Andhra Pradesh Tours
Andhra Pradesh abbreviated A.P., is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the country's southeastern coast. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh is bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the east, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west. Once approved by parliament the state of Telangana will come in existence with 10 districts, remaining part (including Rayalaseema) will still be called the state of Andhra Pradesh which will have 13 districts in it. Hyderabad (Part of Telangana) will be the common capital for both of the states for 10 years.
Andhra Pradesh has the longest coastline of 972 km (604 mi) among all the states of India. Two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna, run across the state. The small enclave (30 square kilometres (12 sq mi)) of Yanam, a district of Pondicherry, lies in the Godavari delta in the northeast of the state. The state comprises four regions: Telangana, Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra. The state's most populous cities are Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Warangal and Nellore (2011 census).
It was called Dakshina Padh during those days. Historians felt that Andhras, Pulindas, Sabaras, and many other sects lived in Dakshina Padh. But it is only in the Mauryan age that one gets historical evidence of the Andhras as a political power in the southeastern Deccan. Megasthenese, who visited the Court of Chandragupta Maurya (B.C.322--297), mentioned that Andhra country had 30 fortified towns and an army of 1,00,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants. Buddhist books reveal that Andhras established their kingdoms on the Godavari belt at that time. Asoka referred in his 13th rock edict that Andhras were his subordinates.
The Kakatiya dynasty was uprooted in 1323, following the capture of their ruler by Tughlak Sultan of Delhi. After the end of the Kakatiya dynasty, few local kingdoms rose to power in different parts of the kingdom. Among these, the Vijaynagar kingdom was the most powerful one. The great king Krishnadeva Raya belonged to that kingdom. After failing time and again against the Vijayanagar empire, the kingdom was finally captured by the Muslim invaders. In the middle of the 16th century, the state saw the emergence of the Qutb Shahi dynaty. They were defeated by the Mughals, to be precise by Aurangazeb's son. In 1707, Hyderabad was declared independent and went under the rule of the Nizams. The Nizams were great allies of the British and they helped the Europeans to defeat Tipu Sultan of Mysore.
Temples and shrines of pilgrimage are the important destinations of tourist traffic and are a big source of revenue flow. Museums and archaeological treasure houses with different galleries showcase historic and amazing collections of antiques, artifacts, weaponry and a wide range of objects that symbolize the history and culture and marvels of the territory.
There are beautiful dams, valleys, hills and ridges with the scenic dale, tranquil lake waters, swirling beach waves, meadows, resorts, hill stations, caves, virgin forests, sanctuaries and national parks which a visitor can enjoy to his heart's content.
Area: 275,045 Sq km (106,195 sq mi)
Latitudinal parallel: 17.366 North
Longitudinal meridian: 78.476 East
Average Temperature: 41oC (Max) - usually in May - Jun, 20oC (Min) - usually in Dec - Jan
Rainfall: Normal.
Monsoon: July to mid-September
Population: 84,655,533 (Census 2011)
Best time to visit: October to March
STD Code: 040
Languages: Kannada,Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, Hindi, Urdu, Oriya
Religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Islams, Jainism.
