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Rajahmundry | |
|---|---|
| Rajamahendravaram | |
 Sunset overGodavari Arch Bridge | |
| Nickname: Cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh | |
 Interactive map of Rajahmundry | |
.svg)  Rajahmundry | |
| Coordinates:17°00′49″N81°46′53″E / 17.0135°N 81.7815°E /17.0135; 81.7815 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| Region | Coastal Andhra |
| District | East Godavari |
| Founded by | Rajaraja Narendra |
| Named after | Rajaraja Narendra |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (RMC)[1] Rajamahendravaram Urban Development Authority (RUDA)[2] |
| Area | |
| 160 km2 (62 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Population | |
| 341,831 | |
| • Metro | 476,873 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Telugu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 533 1xx |
| Telephone code | +91-883 |
| Vehicle registration | AP-05 (former) AP-39 (from 30 January 2019)[7] |
| Nominal GDP(2023-24) | ₹15,693 crore (US$1.9 billion)[8] |
Rajahmundry (/ˈrɑːdʒəmʌndrɪ/RAH-juh-mun-dree), officiallyRajamahendravaram(the city of King Mahendra),[9] is a city in theIndian state ofAndhra Pradesh and the district headquarters of theEast Godavari district. It is thefifth most populated city in the state.[10]
DuringBritish Rule, the district of Rajahmundry was created in theMadras Presidency in 1823.[11] It was reorganised in 1859 and divided into theGodavari andKrishna districts.Rajahmundry was the headquarters of the Godavari district, which was further divided intoEast Godavari andWest Godavari districts in 1925.[12] It is administered under theRajahmundry revenue division of the East Godavari district.[13][14]
The city's name was derived fromRajaraja Narendra, a ruler of theChalukya dynasty in the 11th century, who ruled over the city.[15] In 2015, the city was renamed from Rajahmundry to Rajamahendravaram.[16]
The city is known for itsfloriculture, history,Telugu literature, culture, agriculture, economy, tourism, and heritage.[17] It is known as the "Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh".[18]
The city was earlier calledRajamahendravaram, derived from theSanskrit nameRajamahendrapuram (The city of King Mahendra).[4] Carrying the same meaning, it is also referred to asRajamahendri. During the Qutb Shahi, Mughal, and Nizam rules, it was referred to in official records asRājmandrī[19] and the same name was anglicized during the British colonial era asRajahmundry. On 10 October 2015, the StateGovernment of Andhra Pradesh officially renamed the city back to its original name Rajamahendravaram.[20]
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Rajahmundry was established by Ammaraja Vishnuvardhana the First (919–934 AD). The city as a prominent settlement can be traced back to the rule of theEastern Chalukya[21] kingRajaraja Narendra, who reigned around 1022 AD.[22] Remains of 11th-century palaces and forts still exist.[23]
Rulers:[24]
Rajahmundry was under Dutch rule for some time. In 1602, the Dutch constructed a fort here. In 1857, the British conquered the Dutch settlement. They converted it into a jail in 1864 and elevated it into a central jail in 1870. The jail is spread over 196 acres (79 ha) out of which the buildings occupy 37.24 acres (15.07 ha).
In the Madras Presidency, the district of Rajahmundry was created in 1823.[11] It was reorganised in 1859 and was bifurcated into Godavari and Krishna districts. During British rule, Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district, which was further bifurcated into East Godavari and West Godavari districts in 1925. When the Godavari district was split,Kakinada became the headquarters of East Godavari andEluru became the headquarters of the West Godavari district.[25]
Rajahmundry was a hotbed of several movements during India's freedom struggle and acted as a base for many key leaders. When theIndian National Congress had its first meeting in Bombay (Mumbai), two leaders from Rajahmundry, Nyapathi Subba Rao and Kandukuri Veeresalingam, participated in it. Subba Rao, founder of the Hindu Samaj in Rajahmundry, was also one of the six founders of India's noted English daily,The Hindu.[26]
The Renaissance of Andhra Pradesh started in Rajahmundry.Kandukuri Veeresalingam is known as the father of social reforms in Andhra Pradesh. He started a monthly magazine Vivekavardhini, and a school for girls atDowleswaram in 1874. The first widow remarriage took place on 11 December 1881. A society with 16 members was started on 22 June 1884, which looked after widow remarriages in Rajahmundry. The town hall was established in 1890 by Veeresalingam.Bipin Chandra Pal visited Rajahmundry in April 1905 during the Vandemataram Movement. During his visits, he addressed the public in "Pal Chowk" (the present-day Kotipalli Bus Stand).Annie Besant visited Rajahmundry twice. She first came when the foundations of a branch of the Divya Gyan Samaj at Alcot Gardens were being laid. She returned for the opening ceremony. Ramakrishna Mission was established in the city during 1950–51 near Kambal Tank. The place is now Ayakar Bhavan.
Rajahmundry is acclaimed as the birthplace ofTelugu literature—its grammar evolved from the pen of the city-born poetNannayya. Also known as 'Ādi Kavi' (the first poet) of Telugu, Nannayya, along withTikkana andYerrana, translated theSanskrit version of theMahabharata into Telugu. Kandukuri Veeresalingam – a social reformer and the author ofRajasekhara Charithram, the first Telugu novel – was also from Rajahmundry.
Rajahmundry is located at16°59′N81°47′E / 16.98°N 81.78°E /16.98; 81.78.[27] with an average elevation of 14 metres (46 ft). It is geographically located at the centre of theGodavari districts.Paddy,sugarcane, and various varieties of flowers are cultivated in the area. TheRiver Godavari flows to the west of Rajahmundry. The Rajahmundry Traps, part of theDeccan Traps, are located on the Godavari river and are of particular interest to geologists.[28]
The weather is hot and humid, with a tropical climate and, therefore, no distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature is 32 °C (90 °F). The hottest season is from April to June, with temperatures ranging from 34 °C (93 °F) to 48 °C (118 °F) with a maximum of 52 °C (126 °F) recorded in May 2002 and May 2007. The coolest months are December and January, when it is pleasant at 27 °C (81 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F). There is heavymonsoon rain at the end of summer, with depressions in theBay of Bengal.
| Climate data for Rajahmundry | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28 (82) | 30 (86) | 34 (93) | 38 (100) | 40 (104) | 37 (99) | 34 (93) | 33 (91) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 28 (82) | 27 (81) | 33 (91) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19 (66) | 21 (70) | 23 (73) | 27 (81) | 29 (84) | 27 (81) | 26 (79) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 21 (70) | 18 (64) | 24 (75) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 3 (0.1) | 6 (0.2) | 11 (0.4) | 21 (0.8) | 67 (2.6) | 142 (5.6) | 260 (10.2) | 187 (7.4) | 177 (7.0) | 197 (7.8) | 37 (1.5) | 7 (0.3) | 1,115 (43.9) |
| Source:en.climate-data.org | |||||||||||||
Rajahmundry has been ranked the 16th best "National Clean Air City" under Category 2 (3-10L population cities) in India.[29]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1871 | 19,738 | — |
| 1881 | 24,555 | +24.4% |
| 1891 | 28,397 | +15.6% |
| 1901 | 36,408 | +28.2% |
| 1911 | 48,417 | +33.0% |
| 1921 | 53,791 | +11.1% |
| 1931 | 63,526 | +18.1% |
| 1941 | 74,564 | +17.4% |
| 1951 | 105,276 | +41.2% |
| 1961 | 130,002 | +23.5% |
| 1971 | 188,805 | +45.2% |
| 1981 | 267,749 | +41.8% |
| 1991 | 324,881 | +21.3% |
| 2001 | 315,251 | −3.0% |
| 2011 | 341,831 | +8.4% |
As of 2011[update]Census of India, the city had a population of 341,831.[6] A total of 29,883 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 15,152 are boys and 14,731 are girls—asex ratio of 972 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 84.28% (male 88.14%; female 80.54%) with 264,653 literates, significantly higher than the national average of 73.00%.[5][30]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 92.21% | |||
| Muslims | 4.21% | |||
| Christians | 2.65% | |||
| Jains | 0.53% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.40% | |||
| Distribution of religions | ||||
In terms of language, 94.12% of the population spokeTelugu and 3.49%Urdu as their first language.[32]
Rajahmundry is spread over an area of 238.5 km2 (92.1 sq mi) and metro area of 770.73 km2 (297.58 sq mi) The Government is constructing an underground drainage system in the city.[33] The Government merged 23 surrounding villages fromKorukonda,Rajanagaram,Rajahmundry Rural andKadiam mandals intoRajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation and upgraded it to Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC).[2] AP govt issued G.O. No. 85 on 28 January 2020 and published it in the Gazette on 31 January 2020.Godavari Urban Development Authority (GUDA) is also working for the progress of a new master plan.[citation needed]
Present representatives of City:
Mandals in city:
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Rajahmundry is also famous for flowers. Various varieties of flowers are cultivated here. Nurseriesspread over more than 3,500 acres in theKadiam,Rajahmundry Rural mandals of the city. Floriculture is also expanding toMandapeta town. The Central Floriculture Institute and Research Centre is under construction atVemagiri in the city.[34] The government is exporting these flowers fromRajahmundry Airport throughcargo planes.
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Rajahmundry is a commercial hub forEast Godavari andWest Godavari Districts. Nurseries in Kadiam mandal generate huge revenue toRajahmundry revenue division. A floriculture research centre is under construction atVemagiri to give a major boost to the nurseries in Godavari districts.Floriculture is expanding toMandapeta,Alamuru andAtreyapuram mandals. Main Road and Tadithota are the main commercial areas in the city. Many shopping complexes, multiplexes, hotels and convention halls are under construction nearNH 216A (oldNH 16) and it is becoming another shopping centre. Tourism also generates revenue for this region.[35] It is one of the largest bullion markets in India, with hundreds of gold, silver and platinum shops throughout the city.
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Rajahmundry is an industrial hub with huge industries generating employment. The city is the headquarters forONGC,GAIL inK.G. Basin. Godavari districts are one of the largest petrochemical hubs in India. There are two huge paper mills in the city located at Luthergiri and Kadiam. There are two power plants in city i.e., GMR Power Plant and Vijjeswaram Power Plant (which runs on Natural gas and Naptha as primary and secondary fuels). The Government has set up industrial parks and industrial clusters at Nidigatla, Pallakadiam, Rajanagaram, Kadiyam, Jegurapadu areas in the city.[36] The present district five-year plan, includes making the city an IT hub.[citation needed]
Damerla Rama Rao Art Gallery is dedicated to the works of the artistDamerla Rama Rao of the city and showcases various paintings by him such asKrishna Leela,Godavari of Eastern Ghats andMilkmaids of Kathiawar.[37]
Ratnam pens are India's first handcrafted pens, made since 1932.[38] The pens are made from ebonite with gold- or silver-plated nibs. Ratnamson is the brand name of K. V. Ratnam and Sons; Ratnam Ball Pen Works is located at Fort Gate, Rajahmundry.[39]
Nannayya is the earliest knownTelugu poet, and the author of the first third of theAndhra Mahabharatam, a Telugu retelling of theMahabharata.Sri Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1848–1919), a renownedsocial reformer, is widely considered the person who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu literature and amongTelugu people; he is also known to have fought for women's issues.[40]General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, (15 May 1803 – 24 July 1899) was a British General and anirrigation engineer.[41]Adurthi Subba Rao, prominent old-time Director and Producer of Telugu Films.[citation needed]Julia Maitland, a campaigner for "native" education, founded a multilingual school and reading room in the town in 1837.[42]Nalam Krishna Rao, a writer and social activist from Godavari, set up theGowthami Grandhalayam in Rajahmundry in 1898.
Durga Cinetone was the firstSouth Indian film studio, to be built in Rajahmundry in the year 1936 by Nidamarthi Surayya. Many other films have been shot in the city.[43]
The city has produced many well-known artists in theTelugu film industry such asAdurthi Subba Rao,S. V. Ranga Rao,Ali,Raja Babu,Jaya Prada,Sameera Reddy,Bhanupriya,Sriman,Meghna Reddy,Thotakura Venkata Raju,Uma Pemmaraju,Ramesh,Sira Sri,Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar,Ali,M Murali Mohan andJ. D. Chakravarthy.[citation needed]
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The riverGodavari and its bridges and the Sir Arthur Cotton Museum[44] are some of the attractions in the city. Rajahmundry is a tourist destination in the state. Daily tourist boats operate fromPushkar Ghat toPapikondalu andBhadrachalam. Nurseries in Kadiam mandal are another tourist destination.
Government ofAndhra Pradesh is rehabilitating theold Godavari bridge (Havelock Bridge) and constructing resorts, convention centers, film studios, hotels, recreational places at Pichukalanka and other islands on River Godavari and eco-tourism centre atKadiyapulanka, Zoological Park. The government of Andhra Pradesh is also constructing Rajahmundry International Cricket Stadium on PPP mode to host international matches.[45] Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC),Godavari Urban Development Authority (GUDA) andAndhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) are planning riverfront development on 22 km (14 mi) stretch of river Godavari from Venkatanagaram to Vemagiri. The Government is signingMoUs with private agencies for Malls, Multiplexes, Hotels, Convention Centers and Recreational places on PPP mode as a part of tourism development.Rajahmundry Airport is being developed as an international airport to provide a major boost to tourism in Godavari districts.Polavaram Project, which is 25 km (16 mi) away from city, will become another major tourist site near the city.[46]
The bridges across Godavari river are an important transport infrastructure for connectivity such as, theGodavari Bridge,[47] which is the third longestrailroad bridge in India;[48] and theGodavari Arch Bridge, commissioned on 14 March 1997 forHowrah–Chennai main line.[49] While, theOld Godavari Bridge (The Havelock Bridge) was the earliest of all, built in 1897 and was decommissioned in 1997.[48][50][51] The city also hasDowleswaram Cotton Barrage bridge andfourth bridge on either side of the main city that connects the highways of East Godavari and West Godavari districts.
Rajahmundry is very well connected to the state and the rest of India with a network of state and national highways.NH 16 passes through the city.NH 365BB,NH 516D connects the city withKhammam,Suryapet andHyderabad.NH 216A which is a spur road to NH-16 connects the city withRavulapalem,Tanuku,Tadepalligudem andEluru.NH 516E connects the city withVizianagaram viaRampachodavaram,Narsipatnam andAraku.
ADB Road andSH 40 (Canal Road) connects the city withKakinada andSH 41 is connected withOdisha,Chhattisgarh,Telangana borders with Andhra Pradesh andBhadrachalam.SH 104 connects the city withAmalapuram.SH 172 is connected toPurushottampatnam andPolavaram Project.SH 72 connects the city toNidadavolu,Palakollu andNarasapuram,Bhimavaram.
NHAI is constructing flyovers on NH 16 and NH 216A atDiwancheruvu,Lalacheruvu,Morampudi,Vemagiri andKadiyapulanka junctions in the city to ease traffic. Trumpet Bridge is being constructed at ADB road on NH 16 inRajanagaram. An ROB was proposed from Morampudi to Kotipalli Bus stand.Godavari Urban Development Authority (GUDA), Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC) are constructing an outer ring road (ORR) for the city to ease traffic in the city.
There are two railway stations inRajahmahendravaram:Rajahmundry railway station andGodavari railway station.Rajahmundry railway station is classified as anA category station.[52] It is located on theHowrah-Chennai main line ofSouth Central Railway zone. The new platforms 4 and 5 were operational from 2023.Godavari,Kadiyam, andKovvur are other railway stations serving the city region. A second railway line is proposed on the Godavari Arch Bridge. A new railway line toRaipur from the city connectingRampachodavaram and other East agency areas is in the proposal. The frequency of trains will be increased after the completion ofKovvur-Bhadrachalam railway line and the distance toSecunderabad will be decreased.[53]
National Waterway 4 was declared on 24 November 2008, which connects the Indian states ofAndhra Pradesh,Tamil Nadu, and theunion territory ofPuducherry. It passes throughKakinada, Rajahmundry,Tadepalligudem,Eluru,Commanur,Buckingham Canal and also part ofKrishna andGodavari rivers.Kakinada Port is the nearest port to the city. A new commercial port is under construction at Kakinada City byGMR onPPP mode.Narasapuram Port is proposed according to AP State Reorganisation Act.[54] It is being developed byInland Waterways Authority of India.Inland water port is proposed atBobbillanka.APTDC and other private agencies' boats andlaunches are available daily from Pushakar Ghat toPapikondalu andBhadrachalam.[55]
Rajahmundry Airport is situated atMadhurapudi in the north of Rajamahendravaram.[56] The airport serves the people of godavari districts in Andhra Pradesh.Indigo airline has been operating non-stop flights to and fro the cities namely Bengaluru, Chennai, Pondicherry, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. The airport's runway was expanded from 1,749 m to 3,165 m and it is the second longest runway in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A new integrated domestic terminal will come up at Rajahmundry airport as part of its expansion and upgradation plans. The new terminal building, to be built at a cost of Rs 135 crore, will feature all modern facilities, including aero bridges, and will be capable of handling 1,400 passengers (700 arrivals and 700 departures) simultaneously. The airport has also obtained a DGCA license for handling wide-bodied aircraft such asAirbus A321 andBoeing 737.[57] The airport has a dedicated cargo terminal. The government of AP is keen on exporting flowers through this airport from the nurseries inKadiyam mandal of East Godavari district.
The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under theSchool Education Department of the state.[58][59] As per the school information report for the academic year 2016–17, the city has 55,501[60] students enrolled in 244 schools.[61] The medium of instruction followed by schools are Telugu and English.[62][63] TheRailway High School in the city has a history of more than hundred years, established in the year 1909.[64]
The city has one of the thirteen regional offices of theBoard of Intermediate Education, which administersIntermediate education (10+2) education.[65] The Government Junior College is the only government run junior college, established in 1974 and there are four private-aided, twenty private-unaided colleges in the city.[66]
TheGovernment Arts College was founded more than 150 years ago by the reformer,Kandukuri Veeresalingam Panthulu.[67] The BEd Training Institute is one of the oldest in India.Adikavi Nannaya University was established in March 2006, named after an 11th-century poet,Nannayya.[68] Other major universities in the city includePotti Sreeramulu Telugu University,[69]Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University,[70] Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University Study Center.[71] Andhra Pradesh State Forest Academy is located in the city for Forest skills training.[72]
National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh,Tadepalligudem is located 34 km (21 mi) from the city.
Central Government Institutions in the city are as follows:
"Central Floriculture Institute and Research Centre" is in construction atVemagiri.[34] "Science City" is in construction at Bommuru.[74]
After the Reorganization ofAndhra Pradesh State the following institutes are sanctioned for the city:
| Anantapur |      | |
|---|---|---|
| Chittoor | ||
| East Godavari |
| |
| Guntur | ||
| Kadapa | ||
| Krishna | ||
| Kurnool | ||
| Nellore |
| |
| Prakasam | ||
| Srikakulam | ||
| Tirupati |
| |
| Visakhapatnam | ||
| Vizianagaram | ||
| West Godavari | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
