Kurnool History

Kurnool district,Andhra Pradesh,India.

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.

Navanandi Temples Schematic route map from Nandyal

Telugu, Urdu and Kannada are the most widely spoken languages.

Pre Historic Sites of Middle Krishna-Tungabhadra Valley are scattered at many parts of Kurnool district

The Ketavaram rock painting's are dated back to the Paleolithic era (located at a distance of 18 Kilometer 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.

Buddhism and Jainism 

Belum Caves are geologically and historically important caves in the district. There are indications that Jain's and Buddhist monks were occupying these caves centuries ago. Many Buddhists relics were found inside the caves. These relics are now housed in Museum at Ananthapur.

Archaeological survey of India (ASI) also found remnants of vessels, etc. of pre-Buddhist era and has dated the remnants of vessels found in the caves to 4500 BC.

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 grease supplied by local grease 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 Hindu Temple's as Ahobilam, Mahanandi, Yaganti, Srisailam, Kolimigundla, Omkaram were developed during the era ofVijayanagar Dynasty.

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:

Damodaram Sanjeevaiah (1st dalit Chief Minister of India and A.P),

Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy

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.

Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy (Ananthapur District) was elected from the Dhone assembly constituency in 1962 general elections and became the Chief Minister of AP. Again in 1977 general elections to the Lok Sabha, he won from the Nandyal Parliamentary constituency and became the speaker of the Lok Sabha. However he resigned and became the 6th President of the Republic of India. In 1970, part of Kurnool district was split off to become part of Prakasam district

The Nallamalas and Erramalas mountain ranges in the district run parallel from the North to South. The ranges divide the district into two tracts crossed by the Krishna and Pennar rivers. The North Pagidyala mandal is about 1000 above sea level. From this height the ground slopes to the South along the river Kundu until it traverses into the Pennar valley. Major part of its tract is black soil. Between the Erramalas and Nallamalas lies the Eastern part of the district comprising

Adoni

Allagadda

Atmakur

Banaganapalle

Bandi Atmakur

Betamcherla

Cementnagar

Chagalamarri

Devanakonda

Dhone

Gadivemula

Jupadu Bungalow

Kodumur

Koilkuntla

Kothapalli

Mahanandi

Miduthur

Nandikotkur

Nandyal

Orvakal

Owk

Pagidyala

Pamulapadu

Panyam

Pathhikonda

Rudravaram

Srisailam Project (RFC) Township

Srisailam

Velgode

Yemmiganur

Divisions 

Kurnool District comprises 3 Revenue Divisions, 54 Revenue Mandals, 53 Mandal Parishads, One Municipal Corporation, 3 Municipalities, 899 Gram Panchayats (Notified – 7, Non notified – 862 ), 920 Revenue Villages and 615 Hamlet Villages.

Mandals 

There are 3 revenue divisions and 54 mandals in Kurnool District. The revenue divisions are Adoni, Nandyal and Kurnool

Adoni

Allagadda

Alur

Aspari

Atmakur

Banaganapalle

Bandi Atmakur

Bethamcherla

C.Belagal

Chagalamarri

Chippagiri

Devanakonda

Dhone alias Dronachalam

Dornipadu

Gadivemula

Gonegandla

Gospadu

Gudur

Halaharvi

Holagunda

Jupadu Bungalow

Kallur

Kodumuru

Koilkuntla

Kolimigundla

Kosigi

Kothapalle

Kowthalam

Krishnagiri

Kurnool

Maddikera (East)

Mahanandi

Mantralayam

Miduthur

Nandavaram

Nandikotkur

Nandyal

Orvakal

Owk

Pagidyala

Pamulapadu

Panyam

Pattikonda

Peapally

Pedda Kadubur

Rudravaram

Sanjamala

Sirvel

Srisailam

Tuggali

Uyyalawada

Veldurthi

Velgodu

Yemmiganur.

Transport.