Loading Flights!!

Vijayawada

About Vijayawada City

Vijayawada is a city in the southeast Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It's known for the ornate Kanaka Durga Temple, which sits atop a hill overlooking the city. With scrumptious fruits, sensational sweets and scenic marvels, Vijayawada literally translates to 'The Place of Victory'. The commercial and industrial city of Vijayawada, on the north bank of the Krishna River, will become Andhra's new state capital. Right now there's not much of interest for travellers in the city itself, but Vijayawada is a good base for visiting some fascinating old Buddhist sites in the lush and green surrounding area.

Nice to know - The world famous Kohinoor diamond came from “Kollur mines”, Kollur Village which is now part of the AP Capital Region.

Things to do 

• Kanaka Durga Temple
• Bhavani Island
• Kondapalli Fort
• Mogalarajapuram Caves
• Subramanya Swamy Temple
• Undavalli Caves
• Shopping - Mangalagiri saris and a bottle of some teasing mango pickle, locally known as 'avakkai'.

Best time to visit: September - March

Gaya

About Gaya City

Gaya is a city of ancient historical and mythological significance. It is one of the major tourist attractions of Bihar. Gaya is the 2nd largest city of Bihar. The hectic town of Gaya is a religious centre for Hindu pilgrims, who believe that offerings at the town's riverside Vishnupad Temple relieve the recently departed from the cycle of birth and rebirth. For foreign tourists, it merely serves as a transit point for Bodhgaya, 13km away. One of the most important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists, Bodhgaya is a village in the state of Bihar. It was here under the Bodhi tree that Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. The place is bustling with pilgrims all through the year who come to pay their homage in the monasteries, shrines and temples. It also attracts tourists from India and abroad owing to its magnificent Buddha statue, the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi tree. Bodh Gaya also has other various temples and monasteries dedicated to Buddhism. Located near the river Neranjana, Bodh Gaya was earlier known as Uruwela. It was also known as Sambodhi, Vajrasana or Mahabodhi until the 18th century CE. A trip to Bodh Gaya provides valuable insights into the culture of Indian religious philosophies and also showcases some architectural masterpieces

Nice to know - Bodh Gaya is the single biggest pilgrimage for all sects of Buddhists throughout the world. It is now one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a lot of foreign countries including Japan and China have helped the Indian government in building facilities for the Buddhist pilgrims.

Things to do

• Mahabodhi Temple
• Great Buddha Statue
• Bodhi Tree
• Tibetan Refugee Market
• Mahabodhi Temple Complex Book store
• Thai Monastery
• Royal Bhutan Monastery
• Muchalinda Lake
• Brahmayoni Temple
• Chinese Temple
• Cankamana is a holy shrine
• Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple
• Vietnamese Temple

Oct-Mar is the best time to visit Bodh Gaya but tourists flock here throughout the year. Post-October, a lot of monks, flock from Dharamshala to Bodh Gaya and the city is coloured with maroon robes. Dalai Lama himself spends some time here during December and January. Visitors also flock here in the month of Vaisakh (April-May) to celebrate the Buddha Purnima, the auspicious day when Siddhartha had attained enlightenment.

1. Flight Ticket
2. Vijayawada to Gaya