The city of Kakinada lies on the east coast of India. Settled by the Dutch, it was named Co-Canada by settlers and was not named Kakinada until 1947. Kakinada is a seaport on the Bay of Bengal. Its population is 450,000. The languages spoken in Kakinada are Telugu and Urdu. The city hosts several festivals that draw crowds from all over India. From February to March, the Nukalammathirtham festival is held, from August to September the Ganapathi Navarathulu festival is held and from March until April the Sriramanavami festival is held.
Getting to Kakinada can be easily done by airplane or railway. The closest airport to Kakinada is the Chennai International Airport in Madras, India, which is 304 miles away. From the airport, visitors can take the train via the Kalkinada Railway-South Central Railways on the Chennai to Kolkata route.
The temples in Kalkinada draw tourists from all over India and all over the world. Thousands of people worship at the Draksharamamm Temple each day. Also in Kalkinada, lies the Bhavanarayanaswami Temple, which is dedicated to the Bhavanarayana Swami. Another popular temple is the Annavaram Temple, which exists as a center of pilgrimage for many Hindus.
There are many outdoor activities in Kakinada and wildlife viewing is popular. Coringa Park, in the Bay of Bengal, is home to saltwater crocodiles and the Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary. Kakinada Beach is a popular place to relax among tourists and locals alike and is considered a very clean beach. The beach also boasts a park. Kakinada Anchorage Port, a 100-year-old port, is the lifeblood of the city and is worth a visit to see the many ships that port in Kakinada everyday.
Three popular hotels are located in Kakinada. The Hotel Royal Park is a three-star hotel that boasts several restaurants--one which has multiple cuisines--a bar and 84 rooms. The Greenland Hotel boats 25 rooms and is conveniently located close to many of Kakinada's attractions. Some of its rooms offer air conditioning and televisions. There is also an on-call doctor. The Chaitanya Residency boasts 20 rooms, hot and cold water and baths. Most rooms have televisions and phones and some rooms offer air conditioning.
