Guntur district | |
|---|---|
District | |
     Clockwise from top-left:Lakshmi Narasimha Temple inMangalagiri, Annamayya Library, Vaikuntapuram temple inTenali, Chuttugunta centre inGuntur, Flyover inPedavadlapudi | |
.svg) Location of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh | |
 Interactive map of Guntur district | |
| Coordinates (Guntur):16°18′N80°27′E / 16.300°N 80.450°E /16.300; 80.450 | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Andhra Pradesh |
| Region | Coastal Andhra |
| Headquarters | Guntur |
| Mandals | 18 |
| Government | |
| • Collector & District Magistrate | Nagalakshmi Selvarajan,I.A.S.[1] |
| • Superintendent of Police | S. Satish Kumar,I.P.S. |
| • Lok Sabha constituency | Guntur |
| • MP | Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani |
| • Assembly constituencies | 07 |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,443 km2 (943 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 130.3 km2 (50.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 2,091,075 |
| • Density | 855.9/km2 (2,217/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,012,331 |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 67.40% |
| • Sex ratio | 1003 |
| Vehicle registration | AP-07 (former) AP39 (from 30 January 2019)[2] |
| Major highways | NH-16 |
| Website | guntur |
Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in theCoastal Andhra region of theIndian state ofAndhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located atGuntur, thelargest city of the district in terms of area and with a population of 670,073.[3] It has a coastline of approximately 100 km (62 mi) on the right bank ofKrishna River, that separates it fromKrishna district andNTR district. It is bounded on the south byBapatla district and on the west byPalnadu district.[4] It has anarea of 2,443 km2 (943 sq mi), with a population of 20,91,075, as per2011 census of India.[5][6]
The district is often referred to as theLand of Chillies.[7] It is also a major centre for agriculture, education and learning. It exports large quantities ofchillies andtobacco.[8]
The district derives its name from its district headquarters, Guntur.[9]
There are several opinions on the meaning and origin of the wordGuntur. The word owes its origin to words like gundu (a rock), gunta (a pond) and kunta (1/3 of an acre). In Sanskrit Guntur is called Garthapuri (Guntlapuri).
The earliest reference to Guntur, a variant of Guntur,[clarification needed] comes from the Idern plates of Ammaraja I (922-929 AD) of theChalukyas of Vengi. Guntur also appears in another two inscriptions dated 1147 AD and 1158 AD.[citation needed]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 1,133,968 | — |
| 1911 | 1,299,257 | +1.37% |
| 1921 | 1,385,050 | +0.64% |
| 1931 | 1,563,095 | +1.22% |
| 1941 | 1,755,986 | +1.17% |
| 1951 | 1,975,395 | +1.18% |
| 1961 | 2,327,246 | +1.65% |
| 1971 | 2,844,488 | +2.03% |
| 1981 | 3,434,724 | +1.90% |
| 1991 | 4,106,999 | +1.80% |
| 2001 | 4,465,144 | +0.84% |
| 2011 | 4,887,813 | +0.91% |
| source:[10] | ||
The originalSanskrit name (ancientVedic culture) for Guntur was Garthapuri. The 'Agasthyeswara Sivalayam' in the old city of Guntur is an ancient temple forSiva.[citation needed] It has inscriptions on two stones in 'Naga Lipi' (ancient script). It is said thatAgastya built the temple in the lastTreta Yuga around theSwayambhu Linga and hence the name. The 'Nagas' were said to have ruled the region. The place ofSitanagaram and the Guthikonda Caves can be traced (through VedicPuranas) back to the traditional timescaleTreta Yuga andDvapara Yuga.[citation needed] Guntur District is home to the second oldest evidence of human habitation in India, in the form ofPalaeolithic (old Stone Age) implements. Ancient history can be traced from the time of Sala kings who ruled during the 5th century BCE. The earliest reference to Guntur, a variant ofGuntur, comes from the Idern plates of Ammaraja I (922–929 CE), theVengiChalukyan King. Guntur also appears in two inscriptions dated 1147 and 1158 CE.[citation needed]
Since the beginning of Buddhist time, Guntur stood in the forefront in matters of culture, education and civilisation.Gautama Buddha preached atDharanikota/Dhanyakatakam near Guntur and conductedKalachakra ceremony, which takes its antiquity to 500 BCE.[11] Taranatha, a Buddhist monk writes: "On the full moon of the month Chaitra in the year following his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, the Buddha emanated the mandala of "The Glorious Lunar Mansions" (Kalachakra).[12] Buddhists established universities in ancient times at Dhanyakataka andAmaravathi. Scores of Buddhist stupas were excavated in the villages of Guntur district.Acharya Nagarjuna, an influentialBuddhistphilosopher taught atNagarjunakonda and is said to have discoveredMica in 200 BCE.Chinese traveller and Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) visited Amaravati in 640 C.E., stayed for sometime and studied 'Abhidhammapitakam'. He observed that there were many Viharas and some of them were deserted, which points out thatHinduism was gaining ground at that time. Xuanzang wrote a glorious account of the place,Viharas and monasteries that existed.[13]
Guntur was successively ruled by famous dynasties such as theSatavahanas,Andhra Ikshvakus,Pallavas,Ananda Gotrikas,Vishnukundina,Kota Vamsa,Chalukyas,Cholas,Kakatiyas,Musunuris,Reddys,Vijayanagara andQutb Shahis during ancient and medieval times. The famous battle ofPalnadu which is enshrined in legend and literature asPalnati Yuddham was fought in Guntur district in 1180 CE.[citation needed]
During the 16th century Guntur became part of theMughal empire. In 1579 Khasa Rayarao, aDeshastha Brahmin who was theCommander-in-Chief ofIbrahim Quli Qutb Shah capturedKondaveedu Fort. After that, Khasa Rayarao was made the Governor of the Kondaveedu Sima (present Guntur district) by changing its name to Murtazanagar Sircar and kept the financial administration of this region in his hands. Khasa Rayarao appointed manyDeshastha Brahmins,Kammas and someGolconda Vyaparis asDeshmukhs andChowdarys.[14][15] In 1687 CE when the emperorAurangzeb conquered theQutb Shahi sultanate ofGolconda, of which Guntur was then a part. In 1724 CE,Asaf Jah, viceroy of the empire's southern provinces, declared his independence as theNizam ofHyderabad. The coastal districts of Hyderabad, known as theNorthern Circars, were occupied by theFrench in 1750. During this time, the Manur Rao family ofDeshastha Brahmin community, the Vasireddi family ofKamma community and the Manik Rao family ofVelama community were prominent Zamindar families in the present day Guntur district. The Manur Rao family were rulers ofChilakaluripet Zamindari andSattenapalle Zamindari, The Vasireddi family were rulers ofAmaravathi Zamindari and The Manik Rao family were the rulers ofRepalle Zamindari.[16]
The Guntur region played a significant role in the struggle for independence and the formation ofAndhra Pradesh. The northern,Telugu- speaking districts ofMadras State, including Guntur, advocated to become a separate state after independence. The new state of Andhra region namedAndhra State, was created in 1953 from the eleven northern districts of Madras State. In 1970, part of Guntur district was split off to become part of thePrakasam district.[17]
The district suffers fromNaxaliteinsurgency and is a part of theRed corridor.[18]
Guntur district occupies an area of approximately 2,443 square kilometres (943 sq mi),[19][20] TheKrishna River forms the northeastern and eastern boundary of the district, separating it fromKrishna district. The district is bounded on the southeast by theBay of Bengal, on the south byBapatla district, on the west byPalnadu district and on the northwest byNTR district and north eastKrishna district.[citation needed]
Guntur Coast is located on the south east coast of India (also known as theCoromandel Coast) (quotes from NASA site). Krishna river merges into Bay of Bengal at the coastal area of Guntur district. The braided stream channels, broad floodplain, and extensive sandbars suggest that this part of the Krishna river flows through relatively flat terrain and carries substantial amounts of sediment, especially during the monsoon season.Suryalanka Beach nearBapatla,Bobbarrlanka inRepalle, Nizampatnam Beach inNizampatnam are tourist beaches in Guntur coastline.[citation needed]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 83.94% | |||
| Islam | 13.37% | |||
| Christianity | 2.21% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.48% | |||
| Distribution of religions | ||||
As of 2011[update]census of India, the district had a population of 4,887,813 with a density of 193 inhabitants per square kilometre (500/sq mi). The total population constitute, 2,440,521 males and 2,447,292 females – asex ratio of 1003 females per 1000 males. The total urban population is 16,52,738 (33.81%).[6]: 19 There are 29,60,441 literates with a literacy rate of 67.40%.
After bifurcation the district had a population of 20,91,075, of which 1,072,544 (51.29%) lived in urban areas. Guntur district had a sex ratio of 1007 females to 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4,21,861 (20.17%) and 69,017 (3.30%) of the population respectively.[22]: 77–82
At the time of the 2011 census, 86.14% of the population spokeTelugu and 12.32%Urdu as their first language.[23]
The Collectorate play a pivotal role in the district administration.Collector in the cadre ofIAS heads the district. He acts as the District Magistrate for maintaining Law and order in his jurisdiction. He deals mainly with planning and development. Law and Order, scheduled areas/ agency areas, general elections, arms licensing etc.[citation needed]
The Joint Collector, who also belongs to the IAS cadre, runs the Revenue administration under various enactments in the district. He is also designated as Additional District Magistrate. He mainly deals with civil supplies,land matters, mines and minerals,village officers etc.[citation needed]
The District Revenue Officer (DRO), in the cadre of Special Grade Deputy Collectors, assists the Collector and Joint Collector in discharging their duties. The District Revenue Officer looks after all the branches of the Collectorate. He deals mainly with general administration and is vested with supervision of day-to-day functions of the collectorate.[citation needed]
The administrative officer in the rank of a Tahsildar is the general assistant to the collector. He directly supervises all the sections in the collectorate and most of the files are routed through him.[citation needed]
The collectorate is divided into 8 sections as per the administrative reforms taken up by theGovernment of Andhra Pradesh.[citation needed]
The district is divided into TwoRevenue divisions, namely,Guntur,Tenali. These are sub-divided into 18mandals,[24] which are in turn divided as 57Panchayat Samiti (Block)s, 712 villages and 16 towns. These 16 towns includes, 2municipal corporation, 2municipalities[25] and 1census town. Gurazala revenue division was newly formed in the year 2013.[26][27]Guntur city is the one municipal corporation and district headquarterMangalagiri Tadepalli Municipal Corporation is the second municipal corporation in Guntur district.Vaddeswaram is categorised as a census town.[28] The 2 municipalities in the district areTenali,Ponnur.[29][25]
Guntur constituency presently comprises the followinglegislative assembly segments:[30]
| Constituency number | Name | Reserved for (SC/ST/None) | Parliament |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | Tadikonda | SC | Guntur |
| 87 | Mangalagiri | None | |
| 88 | Ponnur | None | |
| 91 | Tenali | None | |
| 93 | Prathipadu | SC | |
| 94 | Guntur West | None | |
| 95 | Guntur East | None |
The below table categorises the 18mandals into their respective revenue divisions in the district:[31]
| Rank | Division | Pop. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guntur | Guntur Division | 10,566,677 | ||||||
| 2 | Mangalagiri | Tenali Division | 207,197 | ||||||
| 3 | Tadepalle | Tenali Division | 174,937 | ||||||
| 4 | Tenali | Tenali Division | 164,937 | ||||||
| 5 | Ponnur | Tenali Division | 59,913 | ||||||
| 6 | Pedakakani | Guntur Division | 23,201 | ||||||
| 7 | Namburu | Guntur Division | 19,676 | ||||||
| 8 | Tadikonda | Guntur Division | 18,505 | ||||||
| 9 | Pedavadlapudi | Tenali Division | 13,076 | ||||||
| 10 | Kaza | Tenali Division | 11,098 | ||||||
| S.No. | City / Town | Civic Status of Town | Municipality Formation Year | 2011 Census Population | 2001 Census Population | 1991 Census Population | 1981 Census Population | 1971 Census Population | 1961 Census Population | 1951 Census Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guntur | Municipal Corporation | 1866 | 670,073 | 514,461 | 417,051 | 367,699 | 2,69,991 | 1,87,122 | 1,25,255 |
| 2 | Mangalagiri Tadepalli | Municipal Corporation | 2021 | 300,497 | 63,349 | 59,152 | 46,172 | 32,850 | 22,182 | 17,586 |
| 3 | Tenali | Municipality Grade - Special | 1912 | 164,937 | 153,756 | 143,726 | 119,257 | 102,937 | 78,525 | 58,116 |
| 4 | Ponnur | Municipality Grade - 2 | 1964 | 59,913 | 57,640 | 54,363 | 50,206 | 31,463 | 22,872 | 17,972 |
Note -
| S.No | Town | Civic Status of Town | 2011 Census Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prathipadu | Grama Panchayat | 14,305 |
| 2 | Tadikonda | Grama Panchayat | 18,505 |
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Guntur district has 1022 Gram Panchayats covering 58 mandals including seized mandals. Panchayat secretaries have been working for the cluster Headquarter Gram Panchayats. The main objective of the Panchayat Raj Department is to provide civic amenities to the rural public.
| S.No. | Erstwhile Talukas in 1971 | Newly formed Talukas in 1978 | Newly formed Mandals in 1985 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guntur | Guntur | Guntur, Pedakakani, Chebrolu [part] |
| Prathipadu | Prathipadu, Vatticherukuru, Pedanandipadu [part] | ||
| Tadikonda | Tadikonda, Thullur, Amaravathi [part] | ||
| Mangalagiri | Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, | ||
| 2 | Tenali | Tenali | Tenali, Tsundur,Vemuru [part], Chebrolu [part] |
| Emani | Duggirala, Kollipara, | ||
| Amruthalur | Amruthalur, Kolluru, Vemuru [part] | ||
| 3 | Repalle | Repalle | Repalle, Bhattiprolu, |
| Pallapatla | Cherukupalli, Nagaram, Nizampatnam, | ||
| 4 | Bapatla | Bapatla | Bapatla, Karlapalem, Pittalavanipalem |
| Ponnur | Ponnuru, Kakumanu, | ||
| 5 | Narsaraopeta | Narsaraopeta | Narasaraopeta, Nakirekallu, Rompicherla, |
| Chilakaluripeta | Chilakaluripeta, Edlapadu, Nadendla, Pedanandipadu [part], | ||
| 6 | Vinukonda | Vinukonda | Vinukonda, Nuzendla, Savalyapuram [part] |
| Ipur | Ipur, Bollapalle, Savalyapuram [part] | ||
| 7 | Palnadu | Palnadu | Gurajala, Karempudi, Rentachintala [part], |
| Macherla | Macherla, Durgi, Veldurthy, Rentachintala [part], | ||
| Piduguralla | Piduguralla, Dachepalle, Machavaram, | ||
| 8 | Sattenapalle | Sattenapalle | Sattenapalle, Phirangipuram, Medikonduru, |
| Rajupalem | Rajupalem, Bellamkonda, Muppala, Krosuru [part] | ||
| Talluru | Atchampet, Pedakurapadu, Amaravathi [part], Krosuru [part] |
The Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP) of the district is₹49,722 crore (US$5.9 billion) and it contributes 9.5% to theGross State Domestic Product (GSDP). For the FY 2013–14, theper capita income at current prices was₹82,026 (US$970). Theprimary,secondary andtertiary sectors of the district contribute₹16,111 crore (US$1.9 billion),₹8,770 crore (US$1.0 billion) and₹24,841 crore (US$2.9 billion) respectively to the GDDP.[33]
The major products contributing to theGVA of the district from agriculture and allied services arepaddy,cotton kapas,chillies,banana,milk,meat andfisheries. The GVA to the industrial and service sector is contributed fromconstruction,electricity,manufacturing,transport andeducation.[33]
The total road length ofstate highways in the district is 1,258 km (782 mi).[34] There exists 406 km (252 mi) of rail network in the district.[33]
The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under theSchool Education Department of the state.[35][36] As per the school information report for the academic year 2015–16, there are a total of 4,739 schools. They include, 32 government, 2,839 mandal and zilla parishads, 2 residential, 1329 private, 14 model, 24 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), 296 municipal and 203 other types of schools.[37] The total number of students enrolled in primary, upper primary and high schools of the district are 637,031.[38] The district being home to the capital city, it is experiencing a growth in private international schools as well.[39] TheCentral Board of Secondary Education,Secondary School Certificate or theIndian Certificate of Secondary Education are the different types of syllabus followed by different schools. The medium of instruction followed by different schools are English, Telugu and Urdu.[40][41]
There are several junior colleges which are under government, residential, social welfare, disabled welfare, private aided and unaided for the purpose of imparting(10+2) education and the students sit for the certificate of Board of Intermediate Education.[42]AC college is the oldest private aided college of the district, established in 1885.[42] The higher education colleges have various fields of study like medical, nursing, degree, post graduate, polytechnic, law, teaching, pharmacy, engineering, veterinary etc.[43] TheAcharya Nagarjuna University is a state university which has fourteen autonomous colleges as per Universities Grant Commission.[44][45] TheKMC,GMC,AIIMS are some of the premier medical institutes in Guntur. There are also many private universities likeVignan University,KL University in the district. TheAcharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University atLam is a public agricultural university, equipped with aRegional Agricultural Research Station.[46][47]
The district has many festivals such asRama Navami,[48]Maha Sivaratri,[49]Vinayaka Chavithi,[50]Vijaya Dasami,[51]Deepawali,[52]Holi,[53]Ugadi,[54]Eid,[55]Krishnastami,[56]Christmas.[57] There are hill temple festivals atKotappakonda,Mangalagiri.
Mangalagiri International Cricket Stadium is being built in a 20-acre (8.1 ha) site inNavuluru, village ofMangalagiri town, Guntur district, about 15 km from the city of Vijayawada. The exclusive stadium of theAndhra Cricket Association will be the venue for international and Ranji matches.[58]
Places of historical importance in the district includePonnur,Undavalli Caves,Gurazala,Mangalagiri,Tadepalle,Tenali and the archaeological museum in Guntur. There are many places of interest likeUndavalli Caves.
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Prolaya Vema Reddi built number of Lord Shiva temples during his reign. Number of temples were constructed in Krishna valley during the reign ofVasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu. Tall towers (Gaali Gopuram) of these temples in many villages and towns of Guntur district stand testimony to his devotion and munificence. Some of the famous destinations areNadivelamma Talli Temple inRajavolu, and there will be annual festival onFull moon day in the month ofChaitra maas.Amaravathi temple, the abode ofLord Shiva, present in the form of a 15 ft (4.6 m)Shiva Linga. The Auspicious Hill of Mangalagiri town, is dedicated toLord Narasimha with three temples of Panakala Narasimha Swamy on the hill, Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at the foot of the temple, Gandala Narasimha Swamy at the top of the hill, are also famous. Other famous temples areBhavanarayanaswami temple in Bapatla,Sri Laxmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple in Macherla,Kotappakonda,[59]Pedakakani,Vykuntapuram inTenali.and also subramaneswara Swamy temple,polleramathalli temple, agastheswaraswamy temple (which was built in 8 century by agasthaya mahrashi and rebuilt by Sri Krishna Devaraya)
Healthcare is provided by government and private institutions. The Guntur Government Hospital provides free healthcare.[60]All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is situated inMangalagiri.[61] The nonprofit or charity hospitals are the Sankara Eye Hospital.[62][63]
Bangka 11,413
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)Places adjacent to Guntur district | |
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