Kurnool

Kurnool

Kurnool is known as the Gateway to RayalaSeema. Kurnool District is a district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, located in the west-central part. The city of Kurnool is the headquarters of the district. Telugu is the official as well as the most widely spoken language in Kurnool. A language such as Kannada and Urdu are spoken by a tiny minority of the population in Kurnool. Kurnool is the Fifth-most populous city of Andhra Pradesh. Kurnool served as the state capital of Andhra (not Andhra Pradesh) from 1 October 1953 to 31 October 1956.

History

The name of the place as Kurnool was derived from Kandanavolu, which is a Telugu name found in the ancient inscriptions and in literature. In the year 1687, the last Mogul Emperor Aurungzeb conquered the Deccan and later on let the Nizams control the Andhra centre of Kurnool.

After some time, the Nizams and the Nawabs declared independence and later on ruled their independent regions of Hyderabad and Kurnool. The first ruler of Kurnool was Nawab Alaf Khan Bahadur and after his tenure, his descendants ruled the area for over 200 years. In the early 18th century, the Nawabs along with the sultans fought against the British Empire

Little was known about Kurnool Town before the 11th century. The earliest knowledge of this settlement dates from the 11th Century. It has 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. the British rule continued till 1947 during which period, Kurnool town was a part of the Madras presidency. After separation of the 11 districts of Andhra from the composite of Madras state in 1953, Kurnool became the state Headquarters on 1 October 1953.

Education

The following are some important educational institutions G Pulla Reddy College of Engineering & Technology, Osmania College, Kurnool RayalaSeema University, Kurnool Medical College ,  Ravindra Group of Institutions, Kottam Group of Institutions, Creative Educational Society's College of Pharmacy & apart from these there are many colleges that offer courses in Engineering, Pharmacy, Polytechnic, Dental, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Physical Education, B.Ed., Law  Degree Colleges, There are also schools for blind and physically challenged.

Tourist attractions

v Mahanandi, Mahanandi 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.

v  Srisailam, one of the Dwadasha-jyothirlinga & also one among the shaktipeeta, is in Kurnool district. Srisailam Dam over here is one of the most important dam in Andhra Pradesh for irrigation & hydro-electric power generation.

v Ahobilam, Ahobhilam 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.

v Yaganti, yaganti 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

v  Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, is a wildlife sanctuary in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Known primarily as a habitat of the Great Indian Bustard & Lesser Florican

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v  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.

v  Oravakallu Rock Garden, Kurnool, which has natural rock formations. This place is located between water bodies. The Kethavaram Rock paintings, from the Paleolithic era, are located along a stretch of the Orvakal Rock Formations.It is also a perfect place for picnics.

v  Gole-Gumbaz (Round Dome) is the mousoleum of Kurnool Nawab, near Osmania College.

v Konda Reddy 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.

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.

Railway Kurnool City Railway Station lines 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.

Roadways

Kurnool Bus Station is the second largest bus station in Andhra Pradesh after Vijayawada.[citation needed] 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, and 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.