Kurnool, also known as the gateway of Rayalaseema, is the former and the first capital of erstwhile Andhra State. Location and Area
Geometrically, Kurnool city is situated at latitude of 150.48’’ N and
longitude of 720 E on the banks of sacred river at an altitude of about 900 feet above sea level. The river Tungabhadra bou
nd the city on the North and East. As per the late
st records, Kurnool
city occupied an area of 49.73 sq.km. Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, the Hundri
and the Neeva rivers and all these three flow through the city. Canal (Kurnool–Cuddapah) was built by the Dutch for ransportation, but later used for irrigation. Despite being the largest of all the 4 districts of Rayalaseema, it
still remains the backward region of Andhra Pradesh. The other 3
districts are Anantapur, Kadapa and Chittoor.
17 Things About Kurnool That Will Prove It Is A “Special District”
1. Kurnool was formerly called Kandanavolu, the city of grease, because in the 12th century, the travelers who stopped at this place to cross the Tungabhadra, greased their carts here. Ketavaram rock paintings found 15 kilometers from Kurnool are known to be dated back to the Paleolithic Age, which is almost 40,000 years ago!
3. Konda Reddy Fort, named after the last ruler of Alampur, is actually just the remains a fort of 15th century fortress in which Konda Reddy himself was imprisoned and then escaped from.
4. Okay, remember the haunted palace of Arundhati? This is the one and it’s actually the Summer Palace of the Banganapalle Nawabs and is 500 years old.
5. Belum Caves, the second largest cave in India, are 3229 meters long and the guides there claim that it spans longer than it is open to public. It’s still being explored!
6. Yaganti Nandi continuously increases in size. As per Archaeological Survey of India the rock grows at the rate of 1 inch per 20 years.
7. Legend has it that while the Sage Agastya was performing his penance, crows disturbed him and he cursed that the crows cannot enter the place. Go ahead… visit Yaganti, we dare you to find one crow there!
8. Rollapadu Wildlife sanctuary of Kurnool plays home to endangered species like Great Indian Bustards, Blackbucks and Lesser Floricans.
9. Srisailam in Kurnool District is one of the most ancient temples of India. Earliest known historical mention of the Hill – Srisailam, can be traced in Pulumavis Nasik inscription of 1st Century A.D
10. Kurnool Sona Masoori rice is famous all over India. It is exported to many countries like USA, Canada, Australia, and many Middle Eastern countries.
11. Two former Chief Ministers of AP, Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy and Damodar Sanjeeviah hail from Kurnool district.
12. Mahanandi is a Siva temple located near Nallamalla forest. The temple is famous for its constant flow of water from Nandi’s mouth.
13. Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao was elected from Nandyala in Kurnool district with a majority of 5.8 lac, which was a record back then.
14. Nallamalla forest is one of the largest tiger reserves in India. The rocks here are among the oldest in the world.
15. Mantralayam is a town which is noted for the holy presence of the Brindavan(burial place) of Raghavendra Swami.
16. Pullareddy Sweets are world-famous for their quality and taste. Pullareddy began selling sweets in 1948 in Kurnool. Now the chain has shops in American cities like New York, California and Charlotte!
17. Ahobilam is a holy site atop a hill in which Lord Narasimha resides. The trek to the temple is quite adventurous.
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The original name of Kurnool was Kandenaolua, a Telugu name by which it was referred in the old inscriptions and literature. Legend has it that in the 11th century AD, during the rule of Chalukyas of Badami, bullock carts that came here to dig the sand and carry stones to construct the temple at Alampur, halted here to lubricate their cart wheels with oils supplied by some oil merchants. The city was then known as the Kandenapalli or the city of Kandena (grease). The city was also called as the city of Skanda or Kumaraswamy (the chief God of Wars). In some inscriptions, Kurnool is referred to as Kannadu or Keru Nadu (Karu means 'black', Nadu means 'territory'). When the town came under British rule, it was subsequently named as Kurnool. Kurnool was a centre of both religious and the political activities in pre colonial age. One can still see the ruins of the huge fort, which occupies most of the old part of Kurnool, the famous Konda Reddy buruju (which has a hidden underground tunnel that ends at Alampur fort, which has a sacred temple from centuries) etc. The temples which are near and around Kurnool have history dating back to centuries and the architectural marvel of the temples is unique. Still not much information is available either about the Hindu rulers or the Muslim rulers of this city.
