Kurnool is a city in the state of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

, India. It formerly served as the capital of

Andhra State Andhra State (IAST: ; ), created in 1953, was the official name of the State of Andhra Pradesh until 1956. The state was formed from Telugu-speaking districts of the erstwhile Madras State, which form two distinct cultural regions – Rayalas ...

(1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of

Rayalaseema Rayalaseema (IAST: ''Rāyalasīma'') is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comprises four southern districts of the State, from prior to the districts reorganisation in 2022, namely Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, and ...

". Kurnool is also famous for Diamond hunting as diamonds can be found in the barren land of Kurnool after the top layers of soil are washed away by the monsoon rains. It also serves as the district headquarters of its

Kurnool district Kurnool district is one of the eight districts in the Rayalaseema region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh after the districts are reorganised in April 2022. It is located in the north western part of the state and is bounded by Nandyal d ...

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, it is the fifth most populous city in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

with a population of 425,214. It is located on the banks of the

Tungabhadra river The Tungabhadra River () starts and flows through the state of Karnataka, India, for most of its course, then through Andhra Pradesh where it ultimately joins the Krishna River near Murvakonda. The Tungabhadra derives its name from two strea ...

. Although the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, modern Kurnool was founded in the 16th century CE with the construction of the

Konda Reddy Fort Konda Reddy Fort, also known as Kondareddy Buruju is a fort situated in the city of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, India. At a distance of 2 km from Kurnool Railway Station, 2.9 km from Kurnool New Bus Stand and 24 km from Alampur, ...

Etymology

The original name of Kurnool is found in historical records as ''Kandanavōlu'' or ''Kandanōlu''. It used to be a crossing on the

Tungabhadra River The Tungabhadra River () starts and flows through the state of Karnataka, India, for most of its course, then through Andhra Pradesh where it ultimately joins the Krishna River near Murvakonda. The Tungabhadra derives its name from two strea ...

, where the bullock cart caravans are believed to have greased their wheels ("''kandana''" being a reference to grease). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of

History

Palaeolithic era

The Ketavaram

rock painting In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...

s from the Palaeolithic era and are 18 kilometres from Kurnool. Also the Jurreru Valley, Katavani Kunta and

Yaganti Yaganti Temple or Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple is a temple of Shiva in Nandyal district in the India state of Andhra Pradesh. It was built according to Vaishnavaite traditions. History This temple was constructed by King Harihara Bukk ...

Kurnool District Kurnool district is one of the eight districts in the Rayalaseema region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh after the districts are reorganised in April 2022. It is located in the north western part of the state and is bounded by Nandyal d ...

have some important

rock art In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...

and paintings in the vicinity that may be dated from 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. Ashoka's rock edicts were inscribed in the 3rd century BCE. The inscription is in Prakrit language and

Brahmi script Brahmi ( ; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as ...

. Both the major and minor edits are found at Erragudi (also called the Yerragudi or Jonnagiri site). These are among the oldest discovered inscriptions in India. The site is close to the Andhra-Karnataka border, in Kurnool district. It is an ASI protected site under Indian law.

Belum Caves The Belum Caves, located in Nandyala district of Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema region, is the second largest cave system on the Indian subcontinent, known for its speleothems, such as stalactite and stalagmite formations. The Belum Caves ...

are geologically and historically important caves in the district. There are indications that Jain and Buddhist monks were occupying these caves centuries ago. Many Buddhists relics were found inside the caves. These relics are now housed in the Museum at Ananthapur. The

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

(ASI) found remnants of vessels and other artifacts of the pre-Buddhist era and has dated the remnants of vessels found in the caves to 4500 BC.
Show Caves of India: Belum Caves

Vijayanagara era

Little was known about Kurnool town before the 11th century. The earliest knowledge of this settlement dates from the 11th century. It has developed as a transit place on the southern banks of the river

Tungabhadra The Tungabhadra River () starts and flows through the state of Karnataka, India, for most of its course, then through Andhra Pradesh where it ultimately joins the Krishna River near Murvakonda. The Tungabhadra derives its name from two strea ...

. Ruled by the

Cholas The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...

in the 12th century and later taken over by the

Kakatiya dynasty The Kakatiya dynasty (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kākatīya) was a Andhras, Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan Plateau, Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their ter ...

in the 13th century, Kurnool developed into a transit point on the southern banks of the

. It eventually fell under the rule of a jaghirdar before becoming a part of the

Vijayanagar dynasty The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belonging to th ...

. King Achyuta Raya, successor of Sri Krishnadeva Raya constructed the Kurnool Fort during the 16th century.

Nawabs

The Abyssinian, Abdul Wahab Khan, defeated King Gopal Raja of the

Vijayanagar The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belonging to the ...

Kingdom in the 17th century and went on to rule the land for 16 years until his death. In 1686, Kurnool fell under the influence of the Mughals who were ruled by Emperor Aurangzeb. Later on in Kurnool's history, it was ruled by the Nawabs until the British Government took over in 1839.

British Rule

Ghulam Rasul Khan Bahadur (died on 12 July 1840) was the last

Nawab Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kingdom of Saxony, Kings of ...

of Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. He ruled from 1823 to 1839 until the kingdom was defeated by the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. On 12 October 1839, a war broke out between the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

and the kingdom and continued for six days until the king was detained on 18 October. He was subsequently sent to

Tiruchirappalli Central Prison Tiruchirapalli Central Prison is located in Tiruchirapalli, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List ...

where he died on 12 July 1840.

After independence

Kurnool was the capital of erstwhile

between 1 October 1953 and 31 October 1956. The state was later merged with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State to form

with

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

as the state's capital on 1 November 1956. Currently Kurnool is in the divided Andhra Pradesh state.

Geography

Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres (898 feet). Kurnool lies on the banks of the

. The Hundri and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C.Canal (Kurnool–Cuddapah) was built by the Dutch for transportation, but later used for irrigation.

Cityscape

Landmarks in and around the city include ''Konda Reddy Fort'' Formerly called ''Kondareddy Burj'' is the historical monument and major tourist attraction of Kurnool located at the northeast part of the city. Orvakal rock Garderns is the sculpture garden with an ancient cave lying on the southeast of the city
Jagannatha Gattu
Temple is a popular tourist site of Kurnool. It is famous for its Lord Shiva Temple and is located in B. Thandrapadu, in Kurnool. The history behind the Linga makes it a popular destination.

Climate

Kurnool has a tropical savanna type of climate bordering on hot

semi arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSh'') with temperatures ranging from to in the summer and to in the winter. The average annual rainfall is about .Kurnool city gets good share of rains from pre-monsoon to monsoon seasons. City locations is influenced by the orography effect of Nallamala hills on east. August is the rainiest month and February is the driest month. The highest amount of rainfall recorded in 24 hours is 386mm in the month of June 1989 and marking the rainiest month of all time with 527mm. Kurnool has been ranked 21st best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.

Demographics

As per final data of the 2011 census, the Kurnool City had a population of 425,214, making it the fifth largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The literacy rate of Kurnool was 77.37 per cent at the time of the 2011 census.

Religion

As per final data of 2011 census, Hindus formed the majority in the Kurnool urban agglomeration. Other religious groups found in Kurnool are

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, and Jains.

Language

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

(67.91%) is the official and most spoken language.

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

(28.17%) and

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

(1.02%) are also spoken.

Government and politics

Kurnool serves as the district headquarters of its

. The city is administered by Kurnool Municipal Corporation. State level Government institutions located in the city include: *

Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta is formed as the parliamentary ombudsman by the Government of Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act, 83. Its institution acts as the high-level statutory functionary for the state of ...

* Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission * Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission *Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Tribunal, Kurnool *CBI Court, Kurnool *Government Regional Press, Kurnool

Villages

* Gargeyapuram

Education

The primary and secondary school education is imparted by Government, aided and private schools of the ''School Education Department'' of the state. Notable institutions located in the city include: * Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University * G Pulla Reddy College of Engineering & Technology * Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kurnool *

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 college ...

* Osmania College, Kurnool * Rayalaseema University * Silver Jubilee Government Degree College

Transport

Roadways

National Highway 44 (India) National Highway 44 (NH 44) is a major north–south National Highway in India and is the longest in the country. It passes through the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Prade ...

which runs from Srinagar to Kanyakumari and also highway of

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

. passes through Kurnool. National highway 340C Kurnool-Dornala which connects to

Srisailam Srisailam is a census town in Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Srisailam mandal in Atmakur revenue division, Nandyal district, Atmakur revenue division. It is located about from the distri ...

Vinukonda Vinukonda is a town in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Vinukonda mandal and administered under Narasaraopet revenue division. Etymology The town was formerly known as ''Vish ...

Guntur Guntur (), natively spelt as Gunturu, is a city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district. The city is part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is lo ...

Vijayawada Vijayawada ( ), formerly known by its colonial name Bezawada, is the second largest city and a major commercial hub in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. The city forms an integral part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is situated on th ...

. National Highway 40, Rayalaseema Expressway which runs from Kurnool to

Chittoor Chittoor is a city and district headquarters in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal and divisional headquarters of Chittoor mandal and Chittoor revenue division respectively. The city has a popul ...

, are the major highways passing through the city. Surat–Chennai Expressway which is under construction also passes through the city outskirts. The city also has an Outer Ring Road which is under construction connecting from Gargeyapuram

National Highway 340C (India) National Highway 340C, commonly called NH 340C is a national highway in India. It is a spur road of National Highway 40. NH-340C traverses the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Route Kurnool, Nandikotkur, Atmakur, Dornala. Junctions ...

and connects

National Highway 40 (India) National Highway 40 (NH 40), a combination of previous national highways 4 and 18, is a national highway in India. It starts at National Highway 44 junction at Kurnool and passes through Kadapa and Chittoor and terminates at Ranipet in Tami ...

, under construction Surat–Chennai Expressway and Kurnool - Bellari State Highway. The city has a total road length of 519.22 km State owned bus transport system,

APSRTC The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (abbreviated as APSRTC) is the state-owned road transport corporation in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its headquarters is located at NTR Administ ...

, operates buses from Kurnool bus station to other parts of the state.

Railways

Kurnool City railway station lies on the Bengaluru – Hyderabad railway line. It is classified as an ''A–category station'' in the

Hyderabad railway division Hyderabad railway division is one of the six divisions of South Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The headquarters of the Division is at Secunderabad and its zonal headquarters is at Secunderabad. Even though Hyderabad has its own D ...

South Central Railway zone South Central Railway (abbreviated SCR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways. The jurisdiction of the zone is spread over the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka. It has three divisions under its administration, wh ...

. Another railway station name Kotla lies in the middle of the city.

Airport

Kurnool Airport, officially known as Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy Airport, is located at

Orvakal Orvakal is a village and the headquarters of Orvakal mandal, located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Orvakal is part of the Kurnool Urban Development Authority (KUDA) and also situated along the Hyderabad-Bengaluru Industrial C ...

and is situated on the National Highway 40, about from Kurnool and from

Nandyal Nandyal, commonly called as Nandyala, is a city and the district headquarters of Nandyal district of the Indian state of the Andhra Pradesh. It is a Municipal corporation and the headquarters of Nandyal mandal in Nandyal revenue division. Dem ...

. Commercial operations of the greenfield airport were started in March 2021.

Economy

The

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...

of Kurnool City is $3.266 Billion. Kurnool is endowed with good mineral resources. The important minerals are iron ore, dolomite, limestone, ochre, quartz and silica.

Notable people

* Abdul Hafeez Khan, Former MLA Kurnool, YSRCP * K. E. Krishnamurthy, former Deputy Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh *

Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar Sir Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar (14 October 1887 – 17 July 1976) was an Indian lawyer, diplomat, and statesman who was the first president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the 24th and last dewan of Mysore. He also served a ...

- Founder of Justice party, Diwan of Mysore and the First President of UNESCO *

Kotla Jayasurya Prakasha Reddy Kotla Jayasurya Prakasha Reddy (born 18 September 1951) was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Kurnool constituency of Andhra Pradesh and is a member of Telugu Desam Party. Early life He was born in Hyderabad to Shyama ...

, former member of parliament and Union minister, Railways *

Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy (16 August 1920 – 27 September 2001) served as the 9th 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 ...

, former Chief Minister, United Andhra Pradesh *

Damodaram Sanjivayya Damodaram Sanjivayya (14 February 1921 – 7 May 1972) was an Indian politician who served as the second chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 11 January 1960 to 12 March 1962.