Culture of Andhra Pradesh - Heritage monuments, Festivals & Art Forms

1. CONSERVATION
Culture of Andhra Pradesh - Heritage monuments, Festivals & Art Forms

2. Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Rama, located
in Vontimitta town in Korajampet taluk of Kadapa District in the Indian state of Andhra
Pradesh. The temple, an example ofVijayanagara architectural style, is dated to the 16th
century. It is stated to be the largest temple in the region. It is located at a distance of 25
kilometres (16 mi) from Kadapa and is close to Rajampet.
Heritage monuments

3. Bojjannakonda and Lingalakonda are two Buddhist sites which exist on adjacent hillocks
near a village called Sankaram. It is located at about 45 km from Vishakhapatnamn and just
a few kilometers from Anakapalle. The sites are believed to date between 4th and 9th
Century A.D, that was when at Sanakaram (Sangharam as it was called then) when the 3
phases of Buddhism (Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) flourished.
Heritage monuments

4. Bhairavakona is a holy place situated on the heart of Nallamala Hills in the Prakasam
district district of the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. This place is home to an ancient
Shiva temple.
There is waterfall which falls from a height of 200 metres and there are eight temples
carved in the hill there. An interesting feature that attracts devotees to Bhairavakona is that
the moonlight falls on the idol of goddess Parvati at a temple there on Kartika
Poornima day.
Heritage monuments

5. Udayagiri Fort is located about 100 kms from
Nellore atop a hill at a height of 3079 feet. It
boasts of great natural beauty with lush
vegetation and beautiful waterfalls. Access to
fort is only by steps and there is no road to the
fort.
During the rule of the Gajapathis and the
Vijayanagar Rulers, this town grew to great
splendor. The ruins of 365 Temples found in
the town reflected the sculpture and
architecture of various periods. The structures
on the hill such as the Ranganatha Temple
reflects Chola culture, the Balakrishna
Mandiram reflects Pallava culture and the
Paruveta Mandapam reflects Vijayanagara
culture. Other structures include Chinna Masjid
and Pedda Masjid.
Heritage monuments

6. Nagarjunakonda (on Nagarjuna Hill) is a
historical Buddhist town, now an island located
near Nagarjuna Sagar in Guntur district,
Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 160 km west side
of another important historic site Amaravathi. It
is one of India's richest Buddhist sites, known
in the ancient times as Sri Parvata. It now lies
almost entirely under the Nagarjuna sagar
Dam. It is named after Nagarjuna, a southern
Indian master of Mahayana Buddhism who
lived in the 2nd century AD, who is believed to
have been responsible for the Buddhist activity
in the area. The site was once the location of
many Buddhist universities and monasteries,
attracting students from as far
as China, Gandhara, Bengal and Sri Lanka.
The Buddhist archaeological sites there were
submerged, and had to later be dug up and
transferred to higher land on the hill, which had
become an island.
Heritage monuments

7. Poleramma Jatara is celebrated with grandeur. Though Kalivelamma is the village
goddess, Poleramma Jatara which is the custom of Rajas became very famous. It's
celebrated every year with pride of Venkatagiri citizens. Also large number of people will turn
up for this occasion from near villages and nearer cities like Nellore, Tirupati, Sri
Kalahasti and Chennai as well.
Festivals
It's believed that this festival
has a long time ago during
the time of Venkatagiri rajas
in the mid-18th century local
people believed that the
godess herself came and
used to talk with the rajas
during the time of festival. It
is usually held every year on
3rd Wednesday and
Thursday after Vinkayaka
Chavithi.

8. SIRIMANU UTHSAVAM, (also referred to as
Sirimanothsavam, Siri Manu Festival, Sirimanu
Panduga) is a festival organized to propitiate
Goddess Pyddithallamma of
Vizianagram Town. Siri means lean and
small and manu means stump or stick.
The priest of the temple, while taking
procession between the fort and temple three
times in the evening, hangs from the tip of the
long, lean wooden stick (measuring 60 feet),
raised high into the sky. The priest possessed
by the goddess would himself tell a few days
before, where this manu is available; from
there only, this has to be procured.Hanging
from the upper end of the stick, which is raised
high into the sky, is a very risky exercise, but
the grace of the Goddess, it is believed, saves
the priest from falling. It is organized in the
month of September or October (Dasara) of
every year.
Festivals

9. Festivals
Giri pradikshana
It is celebrated in the month of june/ july on poorinima day, by moving around the
simhachalam hill (with the temple of God Lakshmi Narasimha Swami), in visakhapatnam,
andhrapradesh.

10. Festivals
Varalakshmi Vrata is performed by married woman for the
well being of all the family members, especially husband, to
get progeny etc. It is believed that worshiping Goddess
Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshiping
Ashtalaksmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth,
Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength.
Varalakshmi Vrata is a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, one
of the Hindu Trinity. Varalakshmi is one who grants boons (Varam). It is an important
pooja performed by many women in the states
of AndhraPradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Hindu festival going by the
name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before full moon
day - Poornima in the month of Sravana, which corresponds to the Gregorian months of July–
August.

11. Festivals
Brahmotsawam
Celebrated for lord Venkateswara, for 9 days in tirumala & tirupathi, chittor district,
andhrapradesh. they clebrate these as marriage days of lord Venkateswara They move
around the Mada streets with the diety on radhas.

12. Kuchipudi is one of the ten major Indian classical dances. It originated in a village of Krishna
district in modern era Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance art, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text
of Natya Shastra.
Art Forms - Dance
It developed as a religious art linked to
traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs,
like all major classical dances of India.
Evidence of Kuchipudi's existence in an older
version are found in copper inscriptions of the
10th century, and by 15th century in texts such
as the Machupalli Kaifat. Kuchipudi tradition
believes that Tirtha Narayana Yati –
a sanyassin of Advaita Vedanta persuasion,
and his disciple an orphan named Siddhendra
Yogi founded and systematized the modern
version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century.
Kuchipudi largely developed as a Hindu
god Krishna-oriented Vaishnavism tradition,
and it is most closely related to Bhagavata
Mela performance art found in Tamil Nadu

13. Puppet is a folk art form. Kavyallonu
janapadudu mimicked himself, described the
characters physical features puranallonu
srstincukunnadu himself. In his speech to the
dumb films posadu life. Made by a variety of
configurations. The characters move behind
himself. Jivanibaddamaina dolls, folk art,
presenting a view of moving the dead is
hidden.
A mass of music, dance, puppet show features
typical of the historical developments in the
notice underlines once experienced that this
art is gaining prominent in the Indian folk
kalarupallone. From the stage in evolution of
the human drama, puppet dance the leading
role in growing phase. The first stage
presentation of folk art to be found in this art
form.
Art Forms – Puppetry

14. Etikoppaka Toys
In Etikoppaka region of Andhra Pradesh, some toys are made with lacquer color and are
traditionally known as Etikoppaka toys. These toys are well known for canon toys, lord
Ganesha toys and bullock carts. Moreover these toys are made from lacquer color and are
also wood toys. Even Etikoppaka region apart from the toys also made other utility items
such as cooking vessel, candle holders, small tops and table lamps.
Art Forms – Toys
Approximately there are 200 people of
Etikoppaka region who are artisans and
have introduced themselves in
manufacturing of ear rings, bangles,
toys, boxes and mythological carvings
and figures. These Etikoppaka toys are
user friendly as well as eco friendly. The
articles used in it are of good quality as
well as of friendly nature. All natural
color and dyes are used in it.

15. Art Forms – Klam kari
Kalamkari or qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile,
produced in parts of India and Iran. Its name originates in the Persian ,which is derived
from the words qalam (pen) and kari(craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen.
The Machilipatnam Kalamkari craft made at Pedana near by Machilipatnam in Krishna
district, Andhra Pradesh, evolved with patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda
sultanate.

16. Art Forms – Harikatha
Harikatha, literally "flow of stories", also known asKatha
Kaalakshepa ("Katha storytelling" - Spending time with kathe), is a form
of Hindu religious discourse in which the storyteller explores a religious theme, usually
the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic.
Harikatha is a composite art form composed of storytelling, poetry, music, drama,
dance, and philosophy.

17. Kolli Rajesh M.City Planning, B.Arch
kollirajesh888@gmail.com
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