Amaravathi, Palnadu District
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Amaravathi is a village on the banks of the Krishna River, in the Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Amaravathi mandal, and forms part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region with its headquarters at new Amaravati east, whose name is also borrowed from that of the older Amaravathi. Amaravathi was founded by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu in the 1790s as the new capital of his Zamindari estate. He moved there from his former capital Chintapalli in protest of alleged mistreatment by the British East India Company. Amaravathi is named after the ancient Amaravati Stupa, which was unearthed in the process of the town's construction. It is adjacent to the ancient Satavahana capital Dhanyakataka (now called Dharanikota). Amaralingeswara temple in the village is one of the Pancharama Kshetras for Hindus. The place was also a historic Buddhist site, as shown by the presence of Amaravati Stupa built during the second century BCE and the third century CE, as well as the Dhyana Buddha statue, a large 21st-century Buddha statue in Dhyana posture. It is one of the sites selected for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme of Government of India, to preserve the rich cultural heritage of India.


Etymology

The word Amaravathi translates as ''the place for immortals''. It was also known as ''Dhanyakataka'' and ''Andhranagari''.


History

The recorded history of Amaravathi and nearby Dharanikota dates to the fifth century BCE. It is a town said " a continuous history of at least 2,300 years." It was the capital of Satavahanas who ruled from the third century BCE to the third century CE. After the decline of Satavahanas, Andhra Ikshvakus and later
Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...
kings ruled Krishna river valley. Subsequently, Eastern Chalukyas and Telugu Cholas held sway over the region, and it also became the third capital of the Vishnukundina empire. Kota Kings were in control of Amaravathi during the medieval times. Kota kings were subdued by Kakatiyas in the 11th century CE and Amaravathi became part of the unified Telugu empire. The Skanda Purana gives a picture of the place and the
Siva Siva may refer to: Film and television * Siva (director), Indian cinematographer and director * ''Siva'' (1989 Tamil film), a film starring Rajinikanth as the title character * ''Siva'' (1989 Telugu film), an action film Music and dance * "Siv ...
temple located here. Amaravathi was part of
Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).
, Musunuri Nayaks,
Bahmani Sultanate The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan,
, Vijayanagara Empire, Sultanate of
Golconda Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparu ...
and Mughal Empire successively before the founding of the
Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
in 1724. It was ceded to France in 1750 but was captured by England in 1759. Guntur returned to the Nizamate in 1768 but was ceded to England again in 1788. It was briefly occupied by Hyder Ali. It was part of the
Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...
during the British colonial period.


The Great Stūpa or Mahācaitya

The most important historic monument in Amaravathi village is the Mahachaitya. It is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India which maintains a site museum beside the ruins. In 2006 the Dalai Lama visited and performed Kalachakra Mahasamalanam during the Kalachakra festival.


Geography

Amaravathi is situated at . It is spread over an area of .


Demographics

Census of India The decennial Census of India has been conducted 16 times, as of 2021. While it has been undertaken every 10 years, beginning in 1872 under British Viceroy Lord Mayo, the first complete census was taken in 1881. Post 1949, it has been conducted by ...
, the town had a population of 13,400 with 3,316 households. The total population constitute, 6,432 males and 6,958 females —a sex ratio of 1,082 females per 1,000 males. 1,321 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 647 are boys and 674 are girls —a ratio of 1,042 per 1,000. The average literacy rate stands at 71.34% with 8,617 literates, higher than the state average of 67.41%.


Government and politics

Amaravathi gram panchayat is the local self-government of the village. It is divided into wards and each ward is represented by a ward member. The village as a part of Amaravathi mandal, represents the Pedakurapadu assembly constituency. The present MLA representing the constituency is Sankara Rao Namburu of YSRCP.


Culture

The town is a centre of pilgrimage for both Hindus and
Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
. The inscriptions on the walls of the Amareswara temple depicts the reign of Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu who ruled before the advent of British rule. He was well known for his benevolence, munificence and for the construction of a large number of temples and education centres in the Krishna river delta. It also hosts a 125-foot tall statue of the Buddha, known as the Dhyana Buddha. The ancient structures and replicas can be found at Kalachakra museum, which was renamed the Amaravathi Heritage Centre and Museum. The ancient Buddhist stupa and other ruins make up one of the centrally protected Monuments of National Importance. The main Hindu festivals celebrated are
Mahasivaratri Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu c ...
and the Navaratri. The 30th Kalachakra festival, a popular Buddhist ritual, was held at Amaravathi in the first week of January 2006. It is one of the oldest tourist places for Buddhists.


Transport

The only means of connectivity for the village is by road. The Vijayawada–Amaravathi Road connects the village with cities of Vijayawada, Tenali,
Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. It is situated to the west of the Ba ...
, and with the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region areas of
Undavalli Undavalli is a southern neighbourhood of Vijayawada city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a village in Tadepalle mandal of Guntur district, prior to its de-notification as gram panchayat. 5th century Buddhist and Hindu Undavalli ...
,
Penumaka Penumaka is a part of Mangalagiri Tadepalle Municipal Corporation part of Guntur district which is part of Andhra Pradesh. It was a village in Tadepalle mandal of Guntur district, prior to its de–notification as gram panchayat. Demographics ...
,
Rayapudi Rayapudi is a neighbourhood and a part of ''Urban Notified Area'' of Amaravati, the state capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a village in Thullur mandal of in Guntur district, prior to its denotification as gram panchayat. T ...
. The ''Guntur–Amaravathi Road'' connects it with the district headquarters,
Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. It is situated to the west of the Ba ...
. It also has road connectivity from Sattenapalle, Mangalagiri and
Krosuru Krosuru is a village in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Krosuru mandal in Sattenapalli revenue division. Geography Krosuru is situated at . It is spread over an area of . Demographi ...
. APSRTC operates buses from major bus stations like NTR bus station in Guntur, Pandit Nehru bus station in Vijayawada and the Tenali bus station. The village has no rail connectivity. A waterway categorised as class–III is planned from
Pulichintala The Pulichintala Project is a multi-purpose water management project for irrigation, hydropower generation, and flood control in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a crucial irrigation facility for farmers in four coastal districts: W ...
to Prakasam Barrage, which connects the nearby villages of
Harishchandrapuram Harichandapuram is an Indian village and panchayat, located in Kotabommali mandal in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Chinna Harichandrapuram is also known for Sri Panchadama kshetram Hindu Temple. Sai Baba Temple Vana Durga Ammava ...
and
Vykuntapuram Vykuntapuram, also spelled as Vaikuntapuram, is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Amaravathi mandal of Guntur revenue division. The village forms a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region, unde ...
.


Education

As per the school information report for the academic year 2018–19, the village has a total of 17 schools. These schools include 4 MPP, one KGBV and 12 private schools.


See also

* List of villages in Guntur district


References


Bibliography

*


External links

{{Commons category, Amaravathi (village) Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Villages in Guntur district Mandal headquarters in Guntur district Tourist attractions in Guntur district Archaeological sites in Andhra Pradesh Ancient Indian cities Hindu holy cities Former capital cities in India Villages in Palnadu district