Andhra Pradesh has felt the influence of the North more than the other states of South India and has fine architectural works which exhibit this confluence of cultural strains. It also has some excellent Dravidian monuments, among which the most famous today is the temple at Tirupati.

Dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, the Tirupati shrine is located in the far south of Andhra Pradesh. It is built on seven hills and is a masterpiece of Dravidian construction. It is probably the country's richest shrine and is visited by thousands of pilgrims, some of whom follow a tradition of tonsuring their head as an offering.

How to get there: Tirupati has an airport and is also connected by rail and road to important cities and towns.

It houses a 15th century temple built by the Vijayanagar kings. Situated on the banks of river Krishna, it has huge fort walls, lofty gateways, and beautiful bas-reliefs.

How to get there: Srisailam is 232 kms away from Hyderabad, the nearest airport. It is well connected by road and the nearest railhead is Markapur Road, 85 kms away.

This was the capital of the Kakatiyas who ruled between the 11th and 12th centuries AD. It is well known for its thousand pillared temple on a hill slope; each pillar is beautifully carved. There are also many other temple sites nearby.

How to get there: Warangal is well connected by rail and road with major cities.

About 20 kms away from the city is a hill called Simhachalam - Lion's hill. The Simhachalam temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It has beautiful sculptures and scenic surroundings.

How to get there: The city is well connected by air, rail, and road with other major cities and towns.

Within the city is a temple associated with the saint Adi Sankaracharya. Nearby, at Mogalrajapuram, three cave temples dating to the 6th century are worth visiting as well. The temple's sculpture is supposed to be among the oldest in South India.

How to get there: Vijayawada is well connected by air, rail and road.

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