Kurnool district General information
Kurnool District is a district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, located in the west-central part of the state on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra and Handri rivers. The town of Kurnool is currently the headquarters of the district. It had a population of 3,529,494 of which 23.16% were urban as of 2001.
History
In 12th century AD, the Odders, who carted stones for the construction of the temple at Alampur, Mahaboobnagar District, on the left bank of the River Thungabhadra, used the site where the town now stands as a stopping place before crossing the Tungabhadra. They greased their cart wheels with oil supplied by local oil merchants and called the place 'Kandanavolu' which in course of time came to be known as Kurnool.
Of historical interest are the ruins of a royal fort dating back to the medieval kingdom of Vijayanagar, which flourished from the 14th to the 16th century. Several Persian and Arabic inscriptions which throw light on various aspects of historical interests are found here.
In Kurnool there are 52 dargahs (shrines) located around the Thungabhadra and Hundari rivers. A very famous and lengthy K.C. Canal starts in Kurnool and ends in Cuddapah. It is around 300 kilometers long. In Kurnool city there are a number of ancient temples, churches and mosques. Kurnool city, known as the gateway to the Rayalaseema, on N.H.7 (Kanyakumari to Varanasi) on the banks of the Rivers Thungabhadra and the Hundri was the capital of the first linguistic state in free India, Andhra State from 1 Oct. 1953 to 31 Oct. 1956. As such it has some historical buildings.
Kurnool has freedom fighters like Vuyyalawada Narsimha Reddy, Gadicharla Harisarvothama Rao. Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha (ZGS ) and the District Central Libray (DCL), Kurnool, building near the old Bus stand is named 'GADICHARLA HARISARVOTHAMA RAO SMARAKA BHAVANAMU". It is the second district, apart from Nellore (Bejawada Gopal Reddy 'Andhra state' & Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy), which has contributed two Chief Ministers to Andhra Pradesh:
1. Damodaram Sanjeevaiah (1st dalit Chief Minister of India and A.P),
2. Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy
3. 10th Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha rao was elected as member of parliament from Nandyal constituency with over 6 lakh (600,000) majority, a world record.
Geography
Area : 17658.00 Sq. Km
Population : 35,12,256
Urban : 7,92,654
Rural : 27,19,602
Density of Population : 198/sq.km
No of Revenue villages : 915
Towns : 16
Literacy rate : 54.43
Normal Rainfall : 670 Mm
PHYSIOGRAPHY
Nallamalas and Erramalas are the two important mountain ranges in the district running in parallel from North to South. The Erramalas divide the district into two well defined tracts from East to West. Between Erramalas and Nallamalas lies the Eastern part of the district comprises Nandikotkur, Pagidyala,Kothapalli, amulapadu, Atmakur, Velgodu, Jupadu Bunglow, Midthur, BandiAtmakur, Gadivemula, Nandyal, Mahanandi, Panyam, Banaganapalli, Owk, Koilakuntla, Rudravaram and Chagalamarri Mandals. This tract is crossed by the crest of Krishna and Pennar, watershed at the North part of the Pagidyala mandal at about 1000 above the sea level. From this height the ground slopes to the South along the river Kundu till it traverses into Pennar valley. Major part of its tract is predominantly black cotton soils
Temple
* Mantralayam - Raghavendra Swamy Temple.
* Ahobilam - Narasimhaswamy Temple.
* Srisailam - Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple
* Mahanandi-Lord Mahanandeeswara
* Yaganti-Lord Siva Temple
* Adoni - Mahayogi Lakshmamma Avva Temple
* Belum Caves - Under ground caves extending to SriSailam.
* Urukunda Eranna - Kouthalam Mandalam, Adoni.
* Maddilety Swamy, Rangapuram, Behtamcheral
* Choudeswari Ammavaru/ Devi. Nandavaram, Banaganapalli.
* Peddamma Ammavaru.Tangutur,Banaganapalli.
* Sri Gospadu Peddamma Thalli Temple, Gospadu, Nandyal.
* Pothaluri Veerabrahmendra Swamy Matham/Brahmamgari Matham, Banaganapalli.
* Kolanu Bharaathi, Kothapalli, Athmakur.
* Ranamandala Hanumantha, Adoni
* Gadelingappa Samadhi, Gulyam, Halaharvi mandalam.
* Peravali Sri Ranganatha swamy Temple
* Ayyappa swamy temple near kC canal, central plaza back
* Sri dattasai baba temple nandikotkur road, saraswathi nagar,near checkpost
* sri rangayya tata & kadhar linganna darga at kowtalam
Tourist Place
Kurnool is a simple town with some interesting places to visit.
* The ruins of a royal fort dating back to the medieval kingdom of Vijayanagar, which flourished from the 14th to the 16th century. Several Persian and Arabic inscriptions which throw light on various aspects of historical interests are found here.
* The Kondareddy Buruz protected under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act. The Tomb of Abdul Wahab on the bank of Hindri, Built in AD 1618. The remains of the palace of Gopal Raju, the last Hindu rulers of Kurnool.
* Summer Palace of the Rulers of Kurnool, the Flood Protection Wall along the River Thungabhadra, forming the nucleus of the Fort Wall, constructed by Sri Krishna Devaraya between 1525 and 1527.