The Nagarjunasagar town is located 150 km away from Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh state of southern India. It lies between Guntur and Hyderabad. It is one of the famous and biggest Buddhist sites in India. Previously called as Vijaypuri, Nagarjunasagar obtained its name after a revered Buddhist monk Nagarjuna. Currently this area is divided into three divisions namely Vijaypuri south, Pylon and Hill colony.

History:
Nagarjunasagar’s history is quite turbulent and dates back to third century. Captivated by its peacefulness, Buddhists made this place one of the teaching centres. One of the four major viharas was located here. Before the Buddhists, it was a Hindu king named Ikshvakus, who ruled this place. It was his capital city. Later in 1966, a tall masonry dam was constructed here.

Nagarjuna dam:
This is one of the tallest masonry dams in India. The dam was completed in 1966. This dam is 124 m high and one km long. It has 26 crest gates in it. The dam creates the third largest man made lake. This dam is one of the earliest hydro-electric projects in India. It is the best example of India’s architecture and technology. This dam is the major attraction of Nagarjunasagar.

Viewpoint:
Tourists can have an enchanting view of the surrounding lands from this viewpoint. It is just four km from the Nagarjuna dam.  

Nagarjunakonda:
This alluring island is in the shimmering reservoir lake of Nagarjunasagar dam. It has a museum which has a huge collection of rare historic mementos which are evidence of the Buddhist civilization. This museum is shaped like a Buddhist Vihara. Andhra tourism provides boat services from Nagarjunasagar to the island.

Ethipotala Waterfall:
This waterfall is located some 20 km from Nagarjunasagar, on the way to Macherla. Tourists can relax in the guest house near the falls. This waterfall is formed by three streams namely Chandravanka Vagu, Nakkala Vagu and Tummala Vagu. A lagoon is formed by this waterfall. Tourists can visit the crocodile breeding center here. This stream joins with river Krishna after running 3.5 km.

Anupu:
This place is located 4 km away from the right bank of the dam. Tourists can see the painstakingly reconstructed Buddhist archeological sites. Tourists with architectural interest must visit the reconstruction of the third century Buddhist Vihara and amphitheatre with good acoustics.

Nagarjuna Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary:
This is one of the important wildlife sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh. It spreads over an area of 365000 hectares. This huge wildlife sanctuary is bordered by Nallamalai hills to the south and it has river Krishna to its east. The sanctuary spreads over parts of five different districts namely Kurnool, Guntur, Prakasam, Mahboobnagar and Nalgonda. It has various species of animals, birds and reptiles.

The nearest airport to Nagarjunasagar is located 150 km away in Hyderabad. Macherla (24 km) is the nearest railhead. Nagarjunasagar is well connected by roads to nearby towns and cities.