Kadapa district


Kadapa district, officially known as YSR Kadapa district is one of the twenty six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In the 2022 reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh districts, the district boundary was largely restricted to the Kadapa parliamentary constituency area. It is one of the eight districts in the Rayalaseema region. Kadapa is the administrative headquarters for this district.
Barytes, limestone, asbestos and uranium are major mineral resources of the district. The district is home to many religious and historic places of interest. Kodandarama Temple at Vontimetta, Chennakesava temple of Pushpagiri, Siddavatam Fort and Gandikota gorge are some of the famous places.

Etymology

The old records of the district reveal that Kadapa was previously called Gadapa which translated in Telugu to threshold. The ancient village of Kadapa with its large tank and temple of Lord Venkateswara at Devuni Kadapa was a convenient camping place for the myriads of pilgrims travelling to the holy shrine of Tirupati. On 19 August 2005, the nomenclature of "Cuddapah" was changed to "Kadapa" by the Government of A.P. It was renamed as Y.S.R district during the year 2010, in honour of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the former chief minister of United Andhra Pradesh. In 2025, the district was renamed as YSR Kadapa district.

History

This region was part of Maurya Empire, Satavahana dynasty, Chola dynasty, Pallava dynasty, Pandya dynasty, Bana kingdom, Rashtrakuta dynasty, Kakatiya dynasty, Vijayanagara Empire, Maratha Empire, kingdom of Mysore and Carnatic Sultanate during the course of its history upto medieval period. Later on it was ruled as part of British East India company.

Prehistory

Many paleolithic sites were found in Kadapa district, as the surroundings of Jammalamadugu, Mailavaram Dam and Gandikota. Some megalithic burial sites were explored near Porumamilla, Sankhavaram and at Yellatur village near Kadapa. The surroundings of Vontimitta are also noted as Megalithic cultural sites.
Paleolithic rock paintings found at Chintakunta caves near Muddanur in Kadapa district are said to be the second largest group of paintings in India after Bhimbetika rock art paintings. The rock paintings with mystic figures are also found at Dappalle village near Mylavaram Dam in Jammalamadugu Taluk of the district.
This region was ruled by the Mauryan Empire and the Satavahana Empire. Buddhism flourished for many years along the banks of the rivers Cheyyeru and Penna. Jainism also had a place in Kadapa district history; the remnants of a buried Jain temple were found at Danavulapadu village on the banks of the Penna.

Medieval history

In the later half of 13th Century, this region was ruled from Vallur by Ambadeva. During his rule, the land survey was carried out. Subsequently, a Kakatiya King
Pratapa rudra ruled the district with Warangal as the capital. Jyothi village located in Siddavatam mandal has 108 Shiva lingas on the bank of the river Penna which are dated to the rule of Kakatiyas.
In A.D.1309, Allah-ud-din Khilji defeated PratapaRudra and took over the region. In 1344, the confederation of Hindu kings overthrew the Muslim rule. This led to the formation of Vijayanagar Empire, who ruled the area for two centuries. Gandikota fort located on the bank of the Penna river was the citadel of Pemmasani Nayaks, commanders of Vijayanagar army. After the fall of Vijayanagar kingdom, this region came under the rule of Qutub shahis, who later became part of Mughal empire.
As part of Qutub Shahi rule, Riza Quli Beg under the title of Neknam Khan and his successors ruled the region with certain degree of autonomy. Later Abdul Nabi Khan was appointed as the governor of the district in the year 1714. The Marathas invaded and defeated the nawabs of Kurnool and Kadapa in 1740. Hyder Ali took over Gurramkonda and Kadapa from Marathas in 1760. He appointed his brother-in-law Mir Saheb in Kadapa district. Thus Mir Saheb became son first ruler of the district. This region was transferred to Nizam by the treaties of Mysore and Srirangapatnam.

Modern history

it to the British in 1800, and in 1808 it was divided to form Kadapa and Bellary districts. Munro was appointed as principal Collector over the ceded districts. Munro subjugated over 80 Palegars, instituted revenue collection system through which he secured the finances. The district headquarters were situated in Siddavatam but moved to Kadapa in 1812. On 4 April 2022, Annamayya district was formed from the parts of erstwhile YSR Kadapa district and others.

Demographics

, Kadapa district has a population of 2,884,524. This gives it a ranking of 132 in India. The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 10.87%. It has a sex ratio of 984 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 67.88%.

Economy

The Gross District Domestic Product of the district for FY 2013-14 is and contributes 5% to the Gross State Domestic Product. For the FY 2013–14, the per capita income at current prices was. The primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the district contribute, and respectively.

Geography

Kadapa district occupies an area of. This district is bordered on north by Nandyal district, south by Annamayya district and Tirupati district east by SPS Nellore district and west by Sri Sathya Sai district and Anantapur district.
The main rivers in this district are Penna, Kundu, Chitravathi, Papagni, and Sagileru. Vellikonda, Palakonda, Nallamalai, Lankamalai and Yerramalai are the major hill ranges in the district. The forests of Kadapa comprise fuel forests up to an elevation of 800 feet, red sanders lying between the elevation of 800 feet and 2,000 feet and Shorea Eugenia at elevations of more than 2,000 feet. The district has a forest cover of 28.49%.

Fauna

The Bonnet monkey also known as the Madras Langur is common. Tiger and Panther can be seen in the interior areas of Nallamalas, Lankamalas, Palakonda-Seshachalam and Velikonda forests. mungoose, jackal, fox, wolves, wild dogs, bear, the Malabar squirrel, porcupine, the Indian antelope, Indian gazelle, Blue bull, sambar, deer and wild pigs are also found in the forests. Grey partridge known as Kamju, the quail, the Jungle fowl, the dove, pigeon and wild goose are the other common birds found in this district.

Soil

Red ferruginous and Black soils are common in the district. Fertile black clay soil occupies 23.7% area.

Minerals

Barytes, Lime Stone and Asbestos are the major minerals. Napa slabs, road metal, building stone, marble, are also found in the district. Limestone is available in Yerraguntla. National Mineral Development Corporation is extracting asbestos in Brahman palli and barytes in Mangampet. Kadapa is also famous for its stone called "kadapa stone" used in building construction and for slabs especially in south India. In Tummalapalle, there are 49,000 tonnes of confirmed uranium deposits which are mined and processed locally.

Climate

The summer season is spread over March–May. This is followed by the South-West monsoon during June - September. North East monsoon season is spread over October–November. December–February is the winter or cold season. The average annual rainfall is 572.25 mm. The rainfall generally increases from the North-West to the South-East. October is the month with maximum rainfall.

Demographics

After reorganization in 2022, the district had a population of 20,60,654, of which 809,290 lived in urban areas. Kadapa district had a sex ratio of 985 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 3,37,860 and 40,994 of the population respectively. Hinduism is the dominant religion with 83.02% followers followed by Islam with 15.40% followers.
Based on the 2011 census, as computed for the revised district boundaries of 2022, 84.66% of the population spoke Telugu and 14.37% Urdu as their first language.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into 5 revenue divisions:Rajampet, Badvel, Jammalamadugu, Kadapa and Pulivendula, which are further subdivided into a total of 40 mandals, each headed by a sub-collector.
The district’s administrative framework supports regional development initiatives, such as improved irrigation and connectivity projects, championed by local leaders. Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy has advocated for enhanced infrastructure, including better road networks across mandals, to bolster accessibility and economic growth in the region.
Recent efforts in YSR Kadapa district focus on streamlining administrative processes to support rural and urban development. Upgrades to public services, like water supply and transportation, reflect a commitment to modernizing the district. These initiatives, backed by parliamentary advocacy, aim to strengthen the district’s role as a hub for Rayalaseema’s progress, enhancing the quality of life for residents across its diverse mandals.

Mandals

The list of 40 mandals in YSR district, divided into 5 revenue divisions, is given below.
  1. Badvel revenue division
  2. # Atlur
  3. # B. Kodur
  4. # Badvel
  5. # Bramhamgari Matham
  6. # Chapadu
  7. # Duvvur
  8. # Gopavaram
  9. # Kalasapadu
  10. # Khajipeta
  11. # Mydukur
  12. # Porumamilla
  13. # Sri Avadhutha Kasinayana
  14. Jammalamadugu revenue division
  15. # Jammalamadugu
  16. # Kondapuram
  17. # Muddanur
  18. # Mylavaram
  19. # Peddamudium
  20. # Proddatur
  21. # Rajupalem
  22. Kadapa revenue division
  23. # Chennur
  24. # Chinthakommadinne
  25. # Kadapa
  26. # Kamalapuram
  27. # Pendlimarri
  28. # Siddavatam
  29. # Vallur
  30. # Vontimitta
  31. # Yerraguntla
  32. Pulivendula revenue division
  33. # Chakarayapet
  34. # Lingala
  35. # Pulivendula
  36. # Simhadripuram
  37. # Thondur
  38. # Veerapunayunipalle
  39. # Vempalle
  40. # Vemula
  41. Rajampeta revenue division
  42. # Nandalur
  43. # Rajampeta
  44. # Veeraballi
  45. # T. Sundupalle