Rayalaseema () is a geographic region in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. It comprises eight south western districts of the State namely,
Kurnool
Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".Kurnool is also known as The City of Gem Stones. It also s ...
,
Nandyal
Nandyal is a city and District headquarters of Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Nandyal mandal in Nandyal revenue division.
Demographics
In the 2011 census of India, Nandya ...
,
Anantapur
Anantapur, officially Anantapuramu, is a city in Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Anantapuru mandal and also the divisional headquarters of Anantapur revenue division. The city is loca ...
,
Sri Sathya Sai,
YSR,
Annamayya,
Tirupati
Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is re ...
and
Chittoor districts
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 region with four districts had a population of 15,184,908 and covers an area of .
Etymology
The region was previously called ''Ceded districts'' during the rule of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
. This is with reference to the time when the
Nizam of Hyderabad, Ali Khan ceded the region to the British as a part of subsidiary alliance. Chilukuri Narayana Rao, a Telugu lecturer and activist from Anantapur deemed the term "ceded" as derogatory and coined the term ''Rayalaseema''.
In the Andhra Mahasabha and Ceded Districts Conference held at
Nandyal
Nandyal is a city and District headquarters of Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Nandyal mandal in Nandyal revenue division.
Demographics
In the 2011 census of India, Nandya ...
a in November 1928, he moved a resolution to the effect which was accepted by the other delegates of the conference.
The name ''Rayalaseema'' hearkened back to the
Vijayanagara times, whose Kings used a suffix ''Rāya'' (tadbhava of Sanskrit Rāja) or ''Rāyalu'' in Telugu as their title. The boundaries of Rayalaseema roughly match with the territorial extent of the
Aravidu dynasty, the last dynasty to rule the Vijayanagara Empire.
History
During the British era, the Nizam of Hyderabad ceded this area to the British, and hence was called
Ceded Districts. Upon Independence, it was renamed as ''Rayalaseema'' as 'seema' was an administrative territorial entity of the Vijayanagara Empire similar to today's districts.
Post independence
The four districts of the region were part of the
Madras Presidency until 1953. From 1953 to 1956, the region was a part of
Andhra State and in 1956, the
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...
region was merged with
Andhra State to form
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
State. On 2 February 1970, three taluks from
Kurnool
Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".Kurnool is also known as The City of Gem Stones. It also s ...
i.e.,
Markapur
Markapur is a town in Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a Municipality and the headquarters of Markapur mandal in Markapur revenue division. Markapur is known for the Chennakesava Swamy Temple built by King Sri Kri ...
,
Cumbum and
Giddalur
Giddaluru is a town in the Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of the Giddaluru mandal in Markapur revenue division. It was part of kurnool district till 1969 later it was merged into Prakasa ...
were merged along with some other taluks of
Nellore district and
Guntur district to form
Prakasam district.
In February 2014, the
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, commonly known as the Telangana Act, is an Act of Indian Parliament that bifurcated the state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and the residuary Andhra Pradesh state, as an outcome of the Telang ...
bill was passed by the
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of ...
for the formation of
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...
state comprising
ten districts.
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...
will remain as a joint capital for 10 years for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The new State of Telangana came into existence on 2 June 2014 after approval from the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murm ...
. The formation of a new state named ''Telangana'' from ''Andhra Pradesh'' is not considered an amendment to the Constitution of India per article 3 and 4 of that document.
Geography
Rayalaseema region is located in the southern region of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The region borders the state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
to the south,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
to the west and
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...
to the north. Some areas in
Coastal Andhra
Coastal Andhra (South costal Andhra) also known as Kostha Andhra is a region in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Vijayawada is the largest city in this region. It was part of Madras State before 1953 and Andhra State from 1953 to 1956. ...
, such as
Markapur revenue division
Markapur revenue division (or Markapur division) is an administrative division in the Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 3 revenue divisions in the district which consists of 13 mandals under its administr ...
, which share similar geography,culture and climate to Rayalaseema.
Spiritual destinations
Rayalaseema has many important places of pilgrimage.
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, abode of
Lord Venkateswara
Venkateswara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, located in Tirupati, Sri Balaji District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Etymology
Venkat ...
is one of the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world. The other being
Srisailam,
Ahobilam,
Srikalahasti,
Kanipakam,
Kadiri,
Rayadurgam
Rayadurga is a Town in Anantapur District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is governed by a municipal council. Rayadurga is known for its production of Textile goods and textile manufacturing industry. Rayadurga is in Southern India abou ...
,
Penna Ahobilam
Penna Ahobilam is place near Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India, 12 km from Uravakonda and 36 km from Anantapur. It is well-linked by road with frequent bus service.
References
External links
Vi ...
,
Mahanandi
Mahanandi is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills of Nandyal District, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is surrounded by forests. Within 15 km of Mahanandi, there are nine Nandi shrines known as ''Nava nandulu''. Mahanandi is one of the ...
,
Mantralayam,
Proddatur,
Puttaparthi
Puttaparthi (IAST: ''Puṭṭaparthy'') is a municipality and district headquarters of Sri Sathya Sai district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Puttaparthi mandal of Puttaparthi revenue division. The original name of Put ...
,
Yaganti,
Lepakshi,
Vontimitta,
Bramhamgarimatham,
Pushpagiri,
Nagalapuram,
Narayanavanam
Narayanavanam is a census town in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Narayanavanam mandal in Sri Kalahasti revenue division. The town is known for Kalyana Venkateswara Temple dedicated to Lord V ...
, etc.
Shahi Jamia Masjid in
Adoni
Adoni is a city in the Kurnool district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Adoni mandal, administered under the Adoni Revenue Division. In the 2011 census of India, Adoni had a population of 166, ...
is one of the oldest constructions in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union terr ...
, built around 1662 AD by Siddi Masood Khan.
Education
Universities
*
Sri Venkateswara University
Sri Venkateswara University (commonly referred as S. V. University or SVU) is a public state university located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. The university is named after Lord Venkateswara, whose shrine is located in the city.
The un ...
*
Sri Krishna Devaraya University
*
Yogi Vemana University
Yogi Vemana University is a newly established university in the Kadapa district with its West Campus at Idupulapaya. Earlier, it was a part of Sri Venkateswara University. It is named after a great thinker, philosopher, and social reformer Yog ...
*
Rayalaseema University
*
Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University
*
Dravidian University
The Dravidian University, Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India was established by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, through a Legislature Act (No. 17 of 1997) with the initial support extended by the governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala for ...
*
Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam
*
JNTU Anantapur
* Sanskrit Vidyapeeth
Medical colleges
*
Sri Venkateswara Medical College
Sri Venkateswara Medical College is a medical college in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous ...
*
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Kadapa
*
Kurnool Medical College
Kurnool Medical College, established in 1956, is one of the oldest medical schools in India, located in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
History
When Andhra State was formed in October 1953, the Government of Andhra decided to start a medical colleg ...
*
Government Medical College, Anantapur
Government Medical College is a medical institute located in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most po ...
Central institutions
*
Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati
*
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati commonly referred as IISER Tirupati, is an autonomous public university in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. It has been established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, in ...
*
Indian Culinary Institute, Tirupati
*
National Sanskrit University
National Sanskrit University, earlier known as Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha is a central university in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
In addition to regular courses at undergraduate (bachelor's) and postgraduate (master's) degree level, t ...
*
*
Central University of Andhra Pradesh
Central University of Andhra Pradesh (CUAP) is a central university located in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India.
History
In 2014 the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was enacted through the ''Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014''. ...
Deemed universities
*
Sri Sathya Sai University
Infrastructure
Roadways
The road network in region consists of many
National Highways such as,
NH 40,
NH 42,
NH 44,
NH 140,
NH 167,
NH 340,
NH 67,
NH 69
National Highway 69 (''NH 69), (previously National Highway 206 (From Honnavara to Banavara section) '' and National Highway 234 (From Huliyar to Mulbagal section)), is a major National Highway in India, that runs through the states of Karnat ...
,
NH 71,
NH 716
National Highway 716 (NH 716)(formerly: NH 205) is a National Highway in India. It starts from its junction with NH 16 near Chennai in Tamil Nadu and terminates at its junction with NH 40 near Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.
Route
It starts at ...
.
Railways
The rail connectivity is getting better with the projects allocated or being part of the region such as,
Nandyal–Yerraguntla,
Nadikudi–Srikalahasti,
Kadapa–Bangalore sections are the under development projects which forms a part of the region. Most of the region falls under the jurisdiction of
Guntakal railway division of
South Central Railway zone.
Airports
Rayalaseema region has air connectivity with four airports
Tirupati International Airport,
Sri Sathya Sai Airport,
Kadapa Airport and
Kurnool Airport
Kurnool Airport, officially known as Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy Airport, is a greenfield airport at Orvakal, Kurnool district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated on National Highway 40, about from Kurnool and from Nandyal ...
.
Power
Rayalaseema Region has thermal as well solar power plants.
Rayalaseema Thermal Power Station is located in
Kadapa district and Andhra Pradesh government recently sanctioned solar power parks in Rayalaseema districts with a capacity of 4000MW's.Today the state of Andhra Pradesh stood No.1 position in solar power generation with an installed capacity of 1868 MW In India and also offers world's largest solar power park of 1000 MW is also located in Andhra Pradesh.
Lake
The only Lake located in the region of Rayalaseema is
Pulicat Lake
Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, (after Chilika Lake), measuring . Major part of the lagoon comes under Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. The lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract nort ...
. The major part of the Lake is located in
Sullurpeta division of
Tirupati district
Tirupati district () is one of the twenty-six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and one of the eight districts in the Rayalaseema region of the Andhra Pradesh state. The district headquarters is located at Tirupati city. Tirupati ...
.
Pulicat Lake
Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, (after Chilika Lake), measuring . Major part of the lagoon comes under Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. The lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract nort ...
is the second largest
brackish water lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, (after
Chilika Lake
Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, khordha and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over . It is the bigge ...
), measuring 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi). Major part of the lagoon comes under
Tirupati district
Tirupati district () is one of the twenty-six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and one of the eight districts in the Rayalaseema region of the Andhra Pradesh state. The district headquarters is located at Tirupati city. Tirupati ...
of Andhra Pradesh. The lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract
northeast monsoon rain clouds during the October to December season. The lagoon comprises the following regions, which adds up 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi) according to
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
.
Politics
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy,
Damodaram Sanjivayya,
Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy
Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy (20 February 1935 – 9 May 2014) was an Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh. A member of the Indian National Congress, he represented the Visakhapatnam constituency in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Ind ...
,
Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy (16 August 1920 – 27 September 2001) served as the chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in 1983 and then from 1992 to 1994. Reddy was a member of the Indian National Congress and was elected to ...
,
N. Chandrababu Naidu,
Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy (8 July 1949 – 2 September 2009), popularly known as YSR, was the 14th chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, serving from 2004 to 2009.
Reddy was elected to the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12 ...
,
N.Kiran Kumar Reddy and
Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy are the people who served as
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, hail from the Rayalaseema region of the state, with
Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy being the incumbent. The region saw as many as
7 chief ministers for the state.\
Factionalism
Rayalaseema is home to numerous factional families who are often intertwined with political parties and violently clash with each other. Government employees are known to dread postings in the region. The high crime rate is attributed to Rayalaseema's high poverty rate. Although violence has declined since the 1980s, factionalism still reigns supreme. Police records estimate that in the past 35 years, about 8,465 civilians have died as a result of factional violence.
Sri Bagh act
Based on Sri Bagh act signed on 18 November 1937, Kurnool was made as the capital of the new state after the division of
Andhra state from the
Madras state
Madras State was a state of India during the mid-20th century. At the time of its formation in 1950, it included the whole of present-day Tamil Nadu (except Kanyakumari district), Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, the Malabar region of North and ...
. As per the second State Resolution Commission, capital was shifted to
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...
upon the formation of Andhra Pradesh.
See also
*
Coastal Andhra
Coastal Andhra (South costal Andhra) also known as Kostha Andhra is a region in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Vijayawada is the largest city in this region. It was part of Madras State before 1953 and Andhra State from 1953 to 1956. ...
*
Uttarandhra
References
External Links
Further reading
*
{{coord missing, Andhra Pradesh
Regions of Andhra Pradesh
Proposed states and union territories of India
Geography of Anantapur district
Geography of Chittoor district
Geography of Kadapa district
Geography of Kurnool district
Geography of Tirupati district