Machilipatnam, also written Masulipatnam or known simply as Bandar, is the headquarters of Krishna district on the Andhra coast, about 60 km from Vijayawada. For a century or two it was one of the busiest ports on the Coromandel coast. The English East India Company opened a settlement here in 1611, the Dutch and French traded from the same harbour, and the French held the town until British troops took it in 1759. A cyclone on 1 November 1864 then caused enormous damage and the port never regained its old prominence.
What remains today is quiet and unpolished: a Dutch cemetery in a narrow lane, brick fragments and a cyclone shelter around the old port, a lighthouse and dark-sand beach at Manginapudi, and the Pandurangaswamy temple at Chilakalapudi. The real draw is craft and food. Pedana, a few kilometres away, is the home of Machilipatnam Kalamkari, a block-printed, natural-dye textile with a Geographical Indication, and the town's Bandar laddu is a GI-registered sweet.
Machilipatnam suits slow travellers and anyone who likes history without crowds. Facilities are modest, so most visitors stay one night in town or make it a day from Vijayawada. Day trips lead to the Krishna river mouth at Hamsaladeevi, the Mopidevi temple and the mangrove delta of the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, whose access should be confirmed locally.
Before you plan
Machilipatnam at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable; March to June is hot and humid, and October to November brings heavy rain and cyclone risk.
- Ideal trip length
- 1 day from Vijayawada1 day from Vijayawada, or 2 days if you add Pedana and the delta day trips
- Airport
- Vijayawada AirportVijayawada Airport (VGA), about 63 km away; allow roughly 1.5 hours by road
- Railway station
- MachilipatnamMachilipatnam (MTM), the terminus of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam branch line
- Getting around
- Hire a car with driver for Pedana,…Hire a car with driver for Pedana, Manginapudi and the delta; autos serve the town. Public transport to rural sights is limited.
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹1,000-₹2,500 per person per…Roughly ₹1,000-₹2,500 per person per day excluding hotel, for local food, a hired car and small purchases; varies with the vehicle you use
- Senior comfort
- Moderate: sights are mostly flat and…Moderate: sights are mostly flat and short, but facilities are basic, heat is strong from March to June, and delta roads are rough
- Language
- TeluguTelugu; Hindi and some English are understood in hotels and shops
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Machilipatnam: January, February, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Machilipatnam itinerary
One good day
1 day in Machilipatnam
Start at Pedana in the morning to see Kalamkari block carving, printing and washing in a family workshop. Return to town for the Dutch cemetery, then walk or drive through the old Bandar port quarter to see the fort wall fragment and cyclone shelter. Buy Bandar laddu for lunch snacks and a gift box. In the late afternoon drive to Manginapudi for the beach and lighthouse, and finish at the Pandurangaswamy temple in Chilakalapudi if time allows.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Machilipatnam
Visit the Dutch cemetery and the Bandar port ruins in the morning, then spend late morning at the Pedana Kalamkari workshops. Rest after lunch and end the day at the Panduranga Swamy temple in Chilakalapudi, followed by a sweet stop for Bandar laddu.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Machilipatnam
Spend the day on the Dutch cemetery, the Bandar port ruins and the town's sweet shops, with a rest in the afternoon. Visit the Pandurangaswamy temple in the evening.
Day-by-day plan →
