Rajahmundry is yet another one of the finest tourist destinations in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It’s a place that is very close to nature. It isn’t too far away from the top Andhra cities such as Vijayawada, Vizag, or Amaravathi. At just about 150 to 200 km, you will be able to get to this city from places that we just mentioned. Unlike, Vijayawada and Vizag, Rajahmundry is not the places with beaches but the scenic landscape, sublime ancient structures, and temples, hills, adventurous activities make it an ideal destination for tourists of all ages. Below, we present the top tourist attractions of Rajahmundry.

One of the best places to visit in Rajahmundry is the Godavari Bridge that is located some 3 km from the city center. It’s also known by the name Kovvur-Rajahmundry Bridge and famous as a scenic place that offers a magnificent view of the Godavari river from the bridge. This bridge is a truss- bridge that spans the Godavari river commissioned by the South Central Railway unit of the great Indian Railways. This bridge is also the second-longest road-cum-rail bridge in Asia crossing a water body spanning 4.2 km. The Godavari bridge represents Rajahmundry’s culture, arts, and media, and culture, and the pride of the city.

The Havelock Bridge or the Old Godavari Bridge was built by Fredrick Granville in the year 1897 and it was one of the finest displays of the British engineering marvel. After serving for about 100 years a new bridge named the Godavari Arch Bridge was then constructed to replace this old one in 1997. It’s a modern engineering feat and is one of the longest concrete arch bridges in Asia. The view from the bridge is simply mindblowing especially the setting sun view. The famous Rajahmundry Pushkara Ghat is located between Godavari Arch Bridges & Havelock. Because of the beautiful view that this bridge offers, it has been one of the prime shooting locations for the Tollywood movies. Plus, a boating facility is also available. So take a romantic boat ride and enjoy the view.

The next on our list is the amazing Dowleswaram Barrage that is located about 9 km from the city center. This mind-blowing irrigation structure was constructed by a British irrigation engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton on the lower stretch of Godavari before it finally gives up into the Bay of Bengal. Before its construction, the neighboring districts of Godavari suffered from floods in the monsoon and droughts in the summer season. Therefore, this project was undertaken to provide a continuous flow of water for the agricultural needs of the local farmers.

This giant barrage is about 4 km long and 15 feet high, with over 170 crest gates to pass the floods. The alignment of the dam crisscrosses two mid-stream islands and the barrage was formed in four sections to allow the flood water to pass. In 1988, a museum named Sir Arthur Cotton was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Nandamuri Tarakarama Rao. The museum displays the pictures of how the barrage was constructed and the tools that were used for the project. Visitors can see the models, tools, machinery, and other kinds of stuff that were used to create the barrage. There’s also a statue of Sir Arthur Cotton in the village. Again, boating is permitted where you can enjoy the stunning view of the setting sun along with your loved ones.

At about 40 km from Rajahmundry railway station, Draksharamam is a prime tourist attraction. Situated in the green belt of Godavari, it is a popular one of the panchakarma temples known as Draksharama Bheemeshwara Swamy temple. This majestic temple was constructed in the 9th century by the East Chalukyan king. Sri Manikyamba is one of the Shakti Peethas consisted in the temple. The most beautiful thing about the temple is that when the tender lights of the early morning sun fall on the Linga, you get to see a breathtaking sight of the Lingam.

The height of Shiva Lingam is about 10 ft and the top portion of it can be seen on the first floor. There are over 750 ancient scripts on the temple walls and the celebrations in this temple began in the 14th century during the reign of Reddy Kings. There are numerous small temples within the premises of the main temple. And once upon a time, Draksharama was also considered as a Buddhist complex. There are many more stories to it. Come here and get lost in the charm of the spiritual temple. You can use a private cab or a bus to get to this temple from Kakinada & Rajahmundry.

Pattisam is a beautiful location on the banks of the river Godavari. It is located at 30 km from the Rajahmundry city center in the West Godavari District and can be reached by bus, cab, or a boat. You will find two temples in Pattisam. The first one is Shri Bhava Narayan Swam, dedication to Lord Vishnu and the second one is Shri Veerabhadra Swamy, dedication to Lord Shiva. After the four Panchakasi Kshetras (Kashi, Kedarnath, Srisailam, and Kalahasti) Pattisam is the fifth of them. It has its own religious significance and therefore, many tourists visit this place for their religious offerings.

Let’s talk about the first of the two temples, Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple. It’s situated on Devakuta Hill right in the middle of Godavari. Chola rulers in the 11th Century AD constructed this temple and later in the 19th Century, Raja Kocherlakota Jaggaiah reconstructed it. He donated over 1800 acres of land to this temple. There are many legends associated with the temple with regard to how it got its name. You can learn more about the legends when you visit this place. The Shivalinga is about 9 feet high with the walls decorated beautifully with carved scenes from Purana.

The second temple, Sri Bhava Narayana Swamy Temple has a huge structure with fine sculptures. It was also constructed in the 11th century by the feudal lord Nalaparaju. Later, Emperor Kulothunga of the Chola dynasty added his contributions including rare sculptures. Temples for Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy, Rajyalakshmi, and Anjaneyaswamy are situated in facing the temple gates. Pattisam is also one of the favored sites for shooting Tollywood movies and you will find these temples in many of their movies.

Dwaraka Tirumala or the Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple is one of the most significant religious spot located at a distance of 70 km from Rajahmundry railway station. The temple is built on top of the Seshachala Hills in the West Godavari district at Dwarka Tirumala. The temple is a dedication to Lord Vishnu in the form of Shri Venkateshwara and considered as sacred as Tirupati Balaji. It was constructed during the 19th Century by the Mylavaram Zamindars. The reason why this temple was named as Dwarka is that a Saint named Dwarka unearthed the self-manifested idol of Sri Venkateswara Swamy. This temple is also referred to as Chinna Tirupati. 

The lower portion of the idol is imagined to be in the earth and you can only see the portion of it from the waist. The complete idol of Lord Venkateswara stands at the back of the main idol. It was installed in the 11th Century by the great social reformer, Ramanujacharya. The unique feature of this temple is that the two idols are located in the same sanctum sanctorum. The idols of Nanchari and Padmavathi are installed in the Arthamandapa. The two most celebrated festivals in the temple are Vaikunta Ekadasi (celebrated in Dec/Jan) and Brahmotsavam (around May). 

At about 50 km from Rajahmundry, there’s an interesting place that is popular for Pancharama Sri Kumararama Bheemeshwara Swamy Temple. This beautifully structured temple is a dedication to Lord Shiva and located just beside the railway station. Long back, this place was ruled by the Eastern Chalukya Rulers who named it Purva Chalukya Bhimavaram. The temple at this place was constructed in the 9th Century under the orders of the Chalukya Kumara Rama. The temple was constructed as an offering to the Lord as the king continuously battling in over 300 wars in which he emerged victoriously. A huge mandapam is built here that is supported by some 100 pillars.

Additionally, you’ll find the Eka Shila Nandi which is a statue of a bull carved from a single stone at the entrance of the temple opposite to the Shiva Lingam. Along with the Lingam and Eka Shila Nandi, many people also worship Goddess Shri Bala Tripura Sundari in this temple. The primary entrance of the temple is known as Surya Dwaram and the famous Pushkarni Lake is located to the east of the temple. Every year, thousands of pilgrims gather at this temple to celebrate Mahashivratri and Kalyana Mahotsam festivals with great fanfare. This is when you should be visiting this place. The whole atmosphere at this time is something else and you’ll simply love it.

Maredumili is a small town at some 90 km from the Rajahmundry city center. Although the place is quite far from the city, it is a delightful place to have a great time with friends and family. This place is famous for its scenic beauty surrounded by thick trees and with breath-taking waterfalls pretty close to each other. You can book a cab from Rajahmundry to this place. The roadside view of trees and the cool breeze is amazing. It takes about 2 hours to get here but that’s worth a shot given the striking landscape you’ll be able to sight during the drive.

There are a few resorts in the area but they require prior booking as they are mostly booked by the people who visit this place to spend a weekend. Cellphone connectivity can be a problem and only the BSNL network remains available. Do not forget to try the famous bamboo chicken and spicy biryani which is the specialty of the area. Teenagers will love visiting the small hill rock place known as Gudesalu which takes another 2 hours from Maredumalli. People prefer staying overnight in tents at the top of the hill rock. A good time is guaranteed.

Papi Hills is among the top attractions in Rajahmundry and also known by the name PapiKondalu in Telugu. They are located in the Eastern Ghats where the holy Godavari River flows towards the eastern side. The beautiful Papi Hills is enclosed by dense lush green forests. The place is famous for its small waterfalls, rich flora and fauna, and thick rain forests. You’ll be able to spot people from various tribal communities living in the area and the surrounded jungles. Along with the natural beauty, there’s also a temple in the jungle that is dedicated to Lord Yoga Rama.

As per the local stories, it is said that Lord Yoga Rama spent his days in Dandakaranya in the Yoga Samadhi. If you believe what the locals have to say about this place, you’ll be able to get away from all your sins by visiting this place. What attracts visitors to this place is its serenity and beautiful environment. It is the place where the Godavari River has the shortest width just about 1 km. Therefore, many boat rides are available and you can enjoy your time in the ride that goes through the narrow width of the holy Godavari. So this is yet another place where you’ll enjoy a wonderful time in the lap of nature.

Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple is the classical Shiva temple situated 60 km away from Rajahmundry city center in the East Godavari region. This temple is much closer to the Pithapuram railway station (about 3 km). The Kukkuteswara Swamy temple is the biggest Shiva temple in Pithampuram. The idol of Lord Shiva in the temple is in the form of a Spatika Linga that is about 2 feet high and made of white marble. There’s also an idol of Nandi — the bull — carved from a single stone in front of the temple and it looks stunning.  You’ll see the shrine of the companion of Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy, Sri Rajarajeswari beside the Shiva temple.

Besides the main idol in the temple, there are several other temples within the premises. They all have their own significance and a prime place of worship. If you ever want to visit this place, ensure you are here during the Sarannavarathri or the Mahashivaratri or the Kartika Masam festivals. These are celebrated with high spirits and the atmosphere in the temple is simply outstanding. Moreover, due to the presence of several deities in the temple, people celebrate the respective festivals for the deities with high dignity and fanfare.

At a distance of 70 km from Rajahmundry railway station, Sri Ksheera Rama Temple is one of the popular Panchakarma temples. It’s located in the West Godavari district and yet another famous pilgrimage site around Rajahmundry. The temple houses the idol of Lord Shiva that’s worshipped as Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy. The tower of the temple is one of the tallest temple towers in the entire state of Andhra Pradesh. Now that worth a sight. The height of this megastructure is over 115 feet and has 9 floors. It was architected in the 9th Century during the kingship of Chalukya Bheema. The kings, such as Reddys who followed after Chalukyas, added their contributions to the temple in different forms such as the Prakara and Gopuram. 

This ancient temple is registered under the list of the protected monuments by the Indian Archaeological Department. Now there are many beliefs as to how this temple got its name. Many say that the son of Kaushik, Upamanyu wanted to perform the rituals in the temple. So he requested Lord Shiva to give him milk for the rituals. The Lord accepted his wish by filling the Ksheera Pushkarni Tank with the milky ocean - Ksheera Sagaram. And that’s how this place got its name. There are many shrines in the temple and it will take time to visit each one of them. They all have religious significance so you can offer your homage to the shrines. Mahashivaratri is the most prestigious festival that is celebrated every year in the temple and that’s when you should be visiting this place.