Famous Monuments in Andhra Pradesh

There are numerous monuments in Andhra Pradesh. Many were erected thousands of years ago and are very unique is style, design and other elements. Here is the list of top monuments of Andhra Pradesh that you ought to visit:

1. Charminar

This is an important monument of this state. It is located in the capital of the state. This was built in 16th century in Indo-Islamic style. It is a mosque and is built with granite. It is about 56 metre long there are four minarets.

There are two balconies in each minaret. This monument is a two storey building. The top floor is a roof-less mosque which faces Mecca. The ground floor has balconies to get a good view of the surroundings.

This is the oldest mosque in the state that is well preserved. You can find a lot of shops and fairs around this monument as it is a bubbling tourism destination.

2. Triumala Venkateswara Temple

This is the richest temple of the world. This temple is built for Lord Venkateswara and it is one of the most visited shrines in the world. There are no concrete proof for when this temple was built. There are indications about this temple in architectures that were written in 300 AD.

A lot of emperors donated gold to this temple to make a golden roof. It is said that about ten billion rupees is donated to this temple every year. This is an architectural marvel.

The temple tower is about 50 feet tall and is covered with gold. The doors of this temple are also covered with gold. This temple would be very crowded during festivals and other rituals.

3. Golconda fort

This is an architectural wonder built by Qutab Shahi Kings. It was a defence fort. Initially, this fort was built by Kakatiya kings using mud in 12th century. Later, this fort was even more fortified by Qutab Shahi in 16th century.

There are many halls, mosques, apartments and other architectural marvels inside this fort. The gateway in this fort called Balahisar Darwaza is a must watch.

This fort is built on a hill and there are proper ventilation and many underground tunnel that leads to Durbar Hall. There are two pavilions outside the fort.

Every evening, light shows are conducted in this fort. Many visual shows are also conducted that explains the history of this fort to all. Those who visit Hyderabad should visit this fort.

4. Falaknuma Palace

This is a palace that was built in 19th century in today’s Hyderabad. it is a hill palace that is built about 2000 feet above the sea level. It is built in Italian style and is one of unique structures in the state.

The palace is in the shape of a scorpion. The staircases are made out of marbles and many decorations inside the palace were created using marbles. There is a ballroom where an organ can still be operated. There is a vast library inside the palace which is open to tourists.

You can find many prestigious collection of Muslim literature. The most attractive element of this palace is the chandeliers. There are 40 chandeliers which are splendid and stunning.

You can find collection of jades, royal dresses, royal jewels, statues, books, antique elements, paintings and valuable manuscripts. This palace is not always opened for visitors. Thus, you need to get prior permission before visiting this Italian wonder on Deccan land.

5. Purani Haveli

This is a U shaped building in Hyderabad. It is a single storied building that is surrounded by two double storied building. It is built in European style and was the resident of prime minister of Qutub Shahi court. It was built in 16th century.

You can find a lot of unique and ancient items here. There are a lot of courtyards, balconies and mosaic decorations in the halls.

This monument is opened for many tourists except on Fridays. It is an important tourism attraction that stands as a reminder of olden architecture. This building is spread over 40 acres of land and is a majestic sight even today.

6. Paigah Tombs

These tombs are the graveyards of notable people in Nizam’s court. Each tomb has eulogy on an iron plaque. These tombs were buried in 18th century and were discovered very recently. These tombs are artistic and have a perfect design that attracts those who love architecture.

7. Chandragiri Fort

This is an 11th century fort and palace that was built during Vijayanagar dynasty. It is a fort for prince till his coronation. When Golconda was attacked by Muslim rulers, the king shifted his palace to this fort. It is an archaeological museum now and is opened for all visitors. This palace is located in Tirupati.

8. Bhongir Fort

This fort is located in Bhongir hill which is 500 feet above the sea level. This fort was built in 12th century. There are a lot of trap doors, underground chambers, moats and other elements of ancient style in this fort.

The pond surrounding this fort makes this place more enchanting. It was constructed by Chalukya Dynasty.

9. Raymonds tomb

This is a tomb which is located a little away from the capital of the state. It is a 7 metre long obelisk that is built in black granite on memory of Jaochim Raymond.

He was the general in Nizam’s army. It is 200 years old and is located on the hillock of Malakpet. It is said that after his death, Nizam used to send a pack of cherrots and a beer bottle on his anniversary every year to this tomb.

10. Warangal Fort

This fort is located in Warangal. It was built in 13th century by Kakatiya kings. It is a large fort with four stone gateways. You can find a lot of sculptures of unique styles in this fort.

The main attractions in this fort are the rock garden, musical garden, university campus, an archaeological museum, Laknavaram lake and a planetarium.

This is an important tourism destination in Andhra Pradesh. A lot of people visit this fort every year. There is a temple and a mahal too inside the fort.

11. Ghandi Hill

This is a memorial built for Mahatma Ghandi. It is built in a hill which is about 500 feet above sea level. There is a library, planetarium and other attractions inside this monument.

Every evening, light and sound show would be conducted that explains the life and struggle of Ghandi.

12. Kondapalli Fort

This fort is located in Kondapalli which is a little away from Vijayawada. It was built in 14th century for strengthening the defence of the city. There are a lot of structures inside this fort like Daragh, queen palace and others.

As per history, this fort was first built by a Hindu king and was conquered by Muslim rulers who added a lot of other structures inside the fort. There is a tomb of Gulab Shah inside the fort. This fort has many towers that were used for battlement.

At the end of the fort, there is a palace between two hills which has a lot of chambers, huge hall and a deep reservoir.

There is an ancient granary which is in ruins now. A barrack is standing behind this fort which was used by British. A small cemetery used by British can also be seen in this fort. Prison room, Koneru pond, museum and fort areas are the main attractions in this fort.

13. Qutub Shahi tomb

When the city was drowning due to inadequate water and epidemics, Quli Qutub Shahi built this new city for retrieving his kingdom. This small city has the tomb of legendary kings of this dynasty.

In this fortified city, you can find a lot of monuments that are very ancient. Hindu, Persoan and Pathan styled architectures are found in this fortified city.

This tomb has a small mosque in the top and 45 prayer spaces which are still used for prayers. There are many balconies that have great views.

14. Mecca Masjid

This is the largest mosque in the country. It can hold 10,000 worshippers. Bricks baked in Mecca were used in building this mosque. This mosque was built in the end of 17th century.

There are a lot of architectural marvel spots inside this mosque. It also has relic of Prophet Mohammad and granite gallery. It is said that it took 77 years to complete this structure and about 8000 masons and thousands and bullocks were used for this construction.

15. Chowmahalla Palace

This is located in Hyderabad and was the official residence of Nizams. This is a collection of four palaces. This is considered as a cultural heritage spot by UNESCO. This palace was built in 18th century. It has a unique style of architecture.

There are many gardens, fountains, courtyards and halls inside the palace.

The heart of this palace is Durbar hall which has 19 enchanting chandeliers made of Belgium crystals. There is a clock tower in which the clock is still ticking for away 250 years. There is also an exhibition of treasures of Nizams in the council hall.

16. Trimulgherry Fort

This fort was built in late 19th century. It was used as a military house and barrack. It is now a military hospital. It is found in Cantonment area and has a trench which is about three miles in length.

17. Buddha statue in Hussain Sagar

Hussain Sagar is a manmade lake. In this lake, the world’s largest Buddha statue can be found. This monument is a must visit for night trips. It would be illuminated and you can have a great view of the statue from the lake.

Boating is available all throughout the day. This statue was erected in 1992 and is an important tourism attraction in Secunderabad.

18. Birla Mandir

This is a Hindu temple for Lord Venkateshwara. It is built on a hill which is about 280 feet above the sea level. It took about a decade to complete the construction.

This temple is built with 2000 tons of white marble. This is the only temple without any bells. This temple would have a spectacular view during night when the moonlight and artificial lights reflect on the pure white marble surface and give a slight yellowish tint like a golden structure.

19. Kala Thoranam

This is an arched gateway built by Kakatiya kingdom in Warangal. It is an historic arch and is an ornamented structure. It was built during the 12th century. There were four gateways that led to a temple and in 14th century when Muslim invaders invaded this areas, most of the structures were destroyed.

You can find a lot of ruins around this gateway. This arch is the emblem of the new form Telengana state.

Though it was a gateway to a Hindu temple, there are no religious indications on the gateway. This is one of the main reasons for why Muslim invaders did not destroy this gateway.

20. Thousand Pillar temple

This is a historic Hindu temple that was built by Kakatiya kingdom. It is located in Warangal. This building was built in 12th century and stands as an icon of architectural marvels. There are 1000 pillars in this temple and none would intersect the view of main idol of the temple.

You can see the statue of God from any point of the temple. This temple was destroyed by Muslim invaders.

When modern architectural engineers removed all the pillars, they found a large mass of sand which was wet because of a small tunnel from a nearby water body.

The temple is a star shaped structure. There are many carvings and statues inside this building. It is also a famous film shooting spot. Kakatiya festival is an important celebration in this temple. There are many gardens and a large ancient pond in this temple.

21. Nagarjunasagar Dam

This is a new age dam that is the biggest dam in the country and one of the biggest in the world. It is a large initiative for Green India project.

There are a lot of water related activities near this dam and this gives a wonderful view for those who love sightseeing.

22. Peerlamarri

This is not a monument that is made by man. This is the oldest banyan tree in the country. There is a small deer park and many nurseries around this tree. This tree is located in Mahabubnagar.

Though it is not strictly a monument, this is a must watch for those who love nature.

23. Medak Church

This is the largest church in the continent. This was built in 20th century and is the second largest church in the world. This church is an artistic marvel to watch from inside. There are a lot of glass designs and modern designs inside it.

Six coloured tiles were used in the design and the roof of this church is made of a sponge material. This church was initially taller than Charminar and when Nizam found this out, he ordered to reduce the height of the church. The stained glass paintings of this church is a must watch for all kinds of tourists.

24. Hill fort of Anantapur

Gooty is a small town in Anantapur. This town has a massive hill fort that was built in 7th century. This is the most ancient hill fort of this state. This is called the king of forts as it is not a small single fort. This hill fort has 15 small forts with separate entrance.

Thus, it is not each to infiltrate into the main fort. This fort as has water reservoirs inside it.

One of the wells in this fort had been connected to a spring. This fort was a place where ammunitions were kept before the fort fell into the hands of Qutub Shahi rulers and eventually to British.

25. Penukonda fort

Penukonda fort is located near Anantapur. When the state was ruled by a lot of different small kingdoms and sultans, there was a cluster of different religious prevailing in the state.

Krishna Deva Raya built this fort to protect Jainism. There are a lot of Jain temples inside it. This fort also has a green coloured stone idol inside one of the temples. The main motto of this fort was to protect all Jain temples from Muslim invaders. The fort stood for its cause making it venerable to the Muslims and British.

It is also said that a saint of 12th century was searching for a place to settle down. His master gave him a small dry twig and asked him to settle in the place where the twig comes back to life and blooms.

He travelled to many places and at last came to this fort. He planted the twig under a tree and slept. He woke up and saw the twig bloomed into a small plant.

26. Hemavathi

Hemavathi is located a little away from Amarapuram. It was a bubbling village during 8th century. An ancient Shiva temple is located in this village this temple has a unique architecture and was built with exotic rocks which make a pleasant sound when struck. There is also a Jain temple which was built 2000 years ago.

This temple had many treasures which are now preserved in a museum near the temple. There are a group of ancient temples in this village namely Siddesvara temple, Doddesvara temple, Virupaksha temple, Malleswara temple and many others.

27. Gooty Hill fort of Anantapur

This is a hill fort which is circular in shape. It is about 700 metre above sea level. Today, this hill fort stands as ruins. Many small reservoirs are found inside the fort. There are a lot of massive structures inside it.

You can also find a granary, powder magazine, pavilion for kings, store rooms and prisons. This was built in the 11th century and by 16th century it fell into Muslim ruler’s hands. Later Aurangazeb captured it and eventually fell into the hands of British.

28. Dolmen at Kalyandurg

This is a pre-historic place that was used by people for religious purposes or as a place of sacrifice. It is a rectangular shaped three sided room. It is situated on a bed of granite rocks on the peak of a hillock in Kalyandurg.

29. Mallikarjuna Temple

It is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is made with black pillars and has many carvings of various events. There are many shrines in this temple. This temples is located in Kambaduru.

30. Hill fort of Madakasira

This is an 18th century hill fort which is built in a horse shoe shape. It is made with massive stones and rocks and has ornamental bricks and plaster in Saracenic style. Morari Rao built this fort as his palace when Marathas won over this region. It has a large Bastion and a old gateway in the same style.

31. Lamp pillar of Penukonda

This is a long monolithic pillar which is erected on a raised platform. It has a cubical on top which has an iron lamp. There are a lot of cravings on the bottom. It is used for lighting the street in the past

These are just the top monuments in this state. Other important monuments are Manchikallu Buddhist remains, Nagarjunakonda ancient remains, Dutch Cementry, Bandar Fort, Jonnagiri inscription, Abdul Wahab Khan Tomb, Old cave temple, Bodipati Dibba, Kondaveedu fort and many others.

There are a lot of ancient boulders, mounts, inscriptions, temples, churches and other architectural marvels that you ought to visit in Andhra Pradesh.