Nagarjuna Sagar

Nagarjuna Sagar and Nagarjuna konda Located about 150 kilometers from Hyderabad, Nagarjuna Sagar is a well-known irrigation dam built on the Krishna River. The tallest and biggest masonry dam in the world, Nagarjuna Sagar creates the third largest man-made lake in the world.

In ancient history, Nagarjuna Sagar was known as Vijayapuri. The name, Nagarjuna Sagar is derived from Nagarjuna, which is one of the most respected Buddhist monks who ruled the region in the 2nd century. Nagarjuna Sagar was earlier an important site for Buddhist teachings and propagation.

Nagarjuna Sagar Tourist Attractions

Some of the tourist attractions to visit during a tour to Nagarjuna Sagar are the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, which was completed in 1966 and measures 124 meters in height and 1 kilometer in length. The dam has 26 gates.

Around the dam are the historic sites where relics of Buddhist excavations dating back to the 3rd century were found.

Nagarjunakonda is an interesting island museum located in the midst of the Nagarjuna Sagar Lake. The museum houses significant relics of Buddhist culture and art that make it an important place to visit during a Nagarjuna Sagar Tour. Mahachaitya, the main stupa of the museum contains relics of Buddha.

Ethipothala is a beautiful stream flowing down the mountain and which drops a height of 21 meters to form a lagoon. The lagoon is well known for the crocodile breeding centre.

There are two well known temples near the waterfall known as Ranganadha and Dattatreya.

How to get there

Nagarjuna Sagar is easily accessible by rail, road and air. The nearest airport is in Hyderabad which is about 150 kilometers away. The nearest railway station is in Macherial which is about 27 kilometers away. Regular buses connectNagarjuna Sagar with cities like Hyderabad, Warangal, Guntur and Vijayawada.


In the peripheries of River Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, lies a tiny and a beautiful island called the Nagarjunakonda. The name was given after the Buddhist monk Nagarjuna who had built a Buddhist learning centre with a view to preach the teachings of Buddha in the valley.Nagarjunakonda is famous for the richest Buddhist cave sites in Southern India.These caves not only serve as an example of the magnificent architecture of the time, but also reflected the significance of the Buddhist learning centre during those times.

Attractions in Tour to Nagarjunakonda

The major attractions in a tour to Nagarjunakonda are the Nagarjunaconda caves that were discovered in 1950’s. These caves house the ancient Chaityas, Viharas, monasteries and the Stupas. The Mahachaitya is the large structure of the caves that contain the sacred relics of Buddha. The other tourist attractions are the Nagarjunasdagar dam and the waterfalls, the caves include the Belum caves, Mogalarajapuram caves, Undavalli caves and the Yaganti caves.n

How to reach Nagarjunakonda

Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh can be reached easily via air, railways or roadways. The nearest airport to Nagarjunakonda is Vijaywada which is 65 kms away from and Hyderabad which lies at a distance of 150 kms from Nagarjunakonda.To reach Nagarjunakonda by rail,the nearest station is Guntur which lies 36 kms away. There is a good network of roadways where regular buses,coaches and taxis run. To reach Nagarjunakonda by road, you can take the buses that run from thee to Hyderabad, Warangal, Vijaywada and Guntur.