Buddhist sites

A part of the Visakhapatnam district in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Anakapalle, was initially under the rule of Kalinga dynasty. It was only in the later period that the town went under the Gajapati, Kakatiya, and Qutub Shahi empires. In around mid 15th century, Appalaraju came to power under the Nawab of Arcot. Today, a temple built by him attracts a large number of devotees from all over Andhra Pradesh on the Telugan New year. This temple was dedicated to Kakatambika, a family goddess of Appalaraju, however, the later rulers of the region renamed the deity Nookambika, or Nookalamma.

For a Buddhist tourist like you, more than this temple, the ruins of a Buddhist temple, Bojjannakonda, is attractive. Along with this temple, ruins of hundreds of other Buddhist monuments can also be seen in this area.

The trip to these Buddhist sites can be combined with a visit to the Sathyanarayana Swami temple and Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple. The former is situated on the top of a small hill at Kasimkota about 2 km from Anakapalli while the latter is located in Devipuram, 12 km away. The latter temple is renowned all over the world for being the largest temple in the structure of Sri Chakra.