Kurnool

Kurnool Kurnool
city
Population  (2001)
• Total	567,739
Website	kurnool.ap.nic.in

Kurnool is a city in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state of southern India. It is the administrative seat of the Kurnool district.

It is the former capital of Andhra State (not Andhra Pradesh), which was carved out of Madras State in 1953. The present day Andhra Pradesh was formed when Nizam, Andhra, parts of Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa regions merged.

Etymology

Kurnool is the gateway to Rayalaseema and the largest city of Rayalaseema with a population around 6.5 lakhs. It has many educational institutes and is also a major hub for banking and insurance companies. The original name of Kurnool was Kandenaolu, which literally means "lubricating village". Bullock carts used to transport river sand from the banks of the river that ran on both sides of the village would stop here to lubricate their wheels. The name was changed to "Kurnool" when the British took over the town.

History

Kurnool, as a village, has existed for more than 2000 years. Kurnool was a major fort during the reign of the Vijayanagar emperors. There is still a grand citadel, Konda Reddy Buruju, which symbolizes the glory which the town enjoyed in Vijayanagar times, but it is not certain how the watchtower got its name. According to one old story, the fort was built by King Konda Reddy.

Kurnool city lies on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra river. It is the headquarters of the mandal, the revenue division and the district of the same name. It was the capital of Andhra State from 1 October, 1953 to 31 October, 1956.

In pre-historic times, Kurnool formed a part of Dandakaranya forest and Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana came to this part of the country in search of Sri Sita. The famous Chinese traveller Hieuntsang, on his way to Kanchi, passed through Kurnool.

The name Kurnool is said to have been derived from Kandenavolu Regarding Kandanavolu (a Telugu name by which it is referred to in the inscriptions and literature of the past), there is an interesting legend. According to the legend, in the time of the Western Chalukyas of Badami in the 11 Century A.D., the Vadderas who carted stones of the construction of the temples at Alampur (also known as Dakshina Kasi in Mahaboobnagar District) used the site on which the city now stands as a halting place before crossing the Tungabhadra and greased their cart-wheels with oil, locally supplied by some of the oil mongers and called the place Kandenametta. This circumstance led to the formation of a small settlement on the spot which subsequently came to be known as Kandenapalli, Kandenolu and Kandenavolu, the city of Kandena or grease. It is also interesting to note that the site which was used as a halting place by the Vadderas in those days is still known as Bandla Metta (Bandla means carts; Metta means headquarters or halting place), a street in the Old Kurnool city.

In some of the inscriptions, Kurnool is referred to as Kannadu or Karu Nadu (Karu means black; Nadu means territory). Some scholars argue that Kurnool derived its name from Kallu which means stone and Nadu which means territory.

Kurnool is also said to have been derived from Skandanavolu, the city of Skanda or Kumaraswamy. The worship of Skanda in Andhradesha is very ancient. The cities were also named after Skanda, the chief God of war of the devas.

Kurnool is also referred to as Dakshina Shirdi as the first ever temple of Lord Shri Shirdi Sai Baba was built in Kurnool. This temple was built even before the Shirdi Temple was constructed. This stellar or star-shaped temple is on the banks of the Tungabhadra river.

Konda Reddy Fort - Tourist Attraction

Also called Erra Buruzu (Erra means red; Buruzu means watch-tower) one of the ruined fortifications of the Kurnool Fort is now in the heart of Kurnool (adjacent to Victory Talkies). It is so called because it was built with red sand-stone. It is circular in form (nearly 300 ft. in width) and was surrounded by a moat in the past. It is connected by a flight of steps.

From the sculptural evidence, it can be presumed that this Buruzu which formed a part of the Kurnool Fort was built by the Vijayanagara rulers and it played a significant role in history during the successive dynasties.

The walls of Erra Buruzu stand out for their architectural finesse and historical importance.

  1. South Eastern side: Buffalo and Goddess Yellamma (Boddu Devara as local people call it).
  2. Eastern side: A Mythical lion and a sheep (or a royal boar)
  3. North Eastern side:
        1. A rider on a royal eleplant and the elephant uprooting a tree (or) Lord Indra on Airavatham (his vehicle) and kalpavriksham (the divine tree)
        2. A snake engulping a frog
        3. A buffalo
        4. A pair of elephants
        5. A pair of spiders
        6. A monkey climbing the tree
        7. Horse drawing a chariot
        8. Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita (slightly visible.
        9. Elephant and lion locked in a flight. 
  4. North Western side 

Royal swan and some other sculptures which are disfigured due to the ravages of time.

Geography

Kurnool is located at 15.83°N 78.05°E / 15.83; 78.05. It has an average elevation of 274 metres (898 feet). Although Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, some areas in this region face severe drought.

The K.C. canal (Kurnool/Cuddapah) was created by the British to aid irrigation in the area. It is first canal in the world where the river flows below the canal.

Colleges and schools

1. Rayalaseema university 2. Kurnool Degree College 3. Ideal English Medium High School 4. Government Town Model High School 5. Coles Memorial High School 6. Coles Memorial Junior College 7. Municipal High School, Near Control Room 8. Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy group of schools 9. Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy residential high school, Dinnedevarapadu 10. Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Sankal Bagh, N.R. Peta 11. S.T.B.C. College, Railway Station Road 12. Osmania Degree College for Men, 13. Kasireddy Venkat Reddy Govt college for Women 14. G.Pulla Reddy Engineering College, Kurnool 15. Sri Vijaya Durga Degree College, Sree Lakshmi Nagar 16. St Joseph English Medium School 17. Everest English School, Onetown area 18. Trinity English Medium School, Ashok Nagar, Sri Krishna Colony 19. Kurnool Medical College 20. Silver Jubilee Government Degree College, B-Camp 21. GATE COACHING CENTRE, SANKARAS DEGREE COLLEGE, KURNOOL.

• St. Paul's English Medium School, N.R. Peta
• G.Pulla Reddy Engineering College]], Nandyal Road
• G. Pulla Reddy Dental college
• Safa College of Engineering and Technology.
• Premier Jr.College, Birla campus, Railway Gate
• Osmania College, Kurnool
• St. Joseph's English School
• St. Joseph's Degree College
• Hussainappa High School, Sri Ramnagar
• Vavilala Jr. College
• Adharsha School
• Vasavi Degree College, King Market
• Montessori High School, A-Camp
• Montessori High School, Vidya Nagar
• Universal English High School
• Varma English High School
• Good Shepherd English School, near Nadyal check post
• Ravindra Vidya Nikethan, Abbas Nagar.
• Sri Krishna Junior College, Abbas Nagar.
• Little Birds School, Challa campground.
• Infosys Institute, U-Con Plaza.
• Srilakshmi English medium school, N.R.Peta.
• St.John's College of Eng & tech, Yerrakota.
• ICT (Image Computer Technologies), Gandhi Nager.
• Unique English High School, Abbas Nagar.
• Govt Degree College for men, Doctor's Colony, B-Camp.
• Nalanda Junior College
• Narayana Junior College, Beside Abdulla Khan Estate.
• Bhashyam High School, Sankal Bhag, N.R. Peta.
• Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy College, Velgode.
• Sri Rama Krishna Degree & PG college, Nandyal.
• Kesava Reddy Public School, Nandyal.
• Good Shepherd school, Nandyal.
• Sri Guru Raghavedra Banking Coaching Center, Nandyal
• Nandyal Polytechnic College, Nandyal
• Dr. Abdul Huq Unani Medical College.
• St Mary's Boys High School, near Children's Park.

Mosques,Churches & Temples

• Jumma Masjid(One of the Oldest Masjid of kurnool in the old city)
• Police Line Masjid,Narasingaraopet.
• Masjid-e-Quba , Gadda St
• COLES CENTENNIAL CHURCH (The Foundation Stone was laid by Rev.JOHN NEW COMB in 1917 on November 3rd & was Completed on September 21st 1919. It was a gift given to the Kurnool Believers by Rev.Dr.J.Ackerman Coles M.D.LLD. who has never visited the Kurnool town. The Church building is one of the most beautiful edifice in south India is a monument to an energetic missionary vision & painstaking efforts of Dr.William Aurthur Staton. This Church was constructed for only 50 member group of believers which at present has almost 10,000 believers with 10 sub branch churches. It is located in the center of the city near to Konda reddy Fort)
• Sai Baba Temple on banks of Tungabhadra River near District Court (famous as Dakshina Shirdi)
• Sri Nagareswara Temple (Nagara + Eswara = The main god for Kurnool City), Chidambarao St.
• Rambotla Temple, Kummari street
• Sri Venkateswara temple, Near Radio station, Bellary road
• Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Temple, Venkata Ramana Colony
• Sri Nimishamba Temple, Chittari Street, Near One Town Police Station
• Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, on banks of Tungabhadra River
• Sri Vyasraj Mutt, King Market
• Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Ashok Nagar
• Sri Manikanta Ayyappa Swamy Temple, Near K.C.Canal
• Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Late K.V.Raanga Rao Smaraka Arsha Dharma Kendra, Brahmana Saangham, Sankalbaugh, N.R. Pet
• Sre Venkateswra Swamy Temple, Krishnanagar
• Uttaraadi Muth, Fort
• Rama Temple, I Town
• Neelakaantheswara Swamy, Yemmiganur
• Peta Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Peta
• Naga Sai Baba Temple.
• Kota Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Chidambarao St.
• Sri Mahayogi Laxmamaavva temple, Adoni
• Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Near Bus Stand, Nandya.
• Urukunda Eranna, Urukunda, Adoni,
• Maddilety Swamy, Rangapuram, Bethamcherla.
• Chinna Ammavari Shala, Flower Bazar.

Major factories

• Rayalaseema Paper Mill - Asia's largest paper mill machinery.
• Sree Rayalseema Alkalies and Allied Chemicals, TGV Group
• Guru Raghavendra Oil Company, Bellary Road
• Carbide factory in working stage.
• Panyam Cements at Cementnager.
• Priya cements at Boichervu Palli near Garladinne, Peapully Mandal.

Transportation

The Railway station code for Kurnool is 'KRNT' i.e. Kurnool Town.

Kurnool is connected to most cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh and to Bangalore and Chennai by the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). National Highway 7 connects Kurnool to Hyderabad (210 km, 4.30 hours), Anantapur (140 km, 3.00hours) and Bangalore (360 km). NH 18, Junction with National Highway No.7 near Kurnool - Nandyal - Cuddapah - Junction with National Highway No. 4 near Chittoor is 369 km. For travel within Kurnool, car and autorickshaw rentals are available.

Kurnool lies on the Hyderabad – Bangalore railway line. There are also frequent passenger trains to Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Tirupati, Guntur, Jaipur, Madurai, (Shirdi) and Hubli. The 4 important railway stations in Kurnool District are Kurnool Town, Adoni, Nandyala and Dhone junction. Adoni is on the Bengluru/Chennai - Mumbai Railway line and several trains run daily to these cities and New Delhi. Nandyal is on the Machilipatnam-Marmagoa Line and has daily trains to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Vishakhapatnam and Howrah. Dhone Juncion is situated on the Bengaluru - Secunderabad and Hubli - Vijayawda line. All the trains which pass through Nandyal and Kurnool pass through this junction.

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

Climate

Climate: Tropical

Temperature Range

• Summer: Max 43 °C and Min 26 °C
• Winter: Max 31 °C and Min 12 °C

Rainfall: Seasonal around 90to 120cm

• Summer season : March - June
• Rainy season : July - September
• Winter : Oct - Feb

Major festivals

• DASARA,DEPAVALI,UAGADI' '

Places of interest

• Alampur - jogulamba temple one of shakthi peet
• Belum caves near Banagana-palle (125 km)
• Rollapadu - sanctuary for the Great Indian Bustard - the largest flying bird (60 km)
• Konda Reddy Fort - in the center of Kurnool
• Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy (Ex C.M. of A.P.) -Ghat on the banks of Hundri River in Kurnool Town.
• Nallamala forest - (Srisailam, Mahanandi and Ahobilam are all located within the forest region)
• Jagannatha Hill - outskirts of Kurnool (5km)
• Ranamandala Hill in Adoni.
• Nayanalappa - near Nossam 130 km from Kurnool
• Velgode reservoir - Velgode,

References

N.KonthalaPadu(orvakal):AMBHASAHITHA YAGANTISWARA SWAMY Temple

External links

• http://www.gcmknl.co.in Govt Degree college Kurnool
• http://www.karnool.com
• http://www.kurnool.in/
• http://www.yourkurnool.com
• http://www.south-india-tourism.com/andhra-pradesh/andhra-pradesh-india-cities/kurnool-travel-tours.html Tourism related Information
• http://kurnool.ap.nic.in/
• http://www.rayalaseema.in/
• Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kurnool