Guntur district General information
Guntur is an important district of Andhra Pradesh with its head quarter located at Guntur town. The Krishna River forms the northeastern and eastern boundary of the district, separating Guntur District from Krishna District. The district is bounded on the southeast by the Bay of Bengal, on the south by Prakasam District, on the west by Mahbubnagar District, and on the northwest by Nalgonda District.
History
The original Sanskrit name (ancient Vedic culture/tradition) for Guntur was Garthapuri. The 'Agasthyeswara Sivalayam' in the old city of Guntur is an ancient temple for Lord Siva . It has inscriptions on two stones in 'Naga Lipi' (ancient script) dating back to about 1100 CE. The backyard of the temple hosts a very old tree . It is said that Agastya built the temple in the last Treta-Yuga around the Swayambhu Linga and hence the name. The 'Nagas' were said to have ruled the region. The place of Sitanagaram and the Guthikonda Caves [1] can be traced (through Vedic Puranas) back to the last Treta-Yuga and Dwapara-Yuga (Traditional Time scale: 1.7 to 0.5 million years ago, Ref).However these are not scientifically verifiable facts like most of the vedic folklores.
Guntur District is home to the second oldest evidence of humans in India, in the form of Palaeolithic (old stone age) implements. Ancient history can be traced from the time of Sala kings who ruled during the 5th century BCE. The earliest reference to Guntur, a variant of Guntur, comes from the Idern plates of Ammaraja I (922-929AD), the Vengi Chalukyan King. Guntur also appears in another two inscriptions dated 1147.AD and 1158.AD
Since the beginning of Buddhist epoch, Guntur stood foremost in matters of culture,education and civilization. Lord Buddha preached at Dharanikota/Dhanyakatakam near Guntur and conducted Kalachakra ceremony, which takes its antiquity to 500 BCE.[2]. Taranatha, a Buddhist monk writes: "On the full moon of the month Caitra in the year following his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, the Buddha emanated the mandala of "The Glorious Lunar Mansions" (Kalachakra) [3]. Buddhists established universities in ancient times at Dhanyakataka and Amaravathi. Acharya Nagarjuna, an influential Buddhist philosopher taught at Nagarjunakonda and is said to have discovered Mica in 200 BCE. Guntur district roughly straddles the Kammanadu / Kammakaratham, the region in the Krishna river valley, where Buddhism prevailed, got the name from Theravada Buddhist concept of Kamma (Pali) or Karma (Sanskrit)[4][5][6][7][8].
Guntur was successively ruled by famous dynasties such as the Satavahanas, Andhra Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Ananda Gotrikas, Vishnukundina, Kota Vamsa, Chalukyas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara and Qutb Shahis during ancient and medieval times. The famous battle of Palnadu which is enshrined in legend and literature as Palnati Yuddham was fought in Guntur district in 1180.
Guntur became part of the Mughal empire in 1687 when the emperor Aurangzeb conquered the Qutb Shahi sultanate of Golconda, of which Guntur was then a part. In 1724, Asaf Jah, viceroy of the empire's southern provinces, declared his independence as the Nizam of Hyderabad. The coastal districts of Hyderabad, known as the Northern Circars, were occupied by the French in 1750. Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu (1783-1816 CE) shifted his capital from Chintapalli in Krishna district to Amaravati across the river Krishna. He ruled with munificience and built many temples in Guntur region. Guntur was brought under the control of the British East India Company by 1788, and became a district of Madras Presidency.
The Guntur region played a significant role in the struggle for independence and the formation of Andhra Pradesh. The northern, Telugu- speaking districts of Madras state, including Guntur, advocated for a separate state after independence and the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created in 1953 from the eleven northern districts of Madras.
Geography
Area: 11,391 sq.km
The Boundaries of this are Krishna district and Bay of Bengal in the East, Prakasam district in the South, Mahabubnagar district in the West and Krishna and Nalgonda districts in the North directions.
River
Krishna, Chandravanka, Naagileru, GundlaKamma.
Pilgrimage Centers
Mangalagiri Panakala Swamy Temple, Kotappakonda Temple, Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple at Ponnuru, Sri Laxmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple at Macherla, temples at Amaravati, Tenali, Hinkar Thirtha Jain temple and Phirangipuram Mary Matha Church.
Industries
Tobacco, Handloom, Silk, Sangam Dairy, Cement Factories at Thadepalli and Macherla, Andhra Fertilizers and Jute mill at Guntur.
Guntur district was under the rule of the Mauryas, Ikshvakus, Anandagotrins, Vishnukandins, Eastern Chalukyas, Velananti Cholas, Kakatiyas, Reddys, Gajapatis, Vijayanagaras Qutub Shalin and the British Sathavahana. World famous Nagarjuna Hill is in this district. Historically Famous Palnadu War and first and foremost Tax non co-operation Movement in 1921 were the happenings in this district. The Forest in these Lands doesn't yield much of the Timber, but some Household Commodities are produced in the forests. Social Forestry drive has been set in the district growing forests on large scales. Chief water source for the farming lands are from the Nagarjuna Sagar Right bank, and from the Buckingham Canal of the Krishna Barrage. A stone dam constructed across Naguleru river at Dachepalli irrigates about 350 acres of land.
Agriculture is the principle occupation of people of this district. Paddy is cultivated twice a year. The Agricultural income of the district is Rs.200 crores, contributing to the extent of 1/16th of the agricultural income of the State. A Research center was established in Laam near Guntur for the development of super quality seeds. The Electricity is supplied to this district mainly through Nagarjuna Sagar Project and Machkand Project. Dramas like Satya Harishchandra, Chintamani, Ramanjaneya yuddham and Sri Krishnarjuna yuddham are very popular in this district and people are very fond of these plays. Copper, Iron ore, Silica, and the Ores used in Cement Manufacturing are the Minerals available in these lands. Sangam dairy at Vadlamudi near Tenali is a major dairy farm. Handloom Industry at Mangalagiri, major Cement factories like Associated Cement Company and KCP Ltd. and Slab polishing Factories at Macherla are the Major Industries set in this District. Nagarjuna University, A.C.College, Hindu College at Guntur and Agricultural College at Bapatla are the focal points for the students, besides Engineering Colleges.
Accessibility:
Guntur is an important railway junction of the South. It is well connected by road.
Tourist Places
Stupas at Amaravati, Bhattiprolu, and Kesanapally, Undavalli caves, Ettipothla Water falls, Nagarjunakonda, Bapatla beach, Amaravathi museum Lam, Nagarjunasagar - srisailam Sanctuary, NTR Manasa Sarovar, and Kondavidu Fort