Akkanna Madanna caves

History & tradition

The Akkanna Madanna Caves are a group of rock-cut cave temples in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, at the foot of the Indrakiladri hill on which the Kanaka Durga Temple stands, close to the Krishna river. Dedicated to Shiva, they were excavated in the mid-7th century under the Eastern Chalukyas and are the earliest Hindu rock-cut temples in the Krishna and Guntur districts. There is an upper, larger cave and a lower one; the upper is better preserved and carries an important 7th-century inscription. The caves are protected monuments of national importance under the Archaeological Survey of India.