ANDHRA PRADESH

The rich and varied culture of Andhra Pradesh can be perceived from its melodious music, scintillating dances, delectable cuisine, ingenious arts &crafts, glorious religions and wonderful people. In the earlier times, the state was ruled by several dynasties and empires, which influenced its cultural heritage. Eventually, Andhra Pradesh culture became rich and creative with the touch of diverse civilizations.

In the world of creativity, Andhra Pradesh has procured a high position with its work of art. The state is undoubtedly a prized gem in the crown of the Indian glory. The ethnicity of the state is also visible from the different communities and religions followed by them. The relishing dishes of Andhra cuisine boast of the 'Nawabi' style of the royalty. Following links will throw light on the various aspects of Andhra culture.

Art and Craft

Andhra Pradesh is a multifarious state that has covered each and every aspect of existence, all-embracing from technology to arts and crafts. The arts and crafts of the state comprise of a remarkable range of handicrafts, paintings and handlooms.

Dances

Andhra Pradesh has always been known for its rich culture. This wonderful state has presented a wide range of performing arts, including dance, drama and music, to the world. Dance is the most interesting form of performing arts that has been encouraged from centuries in India.

Music

Andhra Pradesh has been known since ages for its rich musical heritage. The state is also known for being the homeland of Thyagaraja, Shyama Sastri and Muthuswami Dixitar - the three prodigies of the Carnatic Music Trinity. The ubiquitous Telugu language of Andhra makes the true essence and spirit of Carnatic music

People :

Andhra Pradesh has a concoction of various communities, religions, customs, lifestyles and cultures. In broad terms, the people of Andhra are nice and friendly, who live in perfect harmony, in spite of belonging to different castes and following different religions.

Religions

Andhraites are highly pious people, who follow their religion with the highest regard. In Andhra Pradesh, the major religions are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. Around the state, you can find people following different religious practices, along with their own notions and customs.

Cuisine of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is famous for its hot and spicy cuisine along with its rich cultural heritage. The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh includes both the original Andhra cuisine and the Hyderabadi cuisine, having a Mughlai influence. Out of these two cuisines, the former one is more hot and spicy. The traditional delicacies of Andhra are absolutely mouthwatering having a liberal use of spices.

Every meal that is snacks, lunch, dinner, etc, have their own specialty. The eating habits are quite varied as there is a mixture of Hindu and Muslim styles of eating. The Andhra cuisine is mainly vegetarian and only in the coastal areas seafood is preferred. The staple food of Andhra Pradesh is Rice, which is served with sambar. It is also served with other lentil preparations along with vegetables.

Monuments of Andhra Pradesh

Charminar:

Charminar of Hyderabad is an architectural gem that was built by Quli Qutub Shah in 1591. It is so named because of the four elegant, graceful and intricately carved minarets soaring to height of 48.7 m each. Situated in the Lad Bazaar in the old city, this colossal monument has daunted over the city for more than four centuries now. Quli Qutub Shah had planned and established the new city of Hyderabad with square-shaped Charminar at its centre. The four arches of the monument face all the four directions and are 11 m wide and 20 m high from the base. The mosque here ranks finest amongst all built by the skilled artisans of Qutub Shahi times.

Golconda Fort:

On the outskirts of Hyderabad, the grandiose Golconda fort stands as the quintessence of Nawabi culture and majesty. Built in 1525 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, it speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years. The acoustic system of the Golconda Fort, the structural grandeur of its palaces and the ingenious water supply system are legendary examples of the architectural skills that have been put in its construction. It was once famous as a rich diamond mine in the medieval times and it is believed to be the place where the famed 'Kohinoor' diamond is said to have come from.

Languages of Andhra Pradesh

The main languages spoken in Andhra Pradesh are Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, Banjara, and English followed by Tamil, Kannada, Marathi and Oriya. Telugu is the principal and official language of the State. It was also referred to as `Tenugu' in the past. `Andhra' is the name given to it since the medieval times. Some argued that `Telugu' was a corruption of `Trilinga' (Sanskrit meaning three `lingas'). A general description of the land of the Telugus was made in the medieval times as `the land marked by three lingas of the three famous shrines of Draksharamam (East Godavari district), Kaleswaram (Karimnagar district) and Srisailam (Kurnool district).

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