Kurnool

This article is about the municipality in India. For its namesake district, see Kurnool district.

Kurnool కర్నూలు Kandanavolu
City
Nickname:  Gateway to Rayalaseema
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
Region	Rayalaseema
District	Kurnool
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
Area
• City	49.73 km2 (19.20 sq mi)
• Rank	105
Elevation	274 m (899 ft)
Population  (2011)
• City	430,214
• Density	8,700/km2 (22,000/sq mi)
• Metro	484,327
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	518001
Vehicle registration	AP 21XX XXXX
Website	http://www.hikurnool.com/

Kurnool (Template:Lang-te) is a city and administrative seat of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh state in southern India, about 212 kilometres (132 mi) south of state capital Hyderabad. Kurnool is the sixth-most populous city of Andhra Pradesh. It is the known as the Gateway to Rayalaseema and is the largest city in the Rayalaseema region of the state. Kurnool served as the capital of Andhra State from 1 October 1953 to 31 October 1956.

Etymology

The name Kurnool derived from "Kandenavolu". The city known as Kandenapalli or the city of Kandena. Kandena is a Telugu word it means Grease. The city was also called as the city of Skanda or Kumaraswamy (the chief God of Wars)

History

Palaeolithic era

The Ketavaram rock painting's are dated back to the Paleolithic era (18 kilometers from Kurnool). Also the Jurreru Valley, Katavani Kunta and Yaganti in Kurnool District have some important rock art's and painting's in their vicinity, may be dated back to 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.

• 
  Rock Paintings ketavaram
• 
  Painting at Ketavaram caves

History

Little was known about Kurnool Town before the 11th century. The earliest knowledge of this settlement dates back to 11th Century. It is developed as transit place on the southern banks of the river Tungabhadra and was commonly known as ‘Kandenavolu’. It was a greasing place for the carts which used to transport stone for the construction of temples at Alampur from which the name ‘Kandenavolu’ was derived. It was ruled by Cholas and later by Kakatiya kings in the 12th and 13th Centuries. Later on it became an independent part of the country under Jagirdars. Late it came under the influence of Vijayanagar Kings and it was during the 16th Century that Achyuta Raya built the Kurnool Fort. During the 17th Century it was ruled by Gopal Raja. Abdul Wahab conquered king Gopal Raja and ruled over the country for 16 years. The town came under the influence of Moghal Emperor Aurangazeb in 1686. Later the town was ruled by Nawabs from Dawood Khan to Gulam Rasool Khan (1823). In 1839 the British Government took over control. In 1858 it was made over to a Collector under the General regulations. The British rule continued till 1947 during which period, Kurnool town was a part of Madras presidency. After separation of the 11 districts of Andhra from the composite of Madras state in 1953, Kurnool became the state Headquarters on October 1, 1953.

The Telugu speaking areas of erstwhile Hyderabad State were merged with Andhra Pradesh and then Andhra Pradesh State came into existence in November 1956, and the State Capital was shifted from Kurnool to Hyderabad. Kurnool has remained as District Headquarters.

Political administration

It is the headquarters of the mandal, the revenue division and the district of the same name. From 1 October 1953 to 31 October 1956, Kurnool was also the capital of Andhra State (not Andhra Pradesh), which was carved out of Madras State in 1953. Tangutoori Prakasam Pantulu was the chief minister of Andhra State during this period. The present day District court buildings were used as premises of state Assembly.

Pending plans: The Mayor said the proposal to augment drinking water supply system of the city at a cost of Rs. 36 crores was pending with the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). The State Government cleared the proposal and forwarded to the Centre. If cleared by the Centre, the city would have water supply infrastructure capable of supporting up to the year 2026. Also, underground drainage was proposed for the city at a cost of Rs. 89.15 crores.

Formal proposal:The stretch between Kurnool city and Alampur crossroads was developing as an industrial township attached to the city. MP Kotla Jayasuryaprakasa Reddy already wrote to the Surface Transport Ministry which has responded to the proposal. The corporation too would make a formal move for the ORR, Mr. Reddy said.

Geography and climate

Kurnool Period - 1951-2000
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0     29 18     1     33 20     4     36 23     25     38 25     41     39 25     86     34 23     145     31 22     140     31 22     170     31 22     115     31 22     13     29 19     7     28 17 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [1] IMD
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0     84 64     0     91 68     0.2     97 73     1     100 77     1.6     102 77     3.4     93 73     5.7     88 72     5.5     88 72     6.7     88 72     4.5     88 72     0.5     84 66     0.3     82 63 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Kurnool is located at 15.8333°N 78.05°E / 15.8333; 78.05. It has an average elevation of 273 metres (898 feet).

Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Hundri and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C. Canal (Kurnool–Cuddapah) was built by the Dutch for transportation, but later used for irrigation.

The climate is tropical with temperatures ranging from 26 °C to 45 °C in the summer and 12 °C to 31 °C in the winter. The average annual rainfall is about 30 inches (762 mm).

Demographics

As per final data of 2011 census, Kurnool urban agglomeration had a population of 484,327. The literacy rate was 77.37 per cent. note: The Office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India. note: UA = Urban Agglomeration.

Education

Major higher educational institutions

The following are some important educational institutions:

• Rayalaseema University.
• Kurnool Medical College
• G Pulla Reddy Engineering College (Autonomous)
• Osmania College, Kurnool (estd: 1947)
• Brindavan Institute of Technology and Science
• CES College of Pharmacy
• G.Pullaiah College of Engineering & Technology
• Silver Jubilee Government College
• Rajeev Gandhi memorial college of engineering
• Dr.Abdul Haq Unani Medical College

Apart from these there are many colleges that offer courses in Engineering, Polytechnic, Pharmacy, Dental, Nursing, Physiotherapy, B.Ed., Law, Physical Education, Degree Colleges, Junior Colleges. There are also schools for blind and physically challenged.

Transportation

Kurnool is considered as the Gateway of Rayalaseema as one must pass through Kurnool to reach Kadapa or Chittor or Anantapur districts while travelling from Hyderabad.

Roadways

Kurnool Bus Station is the third largest bus station in Andhra Pradesh after Hyderabad and Vijayawada. Kurnool is connected to most cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh as well as to other largest cities Bengaluru and Chennai by the state owned bus service Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). National Highway 7 (India) connects Kurnool to Hyderabad (210 km, 4.0 hours), Anantapur (140 km, three hours), Hindupur {245 km, 5.5 hours} and Bengaluru (360 km;8 hrs). The State Highway 51 connects to Srisailam, Vinukonda, Guntur, Vijayawada. The National Highway 18 (Kurnool-Chittoor) connects the city to Panyam, Nandyal, Allagadda,Ahobilam(near to the highway), Mahanandi(near to the highway), Maidukuru, Kadapa, Rayachoty Pileru, and Chittoor.

Mayor S. Raghurami Reddy said the corporation was seriously considering the construction of outer ring road around Kurnool connecting the National Highways 7 and 18 for bypass of heavy traffic with funding from the Union Surface Transport Ministry. The proposed road will connect NH 18 and NH 7 between Nannur and Tadikanapalli running up to K. Nagalapuram to join the Bellary Road. An old road laid during British time exists even now and only a widening of it is required. On the eastern front, the road takes off from Nannur to connect Kurnool-Guntur road and crosses the Tunghabhadra river at Gondiparla and joins NH 7 again at Itikyalapadu in Alampur constituency of Mahabubnagar district.

Railway

Kurnool City Railway Station lies on the Hyderabad – Guntakal railway line and has express trains to Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, Chittoor, Tirupati, Jaipur, Madurai, Shirdi and Bengaluru. There are also passenger trains to Hyderabad, Guntakal and Guntur, which caters to the short distance passengers.

The four railway stations in Kurnool District are Kurnool city, Adoni, Nandyal and Dhone junction. Adoni is on the Chennai-Mumbai Railway Line and several trains run daily to these cities and New Delhi. Nandyal is on the Guntakal -Vijayawada line and has daily trains to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bengaluru, Vishakhapatnam and Howrah. Dhone junction is situated on the Guntakal - Secunderabad / Vijayawada line. All the trains which pass through Nandyal and Kurnool pass through this junction.

Airport

The nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, at Hyderabad, three and half hours drive from Kurnool City.

Tourist attractions

• The Belum Caves, Kurnool is the longest cave system and is one of the Kurnool attractions which are visited by most of the people. It is an underground cave and has three well like cavities. The main attraction of the cave is the exquisite stalactite and stalagmite formations. Huge marble Buddha statue on these caves is the sign of worship of Buddhist monks. Natural waterfall is also seen in this cave which is very beautiful and attractive.
• The Royal Fort, Kurnool is one of the worth visiting sites for the tourists as it was built between the period of 14th to 16th centuries. History enthusiasts visit this place and see several inscriptions in Arabic and Persian. This fort reflects the glorious history of the past.
• The Oravakallu Rock Garden, Kurnool, which has natural rock formations. This place is located between water bodies. It is also the perfect place for picnic.
• Mahanandi, Mahanandi (Telugu: మహానంది) is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills near Nandyal, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a picturesque village surrounded by thick forests. Within 15 km of Mahanandi, there are nine Nandi shrines known as Nava Nandis. Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. The Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, an important shrine, is located here. This ancient temple dates back over 1,500 years. The inscriptions of 10th century tablets speak of the temple being repaired and rebuilt several times.These nine temples are Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vinayakanandi, Somanandi, Prathamanandi, Garudanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi (also called Vishnunandi) and Naganandi. A festival is held here annually during February and March to celebrate Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva.Mahanandi is about 14 km from Nandyal Bus Stop. The nearest airport is at Hyderabad, which is about 215 km from Kurnool, and the nearest railway station is at Nandyal.

• Ahobilam, Ahobhilam (Telugu: అహోబిళం,[1] Sanskrit: अहोबिलं) also known as Ahobalam is located in the Allagadda mandal of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 40 km from Nandyal and about 150 km from Kurnool, the district headquarters. There are two temple houses, lower Ahobilam and upper Ahobilam.
• Yaganti,(Telugu: యాగంటి) is a temple to Lord Shiva in Kurnool District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. approximately 100 km from the city of Kurnool.The temple is in the Banaganapalle mandal,14 km west of Banagapalle (Mandal headquarters) on the Banaganapalle-Peapully road.
• Bramhagundam, Bramhagundam is a Lord Kameswaridevi sahita Brmhagundeswara Swamy Temple, located east of the near Veldurthy, within 33 km of Kurnool city, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. an important shrine.(33 km)
• Srisailam(Telugu: శ్రీసైలం)- Shiva temple and Hydel power plant (175 km)
• Mantralayam(Telugu: మంత్రాలయం) - Raghavendra Swami Temple (92 km)
• Rollapadu - sanctuary for the Great Indian Bustard - the largest flying bird (60 km)
• Kalva-bugga - Natural spring; also don't miss the natural rock formations on the way (27 km)
• Jagannatha Hill - Outskirts of Kurnool(5 km)
• dhone mandal abbi reddy palli lake

Image gallery

• 
  Kurnool nawabs bungalow
• 
  Mahanandi

• 
  Ahobilam

Formation of new Capital city

Centre Appoints 5-Member Expert Panel on 28 March to select Capital of the residual Andhra Pradesh, once Telangana is formed on 2 June. Nellore, Tirupati, Kurnool, Ongole, Vijayawada, Guntur, Amaravathi, Visakhapatnam and a new greenfield city are doing the rounds in media reports as the probable capital of Seemandhra.

References

http://www.kalagnani.com An Official Website Sri Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra Swami, Kandimallayapalle

http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/apfactfile/info%20on%20districts/kurnool.html An official website of Government of Andhra Pradesh which provides the details about Kurnool district

http://www.gprecelectricus.org/media/jyoti-mall-link.jpg

http://www.apindustries.gov.in/Library/District/kurnool.pdf

http://mandmstores.in/storelocater.html

http://www.scr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_detail.jsp?lang=0&dcd=2535&id=0,5,268

http://greatkurnool.com/

External links

• [2]
• [3]
• [4]
• [5]
• [6]
• A dedicated website for kurnool District
• NEWS &UPDATES about kurnool
• An Official Website Sri Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra Swami, Kandimallayapalle, Kadapa Dist.
• Kurnool Info website an official kurnool website
• Kurnool Monuments
• Official website of Kurnool District
• Kurnool website
• greatkurnool
• City of Kurnool website
• yourKurnool website
• Kurnool Photo Guide