Kurnool


Kurnool is the judicial capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the 7th largest city of Andhra Pradesh. It is mostly known for being the First Capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the headquarters of Kurnool district. The city is often referred to as The Gateway of Rayalaseema. census, it is the seventh most populous city in the state with a population of 457,633. It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra river.
Although the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, modern Kurnool was founded in the 16th century CE with the construction of the Konda Reddy Fort. It was the capital of Andhra State from 1 October 1953 to 31 October 1956.

Etymology

The original name of Kurnool is found in historical records as Kandanavōlu or Kandanōlu. It used to be a crossing on the Tungabhadra River, where the bullock cart caravans are believed to have greased their wheels.

History

Palaeolithic era

The Ketavaram rock paintings from the Paleolithic era and are.
Also the Jurreru Valley, Katavani Kunta and Yaganti in Kurnool District have some important rock art and paintings in the vicinity, may be dated from 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.
Belum Caves are geologically and historically important caves in the district. There are indications that Jain 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 found remnants of vessels and other artifacts of pre-Buddhist era and has dated the remnants of vessels found in the caves to 4500 BC.

Vijayanagara era

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.
Ruled by the Cholas in 12th Century and later taken over by the Kakatiya dynasty in 13th century. Kurnool developed into a transit point on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra River. It eventually fell under the rule of a jaghirdar before becoming a part of the Vijayanagar dynasty. King Achyuta Raya, successor of Sri Krishnadeva Raya constructed the Kurnool Fort during the 16th century.

Mughals Rule

The Abyssinian, Abdul Wahab Khan, defeated King Gopal Raja of the Vijayanagar Kingdom in the 17th century and went on to rule the land for 16 years until his death.
In 1686, Kurnool fell under the influence of the Mughals who were ruled by Emperor Aurangzeb. Later on in Kurnool's history, it was ruled by the Nawabs until the British Government took over in 1839.

Post independence

Kurnool was the capital of erstwhile Andhra state between 1953 and 1956 until the union with Telangana to form Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as the state's capital.

Geography

Kurnool is located at. It has an average elevation of 273 metres. Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Hundri and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C.Canal was built by the Dutch for transportation, but later used for irrigation.

Cityscape

Landmarks in and around the city include Konda Reddy Fort Formerly called Kondareddy Burj is the Historical Monuement and Major Tourist Attraction of Kurnool located at the north east part of the city. Orvakal rock Garderns is the Sculpture Garden with Ancient cave lies on the South East of the city. Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary is a noted wildlife and bird sanctuary that lies in the vicinity of Kurnool, about 45 km away. It attracts lot of visitors from neighbouring states of Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Gumbad is one the oldest historical monuments located on the banks of Hundri River.

Climate

The climate is tropical with temperatures ranging from to in the summer and to in the winter. The average annual rainfall is about.

Demographics

As per final data of 2011 census, Kurnool urban agglomeration had a population of 484,327, making it the fifth largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The literacy rate of Kurnool was 77.37 per cent at the time of the 2011 census.

Religion

As per final data of 2011 census, Hindus formed the majority in the Kurnool urban agglomeration. Other religious groups found in Kurnool are Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Parsees.

Education

The primary and secondary school education is imparted by Government, aided and private schools of the School Education Department of the state. Pre-schools by Anganwadi Centers of ICDS Dept.
Rayalaseema University & Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University are the two university's run by state government. Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Kurnool is an autonomous institution run by MHRD govt of India
The city has some of the famous institutions for both engineering and medical degrees like Kurnool Medical College,etc.

Transport

Roads

Kurnool is connected by National Highway 44 to Bangalore and Hyderabad. State Highway 51 connects to Srisailam, Vinukonda, Guntur, Vijayawada and National Highway 40, which runs from Kurnool to Chittoor, are the major highways passing through the city. The city has a total road length of 519.22 km State owned bus transport system, APSRTC, operates buses from Kurnool bus station to other parts of the state.

Railways

lies on the Bengaluru – Hyderabad railway line. It is classified as an A–category station in the Hyderabad railway division of South Central Railway zone. Another railway station name Kotla lies in the middle of the city.

Airport

The Ministry of Civil Aviation & Andhra Pradesh Airport Development Corporation Limited has developed Green Field Kurnool Airport, near Orvakal, 25 km from Kurnool City. The airport was opened on 8 January 2019. The airport is built on 1,110 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 234 crores and is projected to be a commercial enclave by May 2019.

Economy

Kurnool is endowed with good mineral resources. The important minerals are Iron ore, dolomite, limestone, ochre, quartz and silica.

Notable people