Andhra Pradesh is truly the flag bearer of secularism. People belonging to different religious faith coexist peacefully in this state. There are many Religious Places in Andhra Pradesh and most importantly all of them do not belong to any one particular religion.
Way back in the 3rd century B.C., Andhra Pradesh was an integral part of the Ashokan Empire. It therefore comes as no surprise that at one point of time it was an important Buddhist centre. It then came to be ruled by dynasties who were followers of the brahmanical faith. Hinduism flourished during the reign of these rulers. In the 14th century the reign of the Kakatiyas came to an end. For the first time Andhra Pradesh came under Muslim rule. The Mughals continued to rule for a long time and lost their power to the British and the French. Andhra Pradesh thus came to be ruled by Christian rulers as well.
The above paragraph helps us to understand that with the change of rulers, the state of Andhra Pradesh was exposed to different religions.
The rulers were great patrons of art and architecture. They encouraged the construction of monuments in Andhra Pradesh. It is but obvious that they wanted to set up places of worship for people belonging to their own religion. So there are a large number of beautiful temples, impressive mosques as well as imposing churches in Andhra Pradesh.
It is indeed a matter of great pride that people in Andhra Pradesh live in peaceful harmony. They celebrate all religious festivals with equal pomp and grandeur. Its richness lies in its variety, its diversity and that is well reflected in the different Religious Places in Andhra Pradesh.
