Indian
States
Andhra Pradesh
Horsely
Hills
The
famous hill resort in Andhra Pradesh is 144 km from Tirupati.
Situated at an altitude of 1265 mts., Horsely Hills are
delightfully cool and beautiful. The nearest railhead to Horsely
Hills is Madanapalle Road, 43 kms., from the spot.
Horsley
hills is an ideal place to visit to beat the heat of summer.
It has a maximum temperature of 32c and a minimum of 20c in summer.
Horsley Hills are named after W. D. Horsley, collector of Cuddapah
district, who made this beautiful hill resort his summer residence.
From then on, it became a frequently visited spot. The fresh and
unadulterated air, the beautiful landscape with lush green vegetation
ensures a perfect peace of mind and heavenly bliss. As one proceeds
towards the hills one comes across the trees of Rita, Shikakai,
Amla, Beedi, Bay leaves, Sandalwood, Red sanders, Mahogany and
Bamboo. Besides, there are also forest denizens like bears, wild
dogs, jungle fowls, Sambar and Panthers. The Chenchu tribes inhabit
Horsley hills in large numbers. The famous variety of Pungannur
cows, which consume less fodder and yield more milk are found
here. Another attraction of Horsley Hills is the 150 year old
Eucalyptus tree. There is a dense growth of Eucalyptus, Jacaraida,
Allamanda, Gulmohar and other species bordering the narrow road.
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Chandragiri
Fort
Located just 20 kms off Tirupati, Chandragiri Fort
is a living testimony to the greatness of the Vijayanagara empire.
Built on a huge rock about 56 mts. high, the fort has the remains
of palaces and temples of the Vijayanagar era.
Chandragiri
is the former capital of the Vijayanagara empire. The massive
fort in Chandragiri is built on a huge rock about 56 mt high.
The fort has palaces and temples. These royal and religious structures
are impressive and attractive with their towers, arcades, gopuras
and verandahs. The palace named, Raja Mahal is associated with
Venkatapatideva, the Aravidu ruler. It is an outstanding specimen
of the Vijayanagara palace architecture. It consists of three
storeys. Close by, there is another palace named Rani Mahal. It
is two storied and the lower storey served as the gateway. There
is a domed chamber and an arcaded verandah attached to the upper
storey. At end of the village of Chandragiri is the Kodandarama
temple.
Lepakshi
Lepakshi houses the famous Veerabhadra temple and the astounding
monolothic Nandi, that has come to symbolize not only the Shaivite
culture in South India but also the very cultural heritage of
Andhra Pradesh. Easily accessible from Tirupati, this religious
center of the finest temple architecture and paintings. The famous
Veerabhadra temple is built in the Vijayanagara style. As per
local legend, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married in this temple
at portion called Kalyan Mandapa The nearest railhead to Lepakshi
is Hindupur, which is 16 kms. away, on the Hyderabad – Bangalore
line.
Puttaparthi
Prasanthi Milayam, the main ashram of Shri Sathya Sai Baba,
is in Puttaparthi. Sai Baba's followers are predominantly
Indian but he also has many western devotees, among them the founder
of the Hard Rock Cafe franchise. Known as the Adobe of highest
Peace, the ashram is spacious and beautiful with good food and
accommodation- at least when the numbers aren't overwhelming.
Sai Baba spends most of the year here but sometimes moves to Whitefields
Ashram near Bangalore in neighbouring Karnataka or Kodaikanal
in Tamil Nadu during the hot, dry season.
Sri
Padmavathi Ammavari Temple :
Sri Padmavathi is the goddess of abundance and prosperity. This
temple is down the hill from the main temple. There are images
of Lord Hanuman the monkey god, Lord Krishna and others in the
white pillared hall.
Sila
Thoranam :
Sila Thoranam is a natural rock formation, few kilometers up the
hill from the temple. It is the only one of its kind in Asia.
It is believed to be the place, where the deity Lord Venkateshwara
descended to earth. There are rock impressions of foot and wheel
behind the arch. According to the mythology, the foot belongs
to Lord Vishnu.
Narayanagiri
:
The highest point on Tirumala is called Narayanagiri. From
here, you can have a panoramic view of the landscape.
Padmavathi
Temple
At the foot of the Tirumala Hill stands the more modest Padmavathi
Ammavari Temple, dedicated to the consort of Venkateshwara. Unlike
most Hindu temples where the spouses are worshipped together,
in Tirupati Venkateshwara and Padmavathi have separate
homes. It is said that one's pilgrimage to Tirupati is complete
only after visiting both the temples.
