Places to visit nearby destination - Tirupati
Agastyaswamy Temple About 12 km from Tirupati at the confluence of three rivers,
namely, Swarnamukhi, Bhima and Kalyan, lies the Agastyaswamy
Temple. The temple has three beautifully sculptured entrances
that heighten the grandeur of the hall inside. A separate
shrine for Goddess Parvati is also located within the temple.
Just opposite the shrine in the middle of the river is a
mandap on which the statues of Balaji, Ayyappa and Ganapati
have been installed. A small shrine dedicated to Rama, Sita,
Lakshmana and Anjaneya is located near the tank.
Chandragiri The town of Chandragiri is located at about 11 km southwest
of Tirupati. Once the capital of the Vijayanagar rulers
in AD 1600, the town is famous for the Chandragiri Fort
that has been built on a 180-metre-high rock. Here one can
still come across well-preserved fortifications and some
palaces and temples.
Horsley Hills This charming little hill station lies on the southwest
border of Andhra Pradesh at an altitude of about 1,265 metres
above sea level. The resort, named after the former collector
of Chittoor, is a fascinating place to visit. Here you can
find out valleys clad with teak, mango, sandalwood and eucalyptus
plantations.
Kailasakona Waterfalls Situated in the Nagary Valley, this beautiful waterfall
is worth a visit. The water here is quite rich in minerals
and is said to possess curative powers.
Kalyani Dam About 18 km from Tirupati, in the Rangampet forest on the
Tirupati-Madanapallee Road, lies the Kalyani Dam. The dam
is the main water source for Tirupati and Tirumalai.
Nagalapuram Nagalapuram is a small town about 65 km south-east of Tirupati.
The major attraction of this town is Sri Vedanarayana Swamy
Temple. The temple, believed to have been constructed by
the Vijayanagar emperor, Sri Krishna Devaraja at the behest
of his mother, is a fine specimen of the Vijayanagar style
of architecture. The sanctum sanctorum houses an image of
Vishnu in his Matsya (fish) incarnation accompanied by Sri
Devi and Bhu Devi on either side. An important aspect of
the temple is the Sun worship. The temple has been constructed
in a way that every year in the month of March the rays
of the sun pass through its gopuram and fall on the idol
in the sanctum for three days.
Narayanavanam A shrine dedicated to Kalyana Venkateswara is a major attraction
at Narayanavanam, a small town situated about 22 km south-east
of Tirupati. Legend has it that Lord Venkateswara married
Padmavathi Devi, the daughter of Akasa Raja, at this place.
To commemorate this great event, Akasa Raja built the temple
here.
Sri Kalahasthi Located between two steep hills on the banks of the river
Swarnamukhi about 36 km from Tirupati, is Sri Kalahasti.
Here you can find a temple dedicated to Vayu, the God of
wind. The river running north touches the base of the temple.
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