Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

Andhra Pradesh  & Telangana were once a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in the country and a Buddhist learning center, which can be seen in many sites in the state in the form of monastery ruins, chaityas and stupas. Locally mined diamonds include the Koh-i-Noor from Kollur Mine. It is also a major producer of rice known as the “rice bowl of India”.

Early inhabitants were known as the Andhras, tracing their history back to the Vedic period, when they were mentioned in the 8th century BCE Rigvedic text Aitareya Brahmana. According to the Aitareya Brahmana, the Andhras left North India from the banks of the Yamuna river and migrated to South India. The Assaka Mahajanapada (700–300 BCE) was an ancient kingdom located between the Godavari and Krishna rivers in southeastern India. Accounts that people in the region are descended from the Viswamitra are found in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati is one of the world’s most visited religious sites,  The region is also home to a variety of other pilgrimage centres, such as the Pancharama Kshetras, Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga and Kodanda Rama Temple. The state’s natural attractions include the beaches of Visakhapatnam, hill stations such as the Araku Valley and Horsley Hills, and the deltas of Konaseema in the Godavari river, and Diviseema in the Krishna river. Is also home to the 3 shakti Peetas of the mail 18 Peetas

The historic city Golconda in Hyderabad established itself as a diamond trading centre and, until the end of the 19th century, the Golconda market was the primary source of the finest and largest diamonds in the world. Thus, the legendary name Golconda Diamonds became synonymous with Golconda itself.