple. According to one legend, there was a king named Daksha Prajapati held a great Yagna in order to humiliate his son-in-law, Lord Shiva. All Gods were invited to this holy procession except Lord Shiva and his daughter, Sati. Though uninvited, Sati attended the Yagna. She was humiliated after seeing on her arrival that no one from the family greeted her and asked for her well being. Therefore, Sati subjected herself to self immolation and fell down dead instead of facing her husband with a fallen face. Thus, the place came to be known as Daksha Vatika and later as Draksharamam. When Lord Shiva came to know about her tragic end, he went down to her dead body and danced in Pralaya Tandava. At this point of time, to calm Lord Shiva’s grief, Lord Vishnu sent down his Chakra and cut down the body of Sati into 18 pieces which fell in 18 different parts at different places. Sri Manikyamba of Draksharamam is the Twelfth, out of the 18 pieces that fall on earth. One legend also says that Sage Vyasa did penance at this site only and installed the Shiva Lingam.
This temple is said to be built by Eastern Chalukya Kings between the 9th and 10th century when their kingdom was under attack by the Rashtrakootas. They fought as many as 350 battles between them. The temple contains more than 400 inscriptions dated back to the 11th century.

Architecture of the Temple

The temple has two Prakarams. The outer Prakaram has four entrances, each with a gopuram. The west gopuram is a five tiered one. The inner Prakaram has its entrance towards South and exhibits a two storied verandah in its premises. The typical Chalukyan art and architecture can be seen in the Mukha Mandapam. Thera are also various shrines inside the temple dedicated to Ganapati, Lakshmi Narayana, Navgrahas and Sankaranarayana.
The main sanctum sanctorum is two storied. The walls surrounding both levels are engraved with exquisite work and art. The two separate stairs will lead you to the upper level of sanctum where the main deity of Lord Bhimeshwara is enshrined in the form of 10 feet high Shiva Lingam. Goddess Manikyamba is Lord Shiva’s consort here. The inner sanctum is very dark. Legends say that there were diamonds inside the inner walls of the temple which provided the required light in ancient times. But, when Aurangzeb invaded the temple to take all the riches, all the diamonds got converted into stones. The diamond shape rocks inside the inner sanctum are the proof of this happening. There is also a small temple inside the temple that is said to be for the tiny creatures that inhabit the land. This temple boasts a rich history and it has also witnessed different rulers over the centuries, right from the Cholas to Vijayanagara and Reddy kingdoms. The Shashanas written on the stone walls of the temple depict this fact.

Best Time to Visit

October to April
Maha Shivaratri is the main festival celebrated here. Thousands of devotees flock to this temple during this time.

Temple Timings

Daily Dharma Darshanam: 6AM to 7AM and 7.00PM to 8.00PM
Wednesdays: 6AM to 11:30AM and 3PM to 8PM
Rest of the days: 6AM to 12PM and 3PM to 8PM

Transportation

By Air

Rajahmundry Airport is the nearest one, 63 km away from the temple and has daily flights to Hyderabad. Nearest major International Airport is at Visakhapatnam (190 km), which is well connected to major cities of India and abroad.

By Rail

Draksharamam has its own railway station and has direct train to Kakinada Town. The major railway junction is at Kakinada Town (31 km) and Samalkota (43 km), which are well connected to the major cities of India.

By Road

APSRTC operates regular buses that ply to Draksharamam from major cities of the state like Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

Talakona Waterfalls Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh


Talakona Waterfalls

  • Destination:
Talakona Waterfall is located in Sri Venkateswara National Park near Nerabailu village in Yerravaripalem Mandal in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is the highest waterfall of the state with a height of 270 feet. Talakona is also popular for Lord Siddheswara Swamy Temple which is in close vicinity to the waterfall.
It is a serene place well bestowed with thick forests, rich greenery, exquisite waterfalls and exotic wildlife. This place is in amidst of soothing and peaceful atmosphere. Due to rich variety of flora and fauna, this site was declared as the Biosphere Reserve in 1989-90. Locals living nearby believe that the water of the Talakona comes from an underground stream which suddenly surfaces here and has immense healing power as it flows through lot of herbs which contains high medicinal values. There is a huge variety of sandalwood trees and medicinal plants in this region. It is considered home for endangered species like Chital, Sambar, Mouse Deer, Indian Giant Squirrel, Slender Loris and Golden Gecko. Giant plants like Enteda and Red Sander are also found in this region.
There is also a long and perilous trekking route which leads you to top of the hill; there are multiple trek paths, you can choose any one of it. Talakona hills are said to be the part of mighty Eastern Ghats geographically. To give a unique and thrilling experience to the tourists, there is a 240 metre long canopy rope walk, which is about 35 to 40 feet in height. There are also deep small caves dotted over the mountains. It is said that the sages used to meditate eternally in this caves during ancient times. A Bathing Ghat is under construction near the canopy walk area where the stream of water flows. This beautiful picnic spot will surely amuse and excite you.

Best Time to Visit

November to January

Timings

Open throughout the day for the tourists. There is no particular timings to visit the waterfalls.

Official Website

For more details about the place and accommodation, visit www.seshachalavanadarshani.com.

Transportation

By Air

Tirupati Airport is the nearest one, 74 km away from the site and has well connected flights to Hyderabad. Nearest International Airport is Chennai (200km), which is connected to all major cities of India and abroad.

By Rail

Nearest Railway Station is at Tirupati, 58 km away, which is well connected to all the major cities of India.

By Road

APSRTC operates regular bus services to Tirupati and Chittoor from major cities and towns of the state. You can hire a taxi or a mini bus to Talakona Waterfall from the above cities mentioned. The best way to reach the site is by your own means of transport like car.

Dwaraka Tirumala Temple West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh,India

Dwaraka Tirumala Temple

  • Destination: West Godavari

Location

Dwaraka Tirumala Temple, also known as Sri Venkateswara Swamivari Devasthanam, is located at the Dwaraka Tirumala village in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. It is the holy abode of Lord Venkateswara and a popular pilgrimage centre of India. It is around 40 km from Eluru, its district headquarters. This place is also known as “Chinna Tirupati” by the devotees. Lord Venkateswara is also called as “Kaliyuga Vaikuntha Vasa” by the local pilgrims.

History of the Temple

This place was named after a saint Dwaraka, who found the self manifested idol of Lord Venkateswara after the great penance at Valmikam, an ant hill. The region is garlanded by two great Indian rivers namely Krishna and Godavari. Dwarka Tirumala is a very ancient temple according to the Puranas. It has its origin in Kruta Yuga. According to Brahma Purana, Aja Maharaja (Grandfather of Lord Rama) also worshipped Lord Venkateswara. He crossed the temple of Dwaraka when he was on his way to Swayamvaram of Indumati. He did not stop at the temple that time. The bride Indumati welcomed him but he had to face the fury of the kings who came for Swayamvaram in form of a battle. He apprehended that the battle was plunged on him for ignoring the temple on the way. Hence, he realises his mistake and pleaded for forgiveness to Lord Venkateswara. Suddenly, rest of the kings stopped the battle. Soon after that, he went to the temple and seeked Lord’s blessing.

Construction of the Temple

On entering the sanctum sanctorum, one can feel the divine and soothing atmosphere of the temple. There are two main idols under one Vimana Sikharam. One is the full statue and other one is the half statue of the upper portion of the Lord. The upper portion of the Lord in half statue is a self manifested idol located by sage Dwaraka. The idol is visible till the bosom and lower part is regarded to be submerged in the Earth. The saints thought that prayers are not complete without Lord’s holy feet, therefore Srimad Ramanuja, a social reformer during 11th century installed the full size idol of Lord Venkateswara at the back of the main idol.
There are many shrines dedicated to different forms of God in the temple complex. The temple has been rebuilt and renovated several times over the centuries. The magnificent structures of the temple like Vimana, Gopura, Mantapa and Prakara are attributed to be made by Dharma Appa Rao (1762-1827). The various Silver vahanas and golden ornaments were gifted by a beautiful queen, Rani Chinnamma Rao of Mylavaram, Krishna district (1877-1902). The main Rajgopuram exhibits five storeys and faces the southern direction. The other three ‘gopurams’ are illuminating the other three sides of the temple. The Vimana is in the form of Nagara style. The old Mukhamantapa has been restored and extended. The entire huge complex has been tiled with sandstone. A variety of flower trees and stones enrich the site with their peaceful and exotic appearance.

Best Time to Visit

October to April

Temple Timings

The temple remains open for pilgrims from 4AM to 9PM every day.
Darshanam timings are from 6AM to 1PM, 3PM to 5:30PM and 7PM to 9PM every day.

Official Website

For more details about the temple, visit www.dwarakatirumala.org .

Transportation

By Air

Vijayawada Airport is the nearest one, 80 km away from the temple and has well connected flights with major cities of India.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is at Bhimadole, 15 km away and lies on Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam rail route. But only passenger trains halt here. Major railway junction is at Eluru, which is well connected to major cities of India.

By Road

APSRTC runs regular bus services to Eluru from major cities of the state. After reaching Eluru, you can opt for a bus or hire a taxi to Dwaraka Tirumala.

Mahanandi Temple ,Kurnool,India

Mahanandi Temple

  • Destination: Kurnool

Location

Mahanandi Temple is located at Mahanandi village near Nandyal town in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is also known as “Sri Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple”. It is surrounded by Nallamala Hills which range towards east and encircled by thick forests. This temple is one of the nine Nandi temples, which are referred to as Nava Nandis. Nandi denotes a bull that is the sacred vehicle of Lord Shiva. The other eight Nandi temples are situated within the range of 15 km radius from this temple. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva.

History of the Temple

According to a legend, there was a King named Nanda who was the ruler of Nandyal in ancient time. He thought of performing Abhishekam to Lord Shiva. His thought was taken care of and as a result, hundreds of cows were being brought from Gopavaram for this cause. The main supply to the king among all the cows was from the lone black cow. After few days, it was noticed that this cow was coming empty everyday and its milk production also get lessened. To see the main reason of it, the cowherd followed the cow one day and he hides beneath a bush. He was astonished to see the cow’s milk oozing out on anthill and saw Lord Krishna in the form of young child drinking that milk. The king was amazed after hearing this and to get glimpse of it, he followed the cow next day. As usual, the cow did the same routine. The king after witnessing this miracle was overjoyed and therefore, trampled upon some provisions. As a result, the child disappeared and the cow embossed the anthill in fright. Then, the king realises his mistake and asked Lord Shiva to forgive him. Pleased with the King’s devotion, Lord Shiva appeared in his dream and told him that the anthill will cool down and would become a Swayambhu Lingam at Mahanandi. The king started worshipping lord Shiva at this place and constructed the temple.
The imprints of the cow can be still seen on top of the anthill. The temple is ancient in much sense and dates back over 1500 years. It is said that Devashilpis, the architect of Gods, reconstructed this temple during 10th century. The temple is rebuilt and repaired several times over the centuries.

Construction of the Temple

The temple has a glorious architecture. It has a Nandi bull statue at the entrance and therefore this place is also known as Mahanandi Tirtha. You can see the Nandi from each and every part of the village as it is so huge. It is said that this is the world’s biggest Nandi statue. After passing the Nandi at the entrance, you will find two eternal pools with crystal clear water in them. By walking a little further, one will see the second prakara (temple compound) and then, 60 square feet large Pushkarani or Kalyani (Holy water tank) with a Mantapam (Pavilion like structure) at its centre. A small Shiva Linga is installed in this Mantapam.
This temple is known for its curative and miraculous powers found within this holy tank. The inlets and outlets of the tank are constructed in such a way that the depth of the water remains constant at 5 feet for the devotees to take a bath in. The interesting thing is that this holy water is cold during the summer and hot in winter naturally. The devotees can touch the Shiva Linga here, which is unusual as in other Shiva temples; devotees can’t touch the main deity.
If you want some peace and want to witness the nature exotica, do visit Mahanandi.

Best Time to Visit

October to March

Temple Timings

Temple remains open for pilgrims from 5:30AM to 9PM every day.

Transportation

By Air

Hyderabad Airport is the nearest one, 290 km away from the temple and has well connected flights to major cities of India and abroad.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is at Nandyal, which is just 20 km away and is well connected to major cities of India.

By Road

APSRTC operate regular buses that ply to Nandyal and Kurnool from major cities of the state. From there, you can go by a bus or taxi to Mahanandi.

Borra Cavesc, Araku, Visakhapatnam


Borra Caves

  • Destination: Araku, Visakhapatnam

Location

Borra Caves are located in the Ananthagiri hills amidst the Araku valley of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated 85 km away from its district headquarters. The caves are referred to as “Borra Guhalu” in local language. It is one of the largest caves in term of size and the deepest caves in terms of depth in the whole country. It occupies an area of about 2 square km. The Caves are situated at an elevation of about 705 metres above the sea level and distinctly exhibits a variety of impressive speleothems ranging from very tiny to huge and irregularly shaped stalactites and stalagmites. The Caves are mainly bestowed with Karstic limestone structures extending to a depth of 80 metres.

Formation of the Caves

The natural formations of Borra Caves are solitary and breathtakingly awe-inspiring. These limestone caves were formed as a result of the action of the Gosthani River. It is believed that the river once flowed over this limestone area and then due to the pressure exerted by the river water on the mineral deposits, the limestone got dissolved and gradually the caves were formed. It was an indeed a two-way process. The dissolved limestone drizzled down drop by drop on the floor of the cave and gets thickened to form irregularly shaped stalagmites. Similarly, some of the water drops from the roof congealed to form stalactites. As the time went by, these calcium deposits of stalactites and stalagmites grew downwards and upwards respectively, and at some levels touched each other to form different formation inside the caves. While some of the deposits are formed into fantastic structures, acquiring a religious significance over a period of time among the people and on the other side, some deposits are weird in shape.
According to a legend, there is a Shiva Lingam inside the caves on which one can see a stone formation of a cow. It is said that the udder of this cow is the source of the Gosthani River which originates from here; flourish through Vizianagram and Visakhapatnam districts before draining into the Bay of Bengal near Bheemunipatnam. This river is the source of water supply to Visakhapatnam city.
The Caves came into existence in 1807 and was discovered by William King George from the Geological Survey of India team. The fauna observed in the caves are bats and the golden gecko. The type of bat most found in and around the cave is the fulvous fruit bat which roosts in large caves, old buildings and dark areas of old forts. This species has short and slim musculature with large eyes. They feed on flowers and fruits, particularly jamun, guava and mango. The forests in the area are of semi-evergreen deciduous type. The flora in the cave consists of mosses and brown-to-green algae. There is also mushroom formation inside the cave. Mining operations are considered to be in violation of the Environmental Protection Act so as to protect the endangered species found in this area.
A walk around the caves provides a picturesque view of the mountainous area which is rich in flora and fauna. APTDC has installed 26 mercury, sodium vapour and halogen electric lamps, which provide magnificent views of the formations inside the cave. Geologists and tourists visiting the caves are enthralled by the lighted caves.
The famous Araku and Borra rail-cum-road package tour organized by the APTDC is available from Visakhapatnam for tourists who are keen to see the Borra caves.

Details

Taluka: Ananthagiri Area: Visakhapatnam
Cave Timings: 10 AM-5:30 PM (On All Days)

Fast Facts

State: Andhra Pradesh District: Visakhapatnam
Languages: Telugu, English Weather: 18°C to 32°C
Best Time to Visit: November-February
STD Code: 08936 Pin Code: 535145

How to Reach

By Air

Visakhapatnam Airport is the nearest one, 77 km away from the caves and has direct flights to major cities of India and abroad.

By Rail

Borra Guhalu is the nearest railway station, which is located in very close vicinity to the cave. It is directly connected to Visakhapatnam. Travelling by train is the best means of transport as you will witness the train passing through the Eastern Ghats, crossing 30 tunnels and dense vegetation to reach Borra Caves. It lies on the Kothavalasa-Kirandul rail route. Major railway junction is at Visakhapatnam, which is well connected to major cities of India.

By Road

APSRTC buses and private taxis are available that ply to Borra Caves from Visakhapatnam. The journey is of about 3 hours via the scenic Ghat Road.

Distance from Nearby Cities

Visakhapatnam – 85 km
Vijayawada – 415 km
Bhubaneswar – 447 km
Hyderabad – 656 km