Popular Archaeological Sites

Undavalli Caves

Location

Undavalli Caves, located in the Undavalli village of Guntur district, near Vijayawada are 7th century four storied caves. These cave are placed at the summit, the high mount facing the charming Krishna river. A major attraction here the mammoth statue of Lord Vishnu, sculpted from a single granite piece, in its reclining posture.

These caves are tourist attractions due to its excellent specimens of cut-in architectural and sculptural models. It is believed that Buddhist saints used these caves as a rest house during the monsoon.

Golkonda Fort

Location

The Golconda Fort is situated due west of Hyderabad. The fort was founded as early as the twelfth century by the Kakatias. The Qutub Sahi kings converted this fort into a mighty fort with granite walls and ramparts that extend to around 5 kilometers in circumference. The perimeter of this massive fort measures around 11 kilometers, with 15 to 18-foot-high walls. There are as many as 70 ramparts besides 8 huge gates.

Golconda was once the market city for its diamond trade. Darya-e Nur, meaning ‿sea of light‿, measuring 185 carats and housed now in Iran, was mined here. Many other famed diamonds—including the Kohinoor Diamond, Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond, the Hope Diamond, and the Regent Diamond—are believed to belong to the mines in this region.