Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh and is located on the banks of the
Krishna River. Surrounded by the lndrakeeladri hills on the west and the
Budameru River on the north, the city finds mention in myths and legends. Legend says that Arjuna won the blessings of Lord Shiva on the top of lndrakeeladri hills and thus Vijayawada was created by him. Vijayawada is an important administrative hub and a trade center of Krishna District. Hyderabad is 271 km north-west of Vijayawada.
The domestic airport is located at Gannavaram, which is about 20 km from the city. It connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad by air. Vijayawada lies along the Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Delhi rail route and is the largest railway junction of the
South Central Railway.