Nandyal travel guide

Nandyal, India

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Nandyal

Introduction

Nandyal, also called Nandyala, is the administrative headquarters of the Nandyal district in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The district was carved out of the larger Kurnool district and officially formed as a separate entity in April 2022, with Nandyal serving as its seat of administration. The town sits at an elevation of roughly 203 metres above sea level, set among the scenic Nallamala and Erramala mountain ranges that surround it.

As a municipal corporation, Nandyal is also the headquarters of its mandal and revenue division. Its position in Rayalaseema, framed by those two hill ranges, gives the town its setting and shapes what you will find as you move through the region.

Getting there

Nandyal is well connected by road to much of the state, with frequent buses running to Tirumala–Tirupati, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kurnool, Adoni, Chittoor, Anantapur and Kadapa. Services also cross into neighbouring states, reaching Bellary and Chennai, and a direct bus runs to Tirumala–Tirupati.

Getting around

Within Nandyal town, auto-rickshaws are the most common way to cover short hops, and you should agree the fare in advance or insist on the meter. Taxis and app cabs such as Ola handle door-to-door trips where available, but availability can be limited, so keep a local taxi contact as a backup; taxi hire charges here are notably high by Indian standards, so confirm the fare before you set off. Rented cars are the sensible choice for out-of-town excursions, since local town transport does not serve nearby sites — hire a car or taxi for Mahanandi, Yaganti and the Belum Caves. Walking works in central areas, particularly around Market Road and Station Road, where supermarkets, pharmacies and ATMs are concentrated and budget lodges and guesthouses cluster near the transport hubs; outside the centre, the narrow roads and spread-out layout make an auto-rickshaw or taxi the practical option.

For intercity travel, rail is generally the most reliable and comfortable choice. Nandyal Junction (NDL) is the town's railhead and functions as a hub for the area, with services to Vijayawada, Guntakal, Bangalore, Howrah, Goa, Anantapur, Hubli, Hyderabad and Kolkata; there is no direct Mumbai connection. Reserved non-AC sleeper and second-sitting are the budget classes, with AC tiers costing more, and you can check IRCTC or national rail enquiries to reserve seats ahead. APSRTC buses run from Nandyal bus station alongside private operators, covering local routes and linking the town with Tirumala–Tirupati, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kurnool, Adoni, Chittoor, Anantapur and Kadapa, plus services into Karnataka and Tamil Nadu such as Bellary and Chennai. Express and deluxe classes are the more reliable options, and it is wise to book ahead in peak season, as buses fill up during shrine season. Nandyal has no airport, no metro and no tram network, so the railway is the only rail-based mode and is oriented towards intercity journeys rather than moving around town.

Where to stay

Nandyal keeps its accommodation simple, and the one budget option documented here is Chankya Hotel and Lodge on Nandyal Bus Stand Rd in Arundhi Nagar, Telugu Peta. It is a budget hotel, so expect the basics rather than extras, and note that no complimentary breakfast is provided, meaning you will want to sort out your morning meal elsewhere.

Food & drink

Nandyal keeps things simple when it comes to eating out, and the food on offer leans heavily vegetarian. For a sit-down meal, head to Hotel Tourist, which sits opposite the Ramalayam temple near the Sanjeeva Nagar gate and serves pure vegetarian food around the clock; lodging is available there too if you decide to stay put.

What to see and do

Nandyal sits within a ring of nine Shiva temples known collectively as the Nava Nandi, among them Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vishnunandi and Somanandi. Mahanandi is the best known of the group, and there you can watch a continuous stream of water pour into an artificial pond; the water is held to be so pure that it is said you would have to travel to the Himalayas to find its equal in India, and its source remains unexplained. Within roughly a fifteen-kilometre radius of Mahanandi stand the eight other Nandi temples — Prathama Nandi, Naga Nandi, Soma Nandi, Surya Nandi, Shiva Nandi, Vishnu Nandi, Vinayaka Nandi and Garuda Nandi — so the temples can be taken in as a circuit.

Beyond the Nava Nandi, the region offers several further sights. The temple at Ahobilam, dedicated to Lord Narasimha, is well known here and stands in a scenic forest about a two-hour drive from Nandyal. The Belum Caves are another attraction in the area, and a Shiva temple sits at Yaganti near Nandyal. The town is also known for its lentil crops, and it was the native place of the poet Pingali Suranna, who was well known in the court of the Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva Dynasty.

Three days in Nandyal

Day one: Start in Nandyal itself, the town at the heart of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, and get your bearings along Market Road, where the everyday life of the district is easiest to read. Nandyal sits between the Nallamala and Erramala hills, so the surrounding country is never far from view. Use the afternoon to arrange transport for the days ahead; taxis and Ola services are the usual way to reach the outlying sites, and rented vehicles can be arranged in town. If you arrive by train, Nandyal is served by NDL, with connections toward Kurnool, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntakal, Bangalore, Hubli, Goa, Chennai and Howrah, while Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad is the main long-distance gateway.

Day two: Head out to Mahanandi, one of the temple sites that draws travellers into this part of Andhra Pradesh, set in the hills and long associated with the region's sacred landscape. The route out of town gives you a feel for the dry Rayalaseema plains giving way to the Nallamala foothills. Tirumala and Tirupati lie further afield to the south, and Yaganti is another of the temple destinations in the wider area, so plan your day around one site rather than trying to crowd several together.

Day three: Give the day to the Belum Caves, the underground cave system that is among the most distinctive sights within reach of Nandyal. Walking through the chambers takes time, and the site is best visited in the cooler part of the day. April in this part of Andhra Pradesh is hot, so carry water and start early. On your return, Nandyal's Market Road is a convenient place to end the day before continuing on toward Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur, Chittoor, Adoni, Bellary or beyond.

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