Culture

[edit]Cultural institutions

Andhra Pradesh has many museums, the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, which features a varied collection of sculptures, paintings, and religious artifacts, including the Archaeological Museum^[36] at Amaravati near Guntur City that features relics of nearby ancient sites,and the Visakha Museum, in Visakhapatnam, which displays the history of the pre-Independence,and Thotla konda which depicts the age old budhist stupa's and cultural style, Madras Presidency in a rehabilitated Dutch bungalow.^[37] Victoria Jubilee Museum inVijayawada has a good collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery and inscriptions. Other ancient sites include dozens of ancient Buddhist stupas in Nagarjunakonda which is now an island in Nagarjuna Sagar, an artificial lake that formed after the construction of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. The Island has a large museum that houses many Buddhist relics.^[38]

[edit]Cuisine

Main article: Andhra cuisine

Hyderabad biryani served with otherIndian dishes

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is one of the spiciest of all Indian cuisines. There are many variations to the cuisine (all involving rice) depending on geographical regions, caste, and traditions. Pickles and chutneys, called thoku also called as pachadi in Telugu, are particularly popular in Andhra Pradesh and many varieties of pickles and chutneys are unique to the State. Chutneys are made from practically every vegetable including tomatoes, brinjals(eggplant), and roselle (Gongura).Avaakaya (mango) is probably the best known of the Andhra Pradesh pickles.

Rice is the staple food and is used in a wide variety of ways. Typically, rice is either boiled and eaten with curry, or made into a batter for use in a crepe-like dish called attu (pesarattuis made of a mixture of this batter and mung beans) or dosas, a crepe filled with black beans or lentils.

Meat, vegetables and greens are prepared with different spices (masala) into a variety of strongly flavored dishes such as Hyderabadi Biryani, fish curry, brinjal curry, and Gongura pachadi the most popular dish of andhra pradesh.An Andhra dish is recognized with the dish being listed in the menu.The coastal region is even more well versed with the varieties in sea food "chapala purulusulu"specially known for "Bommidala pulusu","Koramenu kura". Especially Hyderabadi cuisine is influenced by the Muslims who arrived in Telangana in the 14th century. Much of the cuisine revolves around meat. It is rich and aromatic, with a liberal use of exotic spices and ghee (clarified butter). Lamb, chicken, and fish are the most widely used meats in the non-vegetarian dishes. Biriyani is perhaps the most distinctive and popular dish of Hyderabadi cuisine.

[edit]Dance

Kuchipudi, the traditional dance of Andhra Pradesh,by Yamini Reddy

Classical dance in Andhra can be performed by both men and women; women tend to learn it more often. Kuchipudi is the state's best-known classical dance form. The various dance forms that existed through the state's history are Bonalu, Dappu , Chenchu Bhagotham,Kuchipudi, Bhamakalapam, Burrakatha, Veeranatyam, Butta bommalu, Tappeta Gullu,Lambadi, Dhimsa, Kolattam, and Chindu. Jaanapadam theenmar is a popular folk dance.

Jayapa Senani was the first person to write about the dances prevalent in Andhra Pradesh.^[39] Both Desi and Margi forms of dances are included in his Sanskrit treatise Nrutya Ratnavali.