Dharanikota Dhanyakatakam | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Residential area in Dharanikota | |
| Nickname: Dhannakada | |
 Interactive map of Dharanikota | |
  Dharanikota Location in Andhra Pradesh, India Show map of India Dharanikota Dharanikota (Andhra Pradesh) Show map of Andhra Pradesh | |
| Coordinates:16°34′42″N80°20′54″E / 16.5783°N 80.3482°E /16.5783; 80.3482 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| District | Palnadu |
| Mandal | Amaravathi mandal |
| Government | |
| • Type | Panchayati raj |
| • Body | DharanikotaGram Panchayat |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,548 km2 (1,370 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
• Total | 7,534 |
| • Density | 2.123/km2 (5.500/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Telugu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 522436 |
| Area code | +91–8640 |
| Vehicle registration | AP |
Dharanikota is a village inPalnadu district of the Indian state ofAndhra Pradesh. It is the site of ancientDhanyakataka, which was the capital of theSatavahana dynasty that ruled in theDeccan around the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.
Dharanikota is located inAmaravathi mandal ofSattenapalli revenue division.[2][4] The village forms a part ofAndhra Pradesh Capital Region, under the jurisdiction ofAPCRDA.[5]
Archaeological excavations at Dharanikota revealedviharas in Dharanikota and nearby areas.[6] It is the site of ancientDhanyakataka, which was the capital of theSatavahana dynasty that ruled in theDeccan around the 1st to 3rd centuries CE. It was also the capital of theKota Vamsa, which ruled during the medieval period until the mid-12th century. TheKrishna River Valley is an important rice-producing area. It was also an important centre of trade with other parts of India and foreign countries. The place is also famous for the greatAmaravati stupa; a very largeKalachakra ceremony was conducted there by theDalai Lama in January, 2006.[7][8]Xuanzang reportedly visited Dharanikota and the Amaravati stupa and wrote an enthusiastic account of the place and the viharas that existed then.[9]Jainism flourished in Dharanikota during the reign of Sada kings.[10]
Dharanikota is situated to the west of the mandal headquarters,Amaravathi,[11] at16°34′46″N80°18′40″E / 16.579444°N 80.311111°E /16.579444; 80.311111. It is spread over an area of 1,524 ha (3,770 acres).[2]
As of 2011[update]Census of India, Dharanikota had a population of 7,534. The total population constitute, 3,734 males and 3,800 females —a sex ratio of 1018 females per 1000 males. 725 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 368 are boys and 357 are girls —a ratio of 970 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 66.06% with 4,498 literates, slightly lower than the state average of 67.41%.[3][12]
DharanikotaGram Panchayat is thelocal self-government of the village.[1] It is divided into wards and each ward is represented by a ward member.[13] The village is administered by theAmaravathi Mandal Parishad at theintermediate level ofpanchayat raj institutions.[11]
As per the school information report for the academic year 2018–19, the village has a total of eight schools. These schools include fiveMPP and three private schools.[14]