Guntur
Location: In Andhra Pradesh, India.
Significance: Ancient City Founded by French.
Climate: Temperate climate with hot summers and cool winters.
Introduction
Located in the northeastern part of the Andhra Pradesh State, in the Krishna River delta, Guntur lies on the Vijayawada-Madras trunk road, about 9-km to the east of the picturesque Kondaveedu range of hills. It is the headquarters of the district of the same name. It is one of the oldest municipalities that have been constituted in 1866. The city was founded n the mid-eighth century by the French who ruled over the city for nearly ten centuries until it was ceded permanently to the British in 1788.
A part of the city, which was once the small village of 'Ramachandrapuram Agraharam', is said to be much older than Guntur as mentioned in an inscription from 1296 on a pillar in Mandapam of the Lakshminarayana Swami Temple.
An important railway junction and an important commercial centre, besides the tourist attractions of the city, Guntur is known for its rice and oil mills, cotton and tobacco curing barns. Endowed with a rich history, Guntur has played a veru important role in shaping the history and destiny of Andhra Pradesh in the past.
A centre for Buddhism in the early centuries, it is a place of many events and legends related to the endeavors of a man to reach a supreme spiritual plane. Guntur still enjoys the status of being the cultural and regional reserve of the times and is blessed with an abundance of Nature's blessings in the form of serene hills, lush green valleys, mighty rivers and beautiful beaches. Today, Guntur is world renowned for panoramic locales, delicious pickles and as a confluence of historical, religious and leisure destinations that are of interest to everybody.
1. Bhavanarayanaswami Temple:
49 km from Guntur, Bhavanarayanaswami temple at Bapatla is dedicated to Lord Bhavanarayanaswami, who came to be known as Bapatla with time. It is the most ancient and famous of all the temples in Guntur district and is of immense historical and architectural importance.
2. Buddhist Relics And Lord Amareswara Temple:
35 km from Guntur, Amaravati is home to the famous shrine of Amareswara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and the world-famous Buddhist sculptures. The three most sacred things here are Krishna River, an important 'Kshetra' with a 'Sthalamahatyam' and 'Sri Mahalinga Murthy', said to be the embodiment of the three sacred principles as one.
3. Undavalli Caves:
32 km from Guntur, the Undavalli caves located in the village of the same name display solendid rock-cut architectural and sculptural beauties. They are situated in a high hill overlooking River Krishna.
4. Lam:
8 km from Guntur on Guntur-Amaravati road, Lam is known for its Agricultural Research Station, the Government Livestock Farm and the Chillies Research Station. Another attraction here is the Bhairavakunta tank and a small stone at its side exhibiting nine idols, an image of Vinayaka and a brass image of Anjaneya along with an inscription in Sanskrit in ancient characters carved on a boulder.
5. Lord Narasimha Temple:
19 km from Guntur, the renowned temple of Lord Narasimha is located on the Hillock at Mangalagiri. The uniqueness lies in the belief of the devotees that the deity accepts only half of the quantity of the 'Panakam' (a solution of jaggery in water) offered by the devotees, irrespective of the quantity offered.
6. Nallapadu:
5 km from Guntur, Nallapadu or Narasingapuram named so after the temple of Narasimhaswami is situated on a hillock and is known for some ancient temples. The Agastheswaraswami temple featuring a decorated 'Dhvajastambham' (flag pole), carvings of five hooded `nagas' (Serpents) and idols of Siva and Bramaramba, his consort and the temple of Sankaracharya is said to belong to the ancient times.
6. Pondugala:
11 km from Guntur, Pondugala has several temples. However, most important and famous of all is the Gantala Ramalingesvara Swami Temple containing some inscriptions on its pillars in Pali. There is another temple at Bobbanagi in the nearby hamlet of Iyyagaripalem situated on the banks of Dandivagu, contains two inscriptions in Sanskrit and was declared a protected monument.
How To Reach
By Air
The nearest airport is at Gannavaram.
By Train
Guntoor has both broad gauge and meter gauge lines. An important railway junction, it is well connected to and from Macherla, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Hubli, Tenali and Repalk.
By Road
Bus services connect Guntur to and from all the important places within and outside the district, including the State headquarters
