Code District

AD Adilabad

AN Anantapur

CH Chittoor

EG East Godavari

GU Guntur

HY Hyderabad

CU Kadapa

KA Karimnagar

KH Khammam

KR Krishna

KU Kurnool

MA Mahbubnagar

ME Medak

NA Nalgonda

NE Nellore

NI Nizamabad

PR Prakasam

RA Rangareddy

SR Srikakulam

VS Vishakhapatnam

VZ Vizianagaram

WA Warangal

WG West Godavari

East Godavari District (Telugu: తూరపు గోదావరి జిల్లా ) (often abbreviated as E.G.Dist, E.G.Dt) is a district situated on the northeast of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.In Madras Presidency,The district of Rajahmundry was created in 1823.The rajahmundry district was reorganized in 1859 into two - the

Godavari and Krishna districts.Godavari district was further bifurcated into East and West Godavari districts in 1925.Its district headquarters is in Kakinada.

Very Early Hindu kingdomsThe district, like the rest of the Deccan was under the Nandas and Mauryas in its early history. After the fall of the Mauryan Empire, the district was under the Sathavahanas until the third century under the famous poet king Hala. Coins found during excavations have revealed the rule of GautamiputraSatakarni, Vasisthi-putra Pulumayi and Yajna Sri Satakarni. Gupta emperorSamudragupta invaded during the rule of both Pishtapura and Avamukta in the district in 350 A.D. Samudragupta's invasion was followed by the rule of the Mathara Dynasty from 375 to 500. The earliest known ruler of the dynasty was Maharaja Sakthi Varma.

The district passed into the hands of Vishnukundinas during the rule of Vikramendra Varma I during the 5th century. The records indicate that their domain extended over Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur Districts in addition to East Godavari District. Indra Bhattaraka defeated the rulers of Vasistha Kula and re-established Vihsnukundina authority, but was shortly defeated by Kalinga armies. Indra Bhattaraka was followed to the throne by a few others, including Madha VarmaIII and Manchanna Bhattaraka, who tried to restore their kingdom. Madhava Varma III was the last important ruler of this family.There are lot of Princely States and Zamindaris in East Godavari, who are successors to the Suryavanshi Kings of Rajputana, migrated in early 12th century. Famous Zamindarisare Peddapuram, Tuni, Ramachandrapuram. They are Vatsavai Kings and carry titles of Jagapathi's.

Since Indian independence, 1947-presentAfter India's independence in 1947, the former Madras Presidency of British India became India's Madras State. In 1953, the northern districts of Madras state, including Godavari District, became the new state of Andhra Pradesh. Yanam was relinquished by the French in 1954, but one condition of the cession treaty was the retention of the district's separate and distinct identity, which also applied to the other South Indian enclaves constituting today's Pondicherry state

Subdivisions (Mandals)The five revenue divisions are Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Rampachodavaram and Peddapuram and they consist of 60 revenue mandals in total.

AmalapuramAddateegalaAinavilliAlamuruAllavaramAmbajipetaAnapartiAtreyapuramBiccavoluDevipatnamGandepalleGangavaram

GokavaramGollaproluI.PolavaramJaggampetaKadiamKajuluruKakinada (Rural)Kakinada (Urban)

KapileswarapuramKarapaKatrenikonaKirlampudiKorukondaKotananduruKothapalleKothapetaMalikipuramMandapetaMaredumilliMummidivaramMamidikuduruP.GannavaramPamarruPedapudiPeddapuramPithapuramPrathipaduRajahmundry[ rural]

Rajahmundry(Urban)RajanagaramRajavommangiRamachandrapuramRampachodavaramRangampetaRavulapalemRayavaramRazoleRouthulapudiSakhinetipalliSamalkotaSankhavaramSeethanagaramThallarevuThondangiTuniUppalaguptamY.RamavaramYeleswaram

There are 9 municipalities in East Godavari District, out of which Kakinada and Rajahmundry are Municipal corporations.AmalapuramKakinadaMandapetaPeddapuramPithapuramRajahmundryRamachandrapuramSamalkotTuni

For details of villages in east Godavari refer http://tt-devasthanams.org:81/PDFs/EastGodavari.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Villages_in_East_Godavari_district

Yeleru Dam near Eleswaram of East Godavari District.(Some amount of drinking water from this reservoir is supplied to Visakhapatnam city)

Beauty of river Pampa near Annavaram, Andhra pradesh

view of the Pampa river from the ghat road of the Anavaram Devasthanam in East

Godavari district

AinavilliThe Famous Sri VaraSiddi Vinayaka TempleAccording to the "KSHETRA PURANA" of this place whichwas supposedly written here, Daksha Prajapathi wassupposed to have performed puja of Lord Vinayaka at thisplace praying and asking for the successful completion ofperforming Daksha YagnaAccording to another legend, it is said that VyasaMaharshi installed a Ganapathi idol here before startinghis tour of South India, thus establishing the temple withmagnificent gopurams and gateways. Built in a large,extended, and upraised area, this temple has twogopurams (towers) sculpted skillfully with tales and idolsrelated to the deity present in the temple. One can accessthis temple from two sides i.e. from the south and from theeast. One can approach from the south where it leads oneto the shrine of the presiding deity Sri Siddhi VinayakaSwamy and from the east one can approach SriVishveshwara Swamy. The presiding deity, Sri SiddhiVinayaka Swamy has been installed in a unique way i.e.in the Southwest corner facing the South direction. It isbelieved that if one installs Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Swamyfacing in the south direction, it brings wealth andprosperity.

Annavaram (Annina varam) templeAnnavaram literally means Anna (what you desire) and varam (boon) Thus as per the legend, the deity fulfills ones desire (annina varam) as a boon.Located atop the Ratnagiri hill, 300 feet above sea level, on the banks of the Pampa river , the temple of Lord Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swami and Goddess Anantalakshmi Satyavathi Ammavaru is very popular. The panaromic view of the lush green fields from the temple is breathtaking !Annavaram temple of Lord Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy is located at a distance of 125 KM from Visakhapatnam, 40 KM from Kakinada and 80 KM from Rajahmundry. National Highway number 5 passes through Annavaram. The bypass road (NH – 5) goes straight and to visit the temple take right turn in the junction near the Annavaram. It takes two and half hours from Visakhapatnam and from Rajahmundry side it will take 2 hours. Separate pooja halls are available for offering special pujas.Annavaram railway station is located at main Chennai – Howrah (Kolkatta ) railway line. Many trains stops here and from the railway station the temple is 3 KM. While going towards Chennai side this temple falls in right side and can be seen from the moving trains. Railway station and moving trains are visible from the temple also.

Vaikuntha Narayana Mahadwaram, entrance to the temple at the Foot of the hill

Annavaram (Annina varam) temple

Annavaram temple has two floors. The ground floor is for Pada darshanor to view the feet of the Lord. In the first floor the upper part of the Lord Venkata SatyanarayanaSwamy resides

According to the puranas, the presiding deity of the place blesses the devotees with Anina Varam (Wanted Boon) the place is called Annavaram.The hillock by the side of the village is considered to be very sacred. Meruvu the Lord of the hills and his consort Menaka did great penance and begot two sons by the grace of Lord Vishnu. One was named Bhadra and the other Ratnakara. Bhadra pleased Lord Vishnu with his devotion and penance and with his grace became Bhadrachalam on which Lord Sri Rama had permanently settled. Ratnakara desired to emulate his brother and succeeded in pleasing Lord Vishnu by his penance to settle on him as Veera VenkataSatyanarayana Swamy, Ratnakara remaining as Ratnagiri hill.The temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satya-narayana Swamy is the main temple on the Ratnagiri hill. There is also a temple of Sri Rama and the shrines of Vanadurga and Kanaka Durga nearby. The temple of grama-devatha (village deity) is in the village at the foot of the hill.It is said that Raja I.V. Rama-narayanam, the then zamindar of Gorsa and Kirlampudi estates, having been ordained by the Lord in his dream, traced the idol on the hill, worshipped it and installed it at the present spot on sravana suddha vidhiya of the telugu year Khara, 1891.The Vishwakarma Brahmin stapathis architectural cognizance is at its best in sculpting this temple. The hillock itself is about 300 ft above sea level, green fields all-round the hills and the pampa river encircling Ratnagiri. About 460 well laid stone steps leads to the top of it.The main temple constructed in the form of a chariot with the four wheels at each of the four corners. In front of the main temple is the kalyana mantapa, constructed and decorated with modern pieces of architecture. As we go down the way, we come across Ramalayaand then the shrines of Vana Durga and Kanaka Durga.The Akriti of any temple is, according to the Agni Purana, merely a manifestation of the Prakriti. According to this the chariot of the temple is intended as a symbol of the Seven Lokas and the seven Lokhas above with, the garbhalaya of the Lord, at the heart‖s center ruling over the entire Universe.The temple at Annavaram has been constructed to depict this idea concretely. The front side of the temple depicts the chariot. The Meruon the floor with the pillar at the center, and the idols at the top are intended to bring forth the idea that the Lord not only remains at the heart‖s center but also permeates the entire universe. The wheels depicting the Sun and the Moon serve to remind us that this Juggernaut moves on the wheels of time, and goes on for ever and ever, Thus the Annavaram temple satisfies both the ritualistic values and the spiritual aspirations of the devotees.”

Annavaram temple History

Antarvedi is situated on the banks of Vashista river which is a branch of holy river Godavari . The name Antarvedi comes as Lord Brahma made this place as "Vedic" to perform Rudra Yaga to get free from his sins .Here the temple is dedicated to Lakshmi Narayana swamy which is contructed in the year 1823 . Antervedi is also called as second varanasi in india . Here the god is most powerful and people believe there will be no rebirth if one prays the god here and attains MUKTHI . This place is considered as very sacred because of sagar sangam and also called as ―Sapta Sagara Sangham Pradesam‖.Antarvedi is famous for the Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries. There is also a temple of Lord Siva that is older than Narasimha Swamy temple. The temple‖s idol of Lord Siva was installed by Lord Srirama.Antarvedi is also famous for its unique temple known as Neelakanteswaratemple. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Shiva who is also known Neelakanta. Puranas indicate that LordBrahma has worshipped the idol of Lord Shiva at this temple and is therefore one of the famous Shiva temples in India.

Antarvedi

This temple is quite unique as it was built as per the principles enshrined in the Vedas.Antarvedi is a sacred place and is also known as Dakshin Kashi due its presence on thebanks of River Godavari. The temple of SriLakshmi Narasimha is encircled by water on allits sides and is facing towards Western direction unlike those similar temples where Godsare faced east. The temple is supposed to be built during 15 th or 16 th century. The temple issurrounded by water on all sides and was built as per the guidelines of Vedas, taking intoconsideration all the five elements of the Universe -Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space.There is a Adi Kurma statue of Lord Vishnu (Boar form of Lord Vishnu) installed at theground floor of the temple. The Goddess Tripura Sundari is the main form in the Maha MeruYantra. Of the eight sides in the temple, the centre has the idol of the Sage Vashista andArundhati, the south corner has the idol of Lord Ganesha and the remaining seven sides hasthe statues of the seven sages (Vishwamithra, Jamadagni, Bharadwaja, Gowthama, Athri,Vashista and Kashyapa).

Antarvedi

Appanapalli, a remote village in Mamidikuduru Mandal of East Godavari District, situated on the holy banks of river

Vynateya has attained reputation as second Tirupathi of Konaseema being the abode of Lord Bala Balaji.

Appanapalli derived its name after a Rushi called "Appana" who did THAPASSU for the good of the world. This place in olden days was famous for well-read Brahmins in Vedas who used to spend their time in reciting hymns and performing sacrifices as ordained in the scriptures. Appanapalli has become a second Tirupathi attracting pilgrims from all parts of our Country.

Bheemaramam- SamarlakotaPanchamarama Kshetra

Place/Kshetra : Samarlakota located 40 miles from Rajamahendrapuram and 10 miles from Kakinada.

Architecture : Chalukyan constructed in the 800 AD. Temple architecture is similar to Draksharamam . Renovated by the Kakatiyas

Presiding deity: Kumara Bheemeswara

Sthala Purana : Samarlakota is known by many names as ChalukyaBheema ramam after the King Bheema of the Chalukya clan who started the construction of this temple . Also known as Kumararamam since the Linga installation was done by Lord Karthikeya himself. After the death of Taraka Lord Karthikeyadecided to worship parameswara and this was the place chosen for the worship. Also one of the places where the fourth shard of the Taraka Atmalinga was dropped

Architecture : The temple is very similar to the temple in Draksharamam that it has an two story architecture and four gopurams to each direction. The Linga itself is gigantic and rises to the second story similar to the other temple. Devotees worship lord shiva only from upstairs and the height of the linga is similar to the Draksharamam temple except it is completlywhite in colour. The temple also has an beautiful sculpture of Nandeeshwara facing Lord shiva which has been carved from a single stone. This Nandhi is known as Eka-Shila -Nandhi .The main temple has an Mantapam consisting of hundred pillars and there is a water tank on the eastern side of the temple called the Koneti pushkarini . Similar to the Draksharamamtemple this temple is also an shakta site and has an beautiful image of the divine mother in her Bala Tripura Sundari form.In some ways these two temples ( Draksharamam and Bheemaramam ) can be called twin temples in architectural styles and construction.

Bheemaramam

Koteswara Rao has spoken with elan on a variety of topics, including:•Sampoorna Ramayanam•Shiva Maha Puranam•Shiva Tattwam•Sri Kalahasteeswara Shatakam•Bhagavatam•Lalita Sahasranamam•Sri Guru Charithamulu•Sri Mata Vaibhavam

Brahmasri Chaganti Koteswara Rao (Telugu: చాగంటి కోటేశ్వరరావు) is a scholarly speaker on

the Sanatana Dharma. Born to Chaganti Sundara Siva Rao and Suseelamma, he married Subramanyeswari with whom he has two children. He works for the Food Corporation of India, Kakinada but also gives spiritual discourses. His discourses are regularly telecast in TV channels like Bhakti TV and SVBC.Koteswara Rao has oratory skills. He started giving pravachan on puranas extempore and has had a unique perspective and command on various Purnanas, epics like Srimad Ramayanam and Srimad Bhagavatham; as well as devotional hymns like SoundaryaLahari and Lalitha Sahasranama. He has delivered discourses for 42 days continuously at Guntur on SampoornaRamayanam during 2009, Srimad Bhagavatham for 42 days during 2006, Shiva Maha Puranam for 30 day in Telugu interspersing it with little English. ChagantiKoteswara Rao has been felicitated with titles like UPANYASA CHAKRAVARTHI, SARADA GNANA PUTRA etc. Recently, a group of his admirers started a Web site (http://srichaganti.net) to make his lectures reach all the enthusiasts about Hindu culture and tradition.

Damerla Rama Rao Art Gallery :Damerla Rama Rao Art Gallery is dedicated to Rama Rao, who was born on 8th March 1897 in Rajahmundry. He was dedicated towards painting and sketching since his childhood. The greatest achievement of his life was that he directly got admitted to the final year of Fine Arts Course in Mumbai School of Arts. The gallery displays his art works and is visited by tourists and natives alike.

Dr. Boyi Bhimanna (Telugu: బో యి భీమన్న) (19

September 1911 – 16 December 2005), also transliterated as Bheemanna, Bheemana and in other ways, was a famous Telugu poet. Bhimanna was born in a poor Dalit family in Mamidikuduru village, East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. He participated in the Quit India movement and worked as a journalist. He wrote over 70 books in total, with his "GudiseluKaalipothunnaayi" (literal translation: "the huts are burning") being the most popular. He won several awards including the SahityaAkademi award for "GudiseluKaalipothunnaayi" in 1975. He was honouredby the Government of India with the fourth and third highest civilian awards in the country, namely the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and 2001 respectively. He was awarded the title Kala Prapoorna (honorary doctorate) by theAndhra University

Draksharama (Telugu: దాాక్షారామము) is a temple in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh in South India. Draksharama temple is one of the Five Powerful temples of Lord shiva, known as Pancharama KshetramThe Siva deity is known as Bhimesvara Swamy. The temple

is situated on the eastern bank of Godavari River. The consort of Lord Bhimesvara is Manikyamba. According to local belief the Siva linga at the temple was installed and established by the god Surya. Maha Shivaratri, Devi Navaratrulu, Karthika Masam, and Dhanurmasam are the main festivals celebrated at this temple.According to local legend, the temple was built by angels in one night. The construction of the perimeter wall could not be completed before sunrise and still stands incomplete. Several attempts have been made to construct the uncompleted part of the wall but all those efforts have failed with the constructed wall collapsing within a few months.

As per the Government of India, the temple construction was started in mid 800 AD and completed somewhere around the 11th century. The construction of the temple is a marvel, consisting of a two-staired mandapa and two walls, one inside of the other. The inner temple (Garbhaalaya) made it a very profound and cultural work of architecture in those times. Its architecture is still a library for students of architecture. The ventilation of the inner temple is impressive. The temple is always full of light and air with very good ventilation. The temple's two-stair mandapa is impressive, and the pillars in the temple are skillfully and delicately carved. Many Shasanas (Official & Historical Registry Chronicles) have been written on the stone walls of the temple from time to time, from legions of Chola & Sathavahanas to Vijayanagra & Reddy Kingdoms that ruled over centuries108 Shivite temples were built after 800 around this temple in a radius of 40 kilometers. Some purohits have this list.The village is called Dakshina Kasi. The Siva Linga in this temple is said to be one large crystal which is 2.6 meters high. Shiva is accompanied by Dakshayani, who is the first wife of Shiva (also the daughter of Daksha, and therefore named Dakshayani). Manikyamba goddess, said to be one part of the 18 pieces of Sati Devi that fell here, is a Shakti Peetha. It has one of the world's longest siva linga.The inner sanctorium has a pedestal built for the archakas to perform rituals. The inner sanctorium is very dark, so much that one cannot see without a some sort of light. Legends say that the inner walls of the temple were once filled with diamonds that provided the required light. When Aurangazeb invaded the temple to plunder the riches, all the diamonds turned to stones. Archakas show the walls adorned with diamond-shaped rocks as proof of this.There is another small temple within the main temple. One legend says that as ages go by, the height of humans would reduce to such an extent that the current temple would become a huge gigantic structure, and hence another temple was built for the tiny people of the future. Another legend says that the tiny temple is for the tiny creatures that inhabit the land. And some say that it's the prototype of the temple.

Draksharama Temple

General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton KCSI (Telugu: కాటన్ దొర) (15 May 1803 – 24 July 1899) was a British general and irrigation engineer.

Cotton devoted his life to the construction of irrigation and navigation canalsthroughout the British Empire in India, however, his dream was only partially realized, but he is still honored in parts of Andhra Pradesh for his efforts.He entered the Madras Engineers in 1819, and fought in the First Burmese War.Cotton was knighted in 1861.

Cotton is revered in the Godavari District for making it the 'rice bowl' of Andhra Pradesh. Cotton is widely known as the 'Delta Architect' of the Godavari District because of his pioneering work in irrigation engineering through his construction of the anicut system. His efforts transformed the Godavari River system from a threatening and deadly natural force into a tame and fertile water resource. Throughout both East and West Godavari Districts, Cotton is often depicted on horseback.Thomas Cotton went to attend an interview for the post of an engineer. There were three candidates, including himself. All that the selectors told them was to have a 'good sleep' and were provided three separate beds. The candidates did what they were told. While the other two candidates slept happily, poor Cotton could not get a wink of sleep. However, after some time, he slept happily.The next day, all the three were asked if they slept happily by the selectors. While all the three nodded in the affirmative, Cotton added that he felt restless while on the bed—bending down, he realised that one of the four legs of the bed was a little high. To his surprise he found a pound beneath one of the legs, which he promptly removed. That was thecatch set up by the selectorsSir Cotton was hated by his administrative superiors—thanks to his loving attitudes towards the people of India. At one point impeachment proceedings were initiated by his superiors for his dismissalGoing through the famine and cyclone-ravaged districts of Godavari, Cotton was distressed by the sight of famished people of theGodavari districts.[5] It was then that he put in process his ambitious plans to harness the waters of the mighty Godavari for the betterment of the humanity.

John Henry Morris in Godavari writes about the work of Sir Cotton thus:

The Godavari anicut is, perhaps, the noblest feat of engineering skill which has yet been accomplished in British India. It is a gigantic barrier thrown across the river from island to island, in order to arrest the unprofitable progress of its waters to the sea, and to spread them over the surface of the country on either side, thus irrigating copiously land which has hitherto been dependent on tanks or on the fitful supply of water from the river. Large tracts of land, which had hitherto been left arid and desolate and waste, were thus reached and fertilized by innumerable streams and channels.

In 1878, Cotton had to appear before a House of Commons Committee to justify his proposal to build an anicut across the Godavari.A further hearing in the House of Commons followed by his letter to the then Secretary of State for India shows about his ambitiousness to build the anicut across the Godavari. His final sentence in that letter reads like this:My Lord, one day's flow in the Godavari river during high floods is equal to one whole years' flow in the Thames River of London.[8] Cotton was almost despaired by the British Government's procrastination in taking along this project.That Government of India's plans to interlink rivers was long envisioned by Cotton is a fact

Kakinada, a centre for business people is the Head Quarters of East Godavari district of Andhrapradesh - India and is located at East coast.

Going back to the history, Kakinada was considered as 2nd Madras. The original name of this place was Kakanandivadanamed by the king of Ikshavaku, Kaka. During 17th century, some part of the city was occupied by the Dutch and named this place as Co-Canada. The name was then changed to Kakinada after the independence during 1947. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" (owing to the large concentration of fertiliser plants), "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras". It is a hub to all the deep sea exploratory activity in the region due to its deep-water sea port and its proximity to the gas fields

Importance of Kakinada

Kakinada has also been described in Bhima Khandam as the place with clustered tanks and temples. The temple street (Jawahar) has many temples and there are many tanks exist till now. Maharshi Bulusu Sambamurthy is a well known personality who emerged from kakinada struggled during Indian freedom movement.There is a major natural port in Kakinada which is protected (against tides) by 18Kms long Hope island.

Konaseema is a delta located in the East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. This delta is surrounded on all sides by waters (of Godavari and the Bay of Bengal).Konaseema is famous for its scenic greenery and vedic scholars.

The origin of the name may be from Telugu word "Kona" meaning corner which resembles its shape. The northern side is bounded by Gautami Godavari and southern side is bounded by Vasista Godavari. It is one of most fertile lands present in Coromandel Coast. The entire region is rich in Coconut trees, Mango grooves, numerous canals, backwaters,

It is popularly called as Andhra’s Kerala.

Konaseema

Komaragiripatnam is one of the picnic spot (Beach) in konasema

Maredumilli Jungle Resort stands out as one of the best and excellent tourist places near East Godavari .it has Jalatarangini Waterfalls , Swarnadhara waterfalls, Rampawaterfalls etc

Maredumilli Jungle Resort Nandanavanam An Ethno Medico Awareness Centre, this area has been developed with an intention to make public aware of the medicinal plants. It houses Bamboo plantations and different medicinal herbs

Maredumilli Jungle Karthikavanam :This is a garden with plenty of Maredu (Bael) and Amla (Gooseberry) treesMadanikunj-Vihara Sthal :It is a picnic place with Pine Plants and Golden Bamboo clumps. Visiting this Eco-tourism area, will give you a chance to view wild animals like Tiger, Panther, Bison, Peacocks, Red jungle fowl and other wild life in addition to varieties of delicate and colourful butterflies

Maredumilli Jungle .Jungle Star :Located adjoining the Valamuru River with the streams flowing on 3 sides, it is a camping site which also provides a unique opportunity to stay overnight in the deep woods of the unexplored Eastern Ghats. This area is believed to be the battleground of Vali and Sugriva during the Ramayana period. The remarkable variation of the battle ground with the presence of grassland, encircled by forests on the other hillocks draws attention of visitors to the legendary story.

Nannaya Bhattaraka (Telugu: న్న్నయ, sometimes spelled

Nannayya) (ca. 11th century AD) is the earliest known Telugu author, and the author of the first third of the Andhra Mahabharatamu, a Telugu retelling of the Mahabharata. Nannaya is held in high regard as the person who revived the Telugu language. This work, which is rendered in the Champu style, is so chaste and polished and of such a high literary merit.The first treatise on Telugu grammar, the "Andhra ShabdaChintamani" was written in Sanskrit by Nannayya, who was considered first poet and translator of Telugu in the 11th century A.D. There was no grammatical work in Telugu prior to Nannayya's "Andhra sabda chintamani". This grammar followed the patterns which existed in grammatical treatises like Aṣṭādhyāyī and Vālmīkivyākaranam but unlike Pāṇini, Nannayya divided his work into five chapters, covering samjnā, sandhi, ajanta, halanta and kriya.[1]

He is also known as Adi Kavi in recognition of his great literary work. He also holds the titles Shabda Sasanudu and VaganuSasanudu(Law giver of the language) after his Telugu grammar work Andhra Shabdha Chintamani.[2]

The advanced and well-developed language used by Nannayasuggests that Nannaya Mahabharatamu may not be the beginning ofTelugu literature. Unfortunately, any Telugu literature prior to Nannaya is not available, except royal grants and decrees, though Telugu or Andhra language started to develop even before the Common Era.

Papi HillsPapi Kondalu is a hill range in Andhra Pradesh, India whose scenery resembles that of Kashmir in North India. Papi kondalu are distributed between Khammam, East Godavariand West Godavari districts. The entrance of Papi kondalu can be seen from Koruturu (West Godavari District).The original name for this hill range was ―Papidi Kondalu‖. Papidi is a rough translation for partition in Telugu. Since this range looks like a well designed partition that splits river Godavari, this name was coined. There is also another idea that the range looks like a partition of a typical Indian Woman's hair line. In due course, it settled for ―Papi Kondalu‖.The scenary, including the waterfalls at Munivaatam, and the peaceful atmosphere at this tribal area make this area a tourist attraction. The idol of Shiva under serpent shade was installed in Munivaatam of Khammam district. The village Peranta palli is in this area. Swami Balananda was involved in uplifting the tribalsof the region.

Peddapuram The town Peddapuram is founded by Maharaja Vatsavai Pedda Pathrudu. For 300 years the estate of Peddapuram was ruled by Vatsavai JagapathiMaharaja‖s . The dynasty was started by Sri Raja VatsavaiChathurbhuja Thimma Jagapathi Bahadhur . The fort of Peddapuram was built by him. He ruled the estate from 1555 to 1607. After his demise, his sonRaya Jagapathi followed by his children Timma Jagapathi and BalabhadraJagapathi ruled the Peddapuram Estate. From 1791 to 1804 the estate was ruled by Sri Vatsavai Raya Jagapathi.One of the prince of this dynasty got separated from here and started ruling an independent kingdom named as kottam estate, and their generation never came back, they got settled over there, and they ruled till the end of princely states

Maridamma temple

Peddapuram, 20 kms from Kakinada

one can shop for exquisitely designed silk sarees produced by local artisans.

Bandarulanka, 4 kms from Amalapuram is yet another well-known place for choicest silk and cotton sarees woven locally

Janab Madina Pascha Owlia DargaThis is a darga of a famous Peer(saint) Janab Madina Pascha Owlia of Muslim

Community. It is also called as Thommidi Moorala Saheb( 9 feet Saheb)

by Hindu people. Every year on January 20th, There will be an URS(Urs‖

meaning ―wedding‖ or a “happy occasion” in Arabic, We use urs for

festivals of sufis since wedding here denotes unity with God.). This day each

and every one irrespective of their religions will come to have the

glimpses of the shrine

Beemeswara temple Vishnu alayam

Peddapuram

Pithapuram is a small town located close to Kakinada port city.

Pithapuram Sri KukkuteswaraSwamy temple is an ancient Siva Khetra in Godavari District.

It acquired importance of Buddhists, Jains and Vishnava also. It was the capital of many local dynasties from about 4th or 5th century AD

Main entrance of 'Kukkuteswaraswamy" temple,Pithapuram

There is an oldest temple call “Padagya Keshatram in

Pithapuram. The Lord “Sri Kukuteswara Swamy

is the Swayambhu with Spatika Lingam”. Pithapuramis one of the Twelve Pilgrims, one of the five MadavaKeshatra and one of the Asta Dasa (Eighteen) SakthiPetas. Previously Pithapuram is known as Pitikapuram.

Once you enter into the temple, complete thepradishana and come in front of Dwaja Stamba youwill be attracted by the “Yaka Sila Nandi (Single StoneNandi). The Yaka Sila is second biggest after LepakshiBasaveswara Nandai. Here Siva is in the shape of Cock(kukkutam in Telugu)

About the pond-PadagayaPithapuram is third one of three Gayas of India.1st is – Siro Gaya also familiarly known as “GAYA ”, located in Bihar State.

2nd is – Nabi Gaya near to Jijapur Railway Junction, located in Orrisa State

3rd is – Padagaya Pithapuram, located in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh.

Idol of Puruhutika devi

Pithapuram is formerly called as Pithikapuram / Pushkara kshetram in Puranas and Tantras.

The temple of Puruhutika devi is located within the temple campus of Kukkuteswara swamy

History:Once Indra has cheated Ahalya (wife of Gautama maharshi) in the form of Gautama and was cursed by the Maharshi. Indra lost his testes and got the symbols of Yoni all over his body. He felt very sad and prąyed Gautama a lot. Finally the Rishi accepted and told that the Yoni symbols will look like eyes, so that Indra will be called as Sahasraksha there after. But Indra lost his testes. He wanted to regain them. He left his kingdom, came to Piithika puri and did Tapasya for Jaganmata. After a long time Jaganmata appeared before him and blessed him with wealth and testes. Indra was very happy and prąyed her as Puruhutika devi (One who was worshiped by Indra).

Puruhuthika Temple Tank, Pithapuram

Swayambhu Sri Dattatreya Swamy is also in the 'Kukkuteswaraswamy Temple Complex.

Sripada SrivallbhaSwamy's idol is worshipped separately in the same complex

RajahmundryAsia's largest rail-cum-road bridge on the River Godavari The largest rail-cum-road bridge of Asia is built on River Godavari and links Kovvur and Rajahmundry. This

bridge is supported by 56 pillars and bears testimony to

the engineering prowess of the humankind

Rajahmundry or Rajamahendri(Telugu: రాజమండ్రా or రాజమహ ందర)ా is the biggest city

of the East district and first municipal corporation in the Godavari district's of Andhra Pradesh state in India. The city origins can be traced back to the rule of the Chalukya king Raja Raja Narendra who reigned around 1022 AD, after whom it is named Rajamahendri or Rajamahendravaram where the great shahill was born. Remains of 11th-century palaces and fort walls still exist. However, new archeological evidence suggests that the town may have existed much before the Chalukyas. Rajamhendravaram was renamed Rajahmundry during the rule of the British, for whom the city was the headquarters of the Godavari district

Gowthami Ghat in Rajahmundry

Maha Sivalingam in Rajahmundry

ISCON Rajahmundry

Kotilingeswara Temple : Legend has it that Indrawas cursed by sage Gautama. In order to relieve himself of the curse he installed a Shivalinga and anointed it with water from one crore rivers. Hence, this 10th century temple is known as Kotilingeswaratemple. Isn't one crore a figure that's unbelievable? Be here to find out

Rallabandi Subbarao Government Museum was established in 1967. It displays the cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh and preserves the collection of rare coins and pottery items. Besides these, it also exhibits the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts and inscriptions.

Rao Bahadur Kandukuri Veeresalingam (Telugu: కందుకూరి వీరేశ్లంగం) (16

April 1848 – 27 May 1919), also known asKandukuri VeeresalinghamPantulu (Telugu: కందుకూరి వీరేశ్లంగం పంతుల్ు), was a social reformer

of Andhra Pradesh. He was born in an orthodox Niyogi Telugu Brahmin family. He is widely considered as the man who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu people and Telugu literature. He was influenced by the ideals of Brahmo Samaj particularly those of KeshubChunder Sen. He got involved in the cause of social reforms. In 1876 he started a Telugu journal and wrote the first prose for women. He encouraged education for women, and started a school in Dowlaiswaram in 1874. He started a social organisationcalledHitakarini (Benefactor).

Veeresalingam panthulu is popularly called Gadhya Thikkana. He wrote about 100 books between 1869 and 1919[2] and introduced the essay, biography, autobiography and the novel into Telugu literature His Satyavathi Charitam was the first social novel in Telugu. He wrote Rajasekhara Charitamu inspired by Oliver Goldsmith‖s The Vicar of Wakefied. To him literature was an instrument to fight social evils. He was a poet of considerable renown He was also one of the members of the first Indian National Congress (INC) meeting held in 1885.He died on 27 May 1919. A statue of his has been installed on Beach Road, Visakhapatnam. His contributions to social reform, specifically to causes such as widow remarriage, are well-remembered in Andhra Pradesh.

In the History of the Brahmo Samaj, Sivanath Sastri writes KandukuriVeeraselingam Pantulu, “He constructed the first Brahmo Mandir in the Andhra country at Rajahmundry in 1887. He constructed a Widows‖ Home, a two storied building and a similar one for the Social Reform Association at Madras; he started the first theistic high school, the Hithakarini School at Rajahmundry in 1908; during the same year he willed away all his property for the benefit of Rajahmundry Widows‖ Home and the school, and placed them under the management of an

Sri Mohiddin Badsha II was( born on 1933-07-11 at Pithapuram to Sri Brahmarishi Hussain Sha and Ajeemunnisa Begum. He was a scholar in Telugu, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, Parsee and English. He married Fatima Jaharunnisa Begum on 1963-05-19. He had six sons and three daughters. He took over the Lordship of Peetham as 8th Head on 1981-09-25. Due to the old age and ill health of his fatherBrahmarishi HussainSha Sathguru and as a future Head of the Institution, he had undertaken the preceptive of the Peetham‖s philosophy from 1969.He delivered speeches at many villages of Andhra Pradesh to promote Jnana yoga.He was the editor-in-chief “Adhyatmika Thatva Prabodham” a spiritual monthly magazine which is now named as “Tatwa Znanamu”.He delivered a reverberating and enchanting speech on 1975-04-12 at Hyderabad during World Telugu Conference and kept the entire audience spell boundHe left his mortal remains on 1989-07-31.His feretory is at the old ashram at Pithapuram.

Author of1) Tatwa Prabhodam (Telugu)The Upanishad, the Divine inner voice has manifested as the speeches of Sri Mohiddin Badsha Sathguru during the process of Bhava Parinama the perceptual evolution into the Cosmic Form are compiled in Tatwa Prabhodam.[citation needed] This compilation collects the flow of nectar of reverberating speeches of by Sri MohiddinBadsha Sathguru addressed to the members of this Institution at Thursday Congregations and other auspicious occasions.

2) Precept Of Philosophy Part 1 (English)3) Precept Of Philosophy Part 2 (English)These are the English Translations of Tatwa Prabodham (Telugu)

Sri Viswa Viznana Vidya Adhyatmika Peetham is a theosophical congregation which states that it is based on the principles of oneness of God, and discovering divinity in the self. The ashram is situated in Pithapuram, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India.Sri Viswa Viznana Vidya Adhyatmika Peetham was established in Baghdad. It moved to Delhi, India in 1472, where it became involved in court circles of the Mughal Empire. The beheading of Sarmad by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1661 created a rift with the congregation. The leader, Sri Madin Kabir Sha, moved the institution from Delhi to Hyderabad. King Abul Hasan Qutb Shah of Golkonda gave two jagirs to the congregation in Tuni.The Old Ashram is located near the Pithapuram railway station

The New Ashram is located on Pithapuram to Kakinada road at ChitradaStated aims1.To enlighten the human soul with secrets of divinity.2.To transform the aspirants as model citizens while fulfilling ones noble birth as human beings.3.To provide peace of mind by conferring soul power to the oppressed and depressed.4.To rend the veil of illusion of human soul, administer tranquillity and transform man into divinity.5.To teach and preachmonotheism surpassing all hurdles of caste, creed, race, religion and sex through the medium of the noblest guru and to impart that philosophy in the form of lessons to the members.6.To propagate this science of philosophy for the total welfare of the mankind to lead them to salvation.

Stated objectives

The objectives of this Peetham are said to be based mainly on Sufi philosophy, but the Peethadhipathis also practice the Hindu Philosophy of Dharma. They learned the Hindu [scriptures]], the Quran, and the Bible to extract the essence of all the major three religions. Montheism has become its main plank.

Characteristics of the Peetham

This peetham seeks transcendentalism. Unlike other Hindu Peethams, there are no dress regulations or display of occult powers. The Peethadhipathi here is not a celibate, but leads a family life. The essence of his teaching is Bhukthi, Trupthi, Mukthi—food for the body, satisfaction to the mind and salvation to the soul. Publicity is shunned. The Peetham's theme is that God is in man himself. It strives to make man a man by dispelling ignorance to make man realise God in himself and to make him attain supreme knowledge. The Peetham acts on three principles. The Guru, the Mantra and the Sadhana. It insists on absolute faith in the Guru, who offers a Manthra to the devotees and expects them to do Sadhana on the Manthra to attain spiritual elevation. No distinction of class, caste, creed, religion or sex is made.

Mohiddin Badusha I

Kavisekhara Dr Umar Alisha

Hussain Sha (September 9, 1905 – September 24, 1981) was the seventh head of Sri Viswa Viznana Vidya AdhyatmikaPeetham inPithapuram. He was born in Rajahmundry, East Godavari District. He succeeded his father, Kavisekhara Dr Umar Alisha Sathguru. He completed his primary education at Pithapuram and passed the Final Arts course from National College in Machilipatnam. He was a scholar in Telugu, Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Sanskrit.Sha and his wife Ajeemunnisa Begum had four sons and four daughters. Prior to assuming the charge as seventh Peethadhipathi (Head of the Institution), his main occupation was farming. Drawing on that knowledge, he made a celestial herbal medicine Devadaru.

Hussain Sha had taken up preaching of the Peetham‖sphilosophy from February 10, 1945. He delivered Divine spiritual messages at many villages and cities of Andhra Pradesh to propagate Jnanayoga (Yoga of Supreme Knowledge) and Bhaktiyoga (Yoga of Devotion). He died in Pithapuram, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Books1) Sha Tatvam, on theosophy. This book says that humanity is transformed into divinity, which is the essence of all religions. The words by which it is composed are of the Upanishad ( Divine inner voice or revelation ) heard during the process of Bhavaparinama (transformation of the feeling of "Self (I)" into the Cosmic Form)

2) Sha Philosophy Part 1( Translation of Sha philosophy into English)

SRI GOLINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLEBiccavolu contains about six temples built by Eastern Chalukyas out of which, the temple of Lord Golingeshwara is the biggest. This isone of the beautiful temples built during those times. It has a wealth of iconographic material, as all around it, and a beautifulShivalingam and 33 lines Shasanam on the door jambs. The striking Garbha Gudi(sanctum sanctorum), the Antaralas (passages), theMukha Mandapams (main hall) and other Mandapams adds to the beauty of the temple. As you enter the temple, there is a Mandapamthat leads you to Mukha Mandapam. The Mandapam has a small shrine to its southern entrance. The Mukha Mandapam walls aredecorated with pilasters (ornamental and structural columns) and screens and it houses three small shrines. In the Mukha Mandapam,there are two masterpieces- one is the figure of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi in the form of Alingana Chandra Sekhara Murthy andthe other is that of Lord Ganesha in a seated posture. There is a narrow passage between the Mukha Mandapam and anotherMandapam. As you go further you enter the Antarala of the temple, which is a bit narrow anddevoid of any decoration. This Antarala leads you to the Garbha Gudi (sanctum sanctorum) of Golingeshwara Swamy Temple. The idolin the sanctum sanctorum is a Shiva Lingam made of black granite. The walls of the sanctum sanctorum are decorated with Kostas thathas sculptures, recesses and projections with pilasters. The Kostas are surmounted by Makaratoranams

SRI GOLINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE

Main

Gopuram of

1100 years

old

Golingeswa

ra and

Subhraman

ya Swamy

temples

1100 years old Golingeswara

Temple at Biccavole

Adurru Buddhist Temple In East GodavariAdurru is located on the western bank of the Vainetaya branch of Godavari river which is around 9.5 km from sea. The village is quiet close to Nagaram and is a part of the east Razole taluk of East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.The place is famous for a mound which the localites call Dubaraju Gudi. Excavations carried out in the year 1953 brought to surface a mahastupa which measures 17 feet in diameter. A raised platform surrounds it all around. The excavations also revealed shreds of jars, troughs, dishes and bowls of red and kaolin. The excavation site covers an area of 2.04 acres and makes for a worthwhile visit during your Buddhist trip to Andhra Pradesh.

According to the legend "Bhagavatam" while Devatas

and Rakshas were quarrelling over sharing of holy

Devine nectar "Sree Maha Vishnu" came to the rescue of

Devatas in the guise of Mohini and convinced both the

rivalry groups promising to distribute holy Devine

nectar in equal share to Devatas and Rakshas. But in the

interest of universal peace and welfare of sages, holy

and Devine nectar was distributed among Devatas

alone and the Mohini disappeared.

Lord Siva having seen the most fascinating beautyof Mohini allured her. He chased her for getting for awhile the presence of his consort Parvathi Devi it isthe general belief that the holy incident was theresult of birth of "AYYAPPA SWAMY". One flowerfrom the plait of Mohini fell down and it was smeltby Lord Siva. Then he surprisingly found "Sree MahaVishnu" in the form of Mohini and felt shy for hisbehavior. The place where the flower from the plaitof Mohini fell is named as RYALI the Telugu meaningof "Fall".

This place known as Ryali for the above reason became aboveof Lord Siva and Sree Mahavishnu with the form of Mohini onback side Lord Brahma consecrated the Siva Lingam with hisKamandalam and hence Lord Siva at Ryali is worshipped as SriUma Kamandalesara Swamy Varu, Sri Mahavishnu with theform of Mohini on backside is worshipped as Sri JaganmohiniKesava Swamy varu both Siva and Vishnu Temples are locatedfacing each other. This is very rare feature at Ryali whereVishnu and Lord Siva Temples faces each other in East, Westdirection.

Entrance tower of Sri Jaganmohini KesavaSwamy Temple, Ryali

The shrine of Sri JaganMohini KeshavaSwamy is made up of single stone (Salagrama Ekashila -5 feet height and 3ft width).

The idol looks like Sri Vishnu (male) from front side and as Mohini (female) from rear side.

The architectural beauty of the idol and temple is excellent. The flow of AkashaGanga at the feet of Sri Maha Vishnu can be seen here

Hope Island is a narrow stretch of

sandy formation in the mighty Bay of

Bengal which was responsible for the formation of the Bay of Kakinada. This enchanting island was formed

during the last 200 years by the sand drifting from the tributary of Godavari River.

The picturesque island presents a beautiful view with backwaters on one side and sandy beaches on the side facing the Bay of Bengal. The northern part of the island is called the "Godavari point" which overlooks the entry point into the Bay of Kakinada and the Kakinada harbour.

Hope Island protects the city of Kakinada from the strong cyclone/tidal waves coming from the Bay of Bengal and offers shelter to ships which berth at anchor in the Kakinada Bay. Thanks to this protection, the port of Kakinada has become one of the safest natural harbours on the east coast of India

Experts disclose that Hope Island is fragile and should be protected to the maximum extent. They caution that there should be no construction activity on the Hope Island, as that would adversely affect the island and the town itself.

Hope Island in Konaseema

Lord Rama Temple Gollalamamidada EastGodavari Andhra Pradesh

Markandeya Temple In Rajahmundry , East GodavariHere's a miracle that you've to see to believe it. Witness River Ganga flowing from Lord Vishnu's feet. Constructed by Gundu Sobhanadriswara Raoin 1818, this ancient temple has Lord Mahavishnucarved out of a single, five-foot-high Saligramam (a rare fossil stone found in Nepal).

Nagullanka is a delta located in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh,India. This delta is surrounded with all sides by water and is very much famous for its scenic greenery.The northern side is bounded by Gautami Godavari and southern side is bounded by Vasista Godavari. It is one of most fertile lands present in the district and is also called as Konaseema. The entire region is rich in Coconut trees, Mango trees and Paddy fields. Nagullankais predominantly Telugu-speaking. The Telugu spoken by the middle class is the standard dialect, while a significant population who have settled down in the village from the adjoining villages of P.Gannavaram.Historians theorise that centuries ago (when Uttarandhra was part of the KalingaEmpire), Buddhist missionaries and merchants may have taken Telugu script (derived from Brahmi script) to Southeast Asia from the shores of Uttarandhra, where it evolved into the scripts of Mon, Burmese, Thai, Khmer, Javanese,Balinese and possibly Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka). Their similarities to Telugu script can be discerned even today. Nagullanka is known for its green Coconut orchards, lushgreen Paddy fields and numerous canals. Apart from these it is also famous for cultivation of turmeric and a kind of Yam called Kanda. Last but not the least, it is famous for Veda-pandits, the Godavari River and the hospitality of the people.The inhabitants of Konaseema adopted a highly sustainable life-style. For example, every part of a coconut tree is used: from roots to the leaves and everything in between. This could probably be explained by the geographic isolation from the mainland. Before the construction of critical bridge infrastructure connecting to the mainland, water-based transportation was the only option. This relative isolation led to Konaseema people becoming extremely efficient at resource usage.And Sankrathi is the biggest festival clelebrated for 3 days, and on 3rd day Prabhalatherdham is a popular festival in Nagullanka.

Pandavula Metta, a hillock nearer to Peddapuram, a small town in East Godavari District.Situated close to ADB Road, this hillock tells us about one such episode of the exile period ofPandavas. Legend has it that during one of their exile period of 13 years, the Pandavas hadstayed here. The traces of which can still be seen here, in the ruins. It is said that on their wayto Rameswaram, they stayed some years in Peddapuram on a hill. This hill was in midst of aJungle. And back in the days of yore, Koya people (tribals) lived here as the places likeAddateegala, Rajavommangi and Peddapuram were where they used to live. Legend alsohas it that the Pandavas also built a tunnel through which they used to travel toRajahmundry to have a bath in the River Godavari. "Metta" in Telugu means hillock. That‖sthe reason this hill was named after their name. If one visits this hillock, one can find twonatural caves on the hill facing the East. It is widely believed that the Pandavas had livedhere for some time during their exile. One can also see "Bheemunipadalu' (prints of Bheema'sfeet, who was the second of the Pandavas). Even today, the Koya people (tribals) name theirchildren after the Pandavas and Draupadi, who was their wife.

Pandara poothareku is a famous coastal Andhra sweet made with thin flaky sheets of paper made of rice flour. For pandara pootharekulu, powdered sugar is folded into the rice paper sheets along with pure ghee. Store the pootharekulu tight in a jar and they stay fresh for around a week or two.ootharekulu or Paper sweet is very famous sweet of Telugu people. Its made with thin and transparent papers rolled with sugar and ghee. Everybody cannot prepare this sweet at home. Special variety of rice called Jaya , and also special pot made only to make this sweet are required. This pot is heated on fire lit with palm leaves.

The rice of jaya variety is soaked for 2-3 hours. Then its finely ground into liquidy mixture. Its just like starch water. The Pot specially made for making this paper sheets is put inverted on the low fire made with palm leaves. A fine muslin cloth of handkerchief size is dipped in the starch water and quickly pulled on the hot pot . Due to heat this starch comes out as a thin and transparent paper. This paper sheets or pootharekulu are later rolled with sugar or jaggery .. Atreyapuram a small village in East Godavari district of Andhrapradesh is very famous for pootharekulu. Here every women in the village is busy with preparation of pootharekulu which are exported to different states of the country and also abroad. Making the pootharekulu or paper sheets is quite difficult but they are available in market. We can buy them and roll them with sugar or jaggery and ghee at home.. This is best way to enjoy this special paper sweet.

Someswaram or Kotipalli (Kumararama) an important pilgrimage center in coastal Andhra Pradesh, one of the five well known pancharama shrines dedicated to Shiva in Andhra Pradesh is rich in legend and tradition and is held in great regard. Kotipalli also known as Koti Theertham is located at the confluence of the river Godavari with the sea. This holy river which is very famous for its sacred water was brought by Gowtham Maharshi. If a person takes a bath in these holy waters of Gowthami at Kotipalli they will be purified from all kinds of sins. For time immemorial it has been believed that a ritual bath in the river Godavari at Kotipalli is symbolic of a new beginning in life, a change in direction, of forgiveness of heinous sins committed by repentant souls especially in the month of Kartika, and on Maha Shivaratri. Every day in the early hours the Abhishekam for the Lord is done with this Koti Theertham water which is brought by Archakas (priests). Shiva is worshipped here as Someswara Swamy or Koteeshwara Swamy and his consort Parvati as Rajarajeswari Devi.

At Someswaram or Kotipalli there are three famous idols which have been installed and established by Lord Indra, Lord Chandra and Kashyapa Maharshi. Siddhi Janardhana Swamy along with Sridevi and Bhudevi were established as Kshetra Palaka by Kashyapa Maharshi, Lord Indra in order to wash away his sin installed Koteswara Lingam, which is a Yoga Lingam, along with Sri Rajarajeswari Devi, and Further Lord Chandra established Sri Someswara Lingam, which is a Bhoga Lingam, with Sri AnanpurnaDevi to wash away his sin. This Someswara Lingam, which is 5 feet in height, is a crystal Lingam and is said to glow with differing levels of brightness depending on the phase of the moon and is housed in a two storied sanctum, with Annapurna Devi on the 2nd floor.

Sri Talupulamma Ammavari Devasthanam, Lova village, Tuni Mandal, East Godavari District is located on the hillock between Darakonda and Teegakonda. This is one of the most famous temples. The owners of the vehicles or the devotees come here to have darshan of the Goddess after

owning a new vehicle.

The historic Bhavanarayana Swamy

temple at Sarpavaram in KakinadaThe

temple was built during the reign of the

Chalukyas and the Rajas of Pithapuram

are said to have donated a large extent

of lands to the temple during their

regime. The water tank opposite to this

temple is called Narada Gundam where

Narada got rid off the Vishnu Maya of

Sansarika Jeevitam by taking bath here

YandamuriVeerendranath (Telugu: యండమూరి వీరేందనాాథ్), (b. 14 November 1948) is a

renowned Telugu novelist.[1] Hailing from Andhra Pradesh state in India, he influenced younger generations with his socially relevant writings. In his writings he addresses many of the important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices, and superstitions, and encourages people to be socially responsible. He successfully bridges the idealistic and the popular styles of literature. Yandamuri Veerendranathwas born in Rajolu, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh to Chakrapani, an Income Tax Department employee.