The culture of Andhra Pradesh embodies some very exclusive and special entities.
Women wear Venkatagiri, Pedana, Bandarulanka, Uppada, Mangalagiri, Dharmavaram sarees. The exclusive metal ware, brass, stone and wood carving from Budithi in Srikakulam District and Veenas from Bobbili and colourful toys from Etikoppaka and Kondapalli highlight the immense talent of the Andhra Pradeshi's.
Religion and philosophy
Andhra Pradesh is home to Hindu saints of all castes. An important figure is Saint Yogi Potuluri Veerabrahmam, who was a Viswa Brahmin who even had Brahmin, Shudra Harijan and Muslim disciples. Fisherman Raghu was also a Shudra.
Several important Hindu modern-day saints are from Andhra Pradesh. These include Nimbarka who founded Dvaitadvaita, Mother Meera who advocated the Indian Independence and Aurobindo Mission, Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Swami Sundara Chaitanyanandaji.
Pilgrimage places
Annavaram, where the main temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Satyanarayana. Daksharamam, where the main temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Tirupati or Tirumala, where the main temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Venkateswara. Simhachalam is said in mythology to be the abode of the saviour-god Narasimha, who rescued Prahlada from abusive father Hiranyakasipu. Srisailam is dedicated mainly to Shiva. It is one of the locations of the various Jyotirlingams. Srikalahasti is also dedicated to Shiva. It is one of the panchalingam. Kanipakam is a famous temple dedicated to Ganesha. Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada is a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga
Annual festivals
Makara Sankranti/Pongal in January. Makara is the name of one of the twelve astrological signs (in Telugu they say Raasi) resembling a crocodile in shape, which means that the Sun entering northern direction in that particular Raasi. Maha Shivaratri in February/March. Ugadi or the Telugu New Year in March/April. Sri Rama Navami celebrated in March/April 9 days after Ugadi. Varalakshmi Vratam in August. Vinayaka Chaviti in August. Dasara in September/October. Deepavali in October/November. Karthika Deepothsavam during the Deepavali season.
Vodi Biyyam
Vodi Biyyam (Vodi means the Womb and Biyyam means rice grains) is a traditional ceremony performed for married couples in some communities. The ceremony starts before the marriage. After marriage, the ceremony is performed at least once in three years, wherein the parents or the brother(s) of the married woman invite all the relatives for the ceremony celebration.
The Process
The parents of the married woman give money to buy clothes for the ceremony. A good quantity of rice is mixed with turmeric, dried coconut core and other ingredients. Five married women (not widowed) come one after another and put rice in a cloth wrapped around the neck and spread out in the front. There is another food item which is hot chilli powder and rice.
Cultural institutions
Andhra Pradesh has many museums, including the Archaeological Museum at Amaravati Stupa near Guntur City that features relics of nearby ancient sites; the Visakha Museum in Visakhapatnam, which displays the history of the pre-Independence Madras Presidency in a rehabilitated Dutch bungalow; and Victoria Jubilee Museum in Vijayawada, which has a collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, and inscriptions.
Other cultural elements
Other elements that have long defined Telugu culture include Bapu's paintings, Nanduri Subbarao's Yenki Paatalu (Songs on/by a washerwoman called Yenki), the mischievous Budugu (a character by Mullapudi), Annamayya's songs, Aavakaaya (a variant of mango pickle in which the kernel of the mango is retained), Gongura (a chutney from the Roselle plant), Atla Taddi (a seasonal festival predominantly for teenage girls), the banks of the river Godavari, and Dudu basavanna (the ceremonial ox decorated for door-to-door exhibition during the harvest festival Sankranti). The village of Durgi is known for originating stone craft, carvings of idols in soft stone that must be exhibited in the shade because they are prone to weathering.
Architecture
There are two distinct architectural traditions in Andhra Pradesh. The first traces back to the building of the city of Amaravati under Satavahanas. This unique style of architecture emphasises the use of intricate and abstract sculpture with inspiration from religious themes. The second tradition draws on the enormous granite and limestone reserves of the region and is reflected in the various temples and forts built over a very long period of time.