Travel And Leisure
| By : Ajit Hari Sahu | Previous | Next |
| Posted on : 31 Aug, 2005 | Total Views : 353 |
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh - the 'Gateway to the South'. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb conquered Hyderabad in 1687 he merely replaced a Muslim dynasty that had ruled there for seven generations. Influence of Islamic culture on architecture, food & language was enormous...
The character of Andhra Pradesh, the largest of the southern states, has been formed by its landscape, history and religion. Physically, it is rich in contrasts: ancient rocks loom in the arid valleys and plateaux of the southwest; India's rice-bowl lies in the fertile deltas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers; a wealth of teak grows in the hills that teem with wildlife around Srisailam; and Golconda's apparent barrenness has yielded some of the world's most fabled diamonds, including the legendary Koh-i-noor.
Although Andhra Pradesh is known as the 'Gateway to the South', its geography and history have imbued it with elements of northern, mostly Muslim, culture. When the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb conquered Hyderabad in 1687 he merely replaced a Muslim dynasty that had ruled there for seven generations. The influence of Islamic culture on architecture, food and language was enormous. Buildings have arches, domes and minarets; rich biryanis and spicy kebabs have the flavour of Mughlai cooking; and the courtly northern language of Urdu is as much the lingua franca as the more Dravidian Telegu. The medieval power struggles between the Hindus and Muslims were bitter and unrelenting but did not stop the flowers of these faiths from buildings magnificent monuments. The richest Hindu temple in India, the Venkateshwara at Tirupati, is an Andhra Pradesh, as is one of Asia's largest mosques, the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad. Buddhists have also left magnificent evidence of their devotion at Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda. Skilled craftsmen continue to create a wide variety of handicrafts, and although musicians play in the classical, Carnatic style common throughout South India, dancers move to the rhythms of Andhra Pradesh's own dance from, the energetic Kuchipudi.
