Cuddapah or Kadapa is a gateway to the hills of Tirumala from the west. It is located in the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh in Rayalaseema region. Kadapa has a rich heritage as the city is home to famous rock paintings known as palaeolithic rock paintings. It is often referred to as the ancient treasure of Andhra Pradesh. Apart from its rich heritage, Cuddapah is also known for its scenic beauty. The hills of Nallamala and Palamuru along the river Pennar gives this place a beautiful landscape.
Best time to visit
Winters are the best time to visit and explore Cuddapah. Book
hotels in Cuddapah from Goibibo.
Places to visit
The best places to visit in Cuddapah are
Gandikota fort, Belum caves,
Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary and Veerabhadra Swamy Temple. Gandikota fort, located in Gandikota village is the major tourist attraction here. Here, you can see the gorge appearing between Erramala hills, which looks absolutely stunning. Besides this, you can also see Madhava Swamy and Ranganath temples built in Vijayanagara style inside the fort.
Belum caves are the longest caves in the Indian subcontinent. The caves are 3229 metres long. Pataalaganga is the deepest point of the cave from its entrance that lies at 150 feet beneath. Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary is the national park as well as a biosphere reserve in Cuddapah, which is famous for its stunning waterfalls namely Gundalakona, Talakona and Gunjana.
Veerabhadra Swamy Temple is located in Lepakshi in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Devotees and admirers of art visit the temple from many parts of the country to see the temple. The temple is built in Vijayanagara style with beautiful carvings and paintings. Apart from these prominent places, you can visit Sidhout Fort and Ameen Peer Dargah Shrine.
Food and restaurants
Kadapa is famous for spicy food. South Indian cuisine is enjoyed by people here and Karam dosa is the most popular south Indian dish among all. Apart from south Indian dishes, you can try Paya Curry, Ragi Sangati and Natu Kodi Chicken.
Transportation
Kadapa Airport ( CDP), which lies 12 km north-west of Cuddapah city has good connectivity with Chennai, Vijayawada and
Hyderabad via
Trujet. There are around 22 connecting flights from
Delhi to Cuddapah daily. Air India, Indigo and
Spicejet airlines connect Mumbai with Kadapa. Cheap flight tickets from here to other popular cities can be booked online via various websites. Also,
flight status & other details related to flight booking & air tickets can be easily accessed on these websites. So for the
cheapest air tickets, it is recommended to book flights online. Transportation facility inside the city is also pretty good with frequently available govt. buses, taxis, cabs and auto-rickshaws.
Kadapa Junction Railway Station is the primary railway station here. One of the busiest lines in the south coast region i.e. The Mumbai-Chennai Line passes through Kadapa. The railway connectivity from here to other southern cities such as
Tirupati, Guntur and Visakhapatnam is comparatively good in comparison with northern cities. There are limited trains from Delhi to Kadapa. Cuddapah has a well-maintained road network which connects the city with Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.
APSRTC buses also run within the district of Kadapa and other South Indian cities.