Rajahmundry


Rajahmundry, officially Rajamahendravaram , is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the district headquarters of the East Godavari district. It is the fifth most populated city in the state.
During British Rule, the district of Rajahmundry was created in the Madras Presidency in 1823. It was reorganised in 1859 and divided into the Godavari and Krishna districts. Rajahmundry was the headquarters of the Godavari district, which was further divided into East Godavari and West Godavari districts in 1925. It is administered under the Rajahmundry revenue division of the East Godavari district.
The city's name was derived from Rajaraja Narendra, a ruler of the Chalukya dynasty in the 11th century, who ruled over the city. In 2015, the city was renamed from Rajahmundry to Rajamahendravaram.
The city is known for its floriculture, history, Telugu literature, culture, agriculture, economy, tourism, and heritage. It is known as the "Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh".

Etymology

The city was earlier called Rajamahendravaram, derived from the Sanskrit name Rajamahendrapuram. Carrying the same meaning, it is also referred to as Rajamahendri. During the Qutb Shahi, Mughal, and Nizam rules, it was referred to in official records as Rājmandrī and the same name was anglicized during the British colonial era as Rajahmundry. On 10 October 2015, the State Government of Andhra Pradesh officially renamed the city back to its original name Rajamahendravaram.

History

Rajahmundry was established by Ammaraja Vishnuvardhana the First. The city as a prominent settlement can be traced back to the rule of the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra, who reigned around 1022 AD. Remains of 11th-century palaces and forts still exist.
Rulers:
Rajahmundry was under Dutch rule for some time. In 1602, the Dutch constructed a fort here. In 1857, the British conquered the Dutch settlement. They converted it into a jail in 1864 and elevated it into a central jail in 1870. The jail is spread over 196 acres out of which the buildings occupy 37.24 acres.
In the Madras Presidency, the district of Rajahmundry was created in 1823. It was reorganised in 1859 and was bifurcated into Godavari and Krishna districts. During British rule, Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district, which was further bifurcated into East Godavari and West Godavari districts in 1925. When the Godavari district was split, Kakinada became the headquarters of East Godavari and Eluru became the headquarters of the West Godavari district.
Rajahmundry was a hotbed of several movements during India's freedom struggle and acted as a base for many key leaders. When the Indian National Congress had its first meeting in Bombay, two leaders from Rajahmundry, Nyapathi Subba Rao and Kandukuri Veeresalingam, participated in it. Subba Rao, founder of the Hindu Samaj in Rajahmundry, was also one of the six founders of India's noted English daily, The Hindu.
The Renaissance of Andhra Pradesh started in Rajahmundry. Kandukuri Veeresalingam is known as the father of social reforms in Andhra Pradesh. He started a monthly magazine Vivekavardhini, and a school for girls at Dowleswaram in 1874. The first widow remarriage took place on 11 December 1881. A society with 16 members was started on 22 June 1884, which looked after widow remarriages in Rajahmundry. The town hall was established in 1890 by Veeresalingam. Bipin Chandra Pal visited Rajahmundry in April 1905 during the Vandemataram Movement. During his visits, he addressed the public in "Pal Chowk". Annie Besant visited Rajahmundry twice. She first came when the foundations of a branch of the Divya Gyan Samaj at Alcot Gardens were being laid. She returned for the opening ceremony. Ramakrishna Mission was established in the city during 1950–51 near Kambal Tank. The place is now Ayakar Bhavan.
Rajahmundry is acclaimed as the birthplace of Telugu literature—its grammar evolved from the pen of the city-born poet Nannayya. Also known as 'Ādi Kavi' of Telugu, Nannayya, along with Tikkana and Yerrana, translated the Sanskrit version of the Mahabharata into Telugu. Kandukuri Veeresalingam – a social reformer and the author of Rajasekhara Charithram, the first Telugu novel – was also from Rajahmundry.

Geography

Rajahmundry is located at. with an average elevation of. It is geographically located at the centre of the Godavari districts. Paddy, sugarcane, and various varieties of flowers are cultivated in the area. The River Godavari flows to the west of Rajahmundry. The Rajahmundry Traps, part of the Deccan Traps, are located on the Godavari river and are of particular interest to geologists.

Climate

The weather is hot and humid, with a tropical climate and, therefore, no distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature is. The hottest season is from April to June, with temperatures ranging from to with a maximum of recorded in May 2002 and May 2007. The coolest months are December and January, when it is pleasant at to. There is heavy monsoon rain at the end of summer, with depressions in the Bay of Bengal.
Rajahmundry has been ranked the 16th best "National Clean Air City" under Category 2 in India.

Demographics

, the city had a population of 341,831. A total of 29,883 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 15,152 are boys and 14,731 are girls—a sex ratio of 972 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 84.28% with 264,653 literates, significantly higher than the national average of 73.00%.
In terms of language, 94.12% of the population spoke Telugu and 3.49% Urdu as their first language.

Governance

Rajahmundry is spread over an area of and metro area of The Government is constructing an underground drainage system in the city. The Government merged 23 surrounding villages from Korukonda, Rajanagaram, Rajahmundry Rural and Kadiam mandals into Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation and upgraded it to Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation. AP govt issued G.O. No. 85 on 28 January 2020 and published it in the Gazette on 31 January 2020. Godavari Urban Development Authority is also working for the progress of a new master plan.
Present representatives of City:
Mandals in city:
Rajahmundry is also famous for flowers. Various varieties of flowers are cultivated here. Nurseries spread over more than 3,500 acres in the Kadiam, Rajahmundry Rural mandals of the city. Floriculture is also expanding to Mandapeta town. The Central Floriculture Institute and Research Centre is under construction at Vemagiri in the city. The government is exporting these flowers from Rajahmundry Airport through cargo planes.

Economy

Rajahmundry is a commercial hub for East Godavari and West Godavari Districts. Nurseries in Kadiam mandal generate huge revenue to Rajahmundry revenue division. A floriculture research centre is under construction at Vemagiri to give a major boost to the nurseries in Godavari districts. Floriculture is expanding to Mandapeta, Alamuru and Atreyapuram mandals. Main Road and Tadithota are the main commercial areas in the city. Many shopping complexes, multiplexes, hotels and convention halls are under construction near NH 216A and it is becoming another shopping centre. Tourism also generates revenue for this region. It is one of the largest bullion markets in India, with hundreds of gold, silver and platinum shops throughout the city.

Industries and employment

Rajahmundry is an industrial hub with huge industries generating employment. The city is the headquarters for ONGC, GAIL in K.G. Basin. Godavari districts are one of the largest petrochemical hubs in India. There are two huge paper mills in the city located at Luthergiri and Kadiam. There are two power plants in city i.e., GMR Power Plant and Vijjeswaram Power Plant. The Government has set up industrial parks and industrial clusters at Nidigatla, Pallakadiam, Rajanagaram, Kadiyam, Jegurapadu areas in the city. The present district five-year plan, includes making the city an IT hub.

Culture

Art and crafts

Damerla Rama Rao Art Gallery is dedicated to the works of the artist Damerla Rama Rao of the city and showcases various paintings by him such as Krishna Leela, Godavari of Eastern Ghats and Milkmaids of Kathiawar.
Ratnam pens are India's first handcrafted pens, made since 1932. The pens are made from ebonite with gold- or silver-plated nibs. Ratnamson is the brand name of K. V. Ratnam and Sons; Ratnam Ball Pen Works is located at Fort Gate, Rajahmundry.

Literature

is the earliest known Telugu poet, and the author of the first third of the Andhra Mahabharatam, a Telugu retelling of the Mahabharata. Sri Kandukuri Veeresalingam, a renowned social reformer, is widely considered the person who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu literature and among Telugu people; he is also known to have fought for women's issues. General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, was a British General and an irrigation engineer. Adurthi Subba Rao, prominent old-time Director and Producer of Telugu Films. Julia Maitland, a campaigner for "native" education, founded a multilingual school and reading room in the town in 1837. Nalam Krishna Rao, a writer and social activist from Godavari, set up the Gowthami Grandhalayam in Rajahmundry in 1898.

Music and films

was the first South Indian film studio, to be built in Rajahmundry in the year 1936 by Nidamarthi Surayya. Many other films have been shot in the city.
The city has produced many well-known artists in the Telugu film industry such as Adurthi Subba Rao, S. V. Ranga Rao, Ali, Raja Babu, Jaya Prada, Sameera Reddy, Bhanupriya, Sriman, Meghna Reddy, Thotakura Venkata Raju, Uma Pemmaraju, Ramesh, Sira Sri, Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar, Ali, M Murali Mohan and J. D. Chakravarthy.