After India’s Independence in 1947, Telugu-speaking areas were separated from Madras presidency, and a new Andhra State came into being on 1st October 1953. Later with the merger of Hyderabad State and Andhra State was formed Andhra Pradesh on 1st November 1956. It is a rich agricultural state, known as the ‘rice bowl’ of the south, and also rich in magnificent monuments, lakes, beaches, temples, ashrams, mosques and churches. Information Technology, mainly developed in Hyderabad city, the capital of the state, is its sunrise Industry, competing with Bangalore city.

   Andhra Pradesh speaks such languages as Telugu (the main one), Urdu, Tamil and some others. Telugu is the most widely spoken Dravidian language in the world, third by the number of native speakers in India (74 million, 2001 census), and fifteenth in the Ethnologue list of most-spoken languages worldwide. Telugu is completely different from Hindi and Sanskrit, including the alphabet.

   The monuments of the Hindu dynasties of old forts, palaces, and ruins — each with its distinct architectural and artistic idiom, are found at Chandragiri of the Vijayanagar Kings, perched on a hillock; Warangal, capital of the Kakatiya dynasty; Penukonda, capital of the Aravidu royalty; and Udayagiri.

   Andhra Pradesh has a number of temples of great antiquity — Venkateshwara Temple in the hill village of Tirumala above the city of Tirupati, the wealthiest one in India, with an exquisitely worked gold sheeted gopuram in the Dravidian style; Lepakshi with its famed floating pillar suspended off the floor; the temples of Ahobilam, Tadpatri, Yadagirigutta, Srisailam, Bhadrachalam, Draksharama, Mantralayam, Maukhalingam, Palampet, Hanamkonda, Rajahmundry, Simhachalam, Sri Kalahasti, Anakapatle, and Basar. Amaravati’s 2000-year old stupa — the largest in India and the excavated ruins of a Buddhist settlement at Nagarjunakonda are sacred to the Buddhists. Puttaparti is the abode of Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Baba. His ashram Prashanti Nilayam is one of the most attractive places for foreigners in Andhra Pradesh.

   Visakapatnam with sandy beaches and craggy promontories to swim, water-ski, forests of Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats; stalactites and stalagmites, and prehistoric paintings of the limestone Borra Caves, Tyda, a nature camp in the Eastern Ghats; waterfalls of Ethipothala and Machkund; Horsley Hills, the hill station; the beaches of Bhimunipatnam, Maipadu, Manginipudi and Vadarevu; mineral springs of Mahanandi; the deep gorges of Papi Kondalu and forests of Chintapalle are the best tourist spots.

   Wildlife sancturies and national parks are Coringa, Kawal, Tadvai, Kinnerasani, Kolleru, and Pakhal Lake.

   Some other places of interest are Kuchipudi, the birth place of Kuchipudi dance, Karimnagar, for its silver filigree, Kondapalle, famous for handcrafted wooden toys, Nirmal for its paintings.