Head Quarters: Eluru
Area: 7,742 sq.km
The boundaries of this district are East Godavari district in the East and North, Krishna district and Bay of Bengal in the South and Krishna and Khammam districts in the West directions.
Rivers:
Godavari, Yerrakaluva, Bineru
Major Places:
Narasapuram, Eluru, Tanuku, Bhimavaram, Thadepalligudem..
Industries:
Andhra Sugars, Bhimadole, Chagallu Sugar Factories, Andhra Pradesh Strawboard ltd., Ambica Durbar Agarbathi, Fish and Hatchery Forms
Tourist Places:
Kolleru Lake, Papikonda & Kolleru Sanctuaries and Guntupally Buddist site.
Pilgrimage Centers:
Dwaraka Thirumala, Natta Rameswaram, Pattisam, Soma Ramam and Kshera Ramam.
Handicrafts:
Nidudavolu Bags, eluru Woolen piled Carpets and Nasapur Laces.
Andhra Sathavahanas, Chalukyans, Vijayanagara kings, Nizam Nawabs and Britishers ruled over this Place. In the olden days this place used to be a part of Vengi Country. It is said that Pedavegi near Eluru was the capital of Vengi Country. This district was formed in 1925.
Eluru is the headquarters of West Godavari district. The main attractions of the town are the temples of Janardhana and Jalapaharesvara. There are also relics of an ancient fort.
Forest area occupies only 11% of the total district area. Natural Gas was found in near Narasapuram region and the exploration is in progress with the ONGC looking for the presence of the Crude Oil. Andhra Sugar Factory at Tanuku though a private establishment is coined as the major industry in the district. Andhra Pradesh Straw Boards Limited at Bheemavaram is one based on the forest Products. Incandescent or Agarbathi Industry is the major industry showing employment to thousands of families. Sri Ambica Durbar Agarbathi of Eluru is famous world wide. Coir and Carpets industry are flourishing with surplus stock of Coconut Coir.
Dhavaleswaram Barrage on River Godavari near Rajahmudry is a major irrigation source to the lands. Electric supply to this district is mainly from Machkand hydro power project and Natural gas power plant at Vijjeswaram in East Godavari district. All Degree Colleges are affiliated to Andhra University - Vishakapatnam.
Accessibility: Eluru is an important railhead on Chennai - Kolkata line. The nearest airport is at Vijayawada which is at a distance of 57 km from Eluru. History
Centuries ago, Andhra Pradesh was a major Buddhist centre and part of Emperor Ashoka's sprawling kingdom. Not surprisingly, traces of early Buddhist influence are still visible in several places in and around the state. After the death of Emperor Ashoka, several dynasties from the Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagaram kings, Qutb Shahis, Mughals and the Asaf Jahi's, ruled this princely city.
The history of Andhra Pradesh dates back to the epic era of the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. But the documented history points to 236 BC, when Satavahana established a kingdom and a dynasty around the modern Hyderabad. During the reign of 450 years, Buddhism flourished in the kingdom. The rulers were followers of Brahmanism, but the women folk practiced Buddism. It was during this period that Buddhism spread from these shores to China, The far East and to Sri Lanka. The Ikshvakus succeeded the Satavahanas and ruled the kingdom for 57 years. The Pallavas annexed the area South of River Krishna and ruled till the end of 6th century.
Then came the dynasties of Chalukyas and the Kakatiyas. The Kakatiyas established themselves as rulers of a Telugu speaking people. The glorious reign of the Kakatiyas came to end in the 14th century and for the first time Telugus came under a Muslim regime that brought with it a totally different set of customs, language and religion.
The Delhi Sultanate came in power in 1347 AD, governed by Allahuddin Hasan, claiming lineage to Bahman Shah of Persia, revolted against the Delhi Sultanate and declared himself ruler of the southern part of the territory, comprising mainly the Deccan and Telangana area.
It was somewhere around this time that the Qutub Shahi dynasty came into being when Sultan Quli, the Bahmani governor of Telangana, became independent and extend the new kingdom of Golconda right upto Machlipatnam on the east coast. Given the title of Quli-ul-Mulk by the Bahmanis, Qutub Shah, a descendant of a royal family of Hamdan in Persia, took over the reins and ruled till 1548.
Aurangazeb last Mogul king to rule India, conquered the Deccan in 1687 and left his governors, the Nizams, to rule Andhra. The British and French took over from the Nizams. Andhra became a part of Indian Union in 1947. The present state was formed in 1953, merging a part of the then Madras State (present Tamil Naidu) and the princely state of Hyderabad.
Heritage
The various dynasties that ruled the State of Andhra Pradesh, from the Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagaram kings, Qutb Shahis, Mughals, to the Asaf Jahis, all have contributed significantly to the State's rich cultural tapestry and have left behind a heritage studded with spectacular monuments, temples, mosques, palaces all vibrant with arts, crafts, dance and literature.
The state has a rich cultural heritage. The great composers of carnatic music Annamacharya, Tyagaraja and many others chose Telugu as their language of composition, thus enriching the language. Kuchipudi is the state's classical dance form.Andhrites have been movie buffs decades. The state produces about 200 top notch movies per year.
Andhra Pradesh has several museums, including the Salar Jung Museum, which features a varied collection of sculptures, paintings, and religious artifacts, and the Archaeological Museum, which features Buddhist and Hindu sculptures and other antiques; both museums are located in Hyderabad
The State is rich in natural resources, cultural heritage, history and most of all, an opportunity to explore them, created by combining the old princely state of Hyderabad with the Telugu speaking portions of the former state of Chennai, Andhra Pradesh to this day retains much of its regal glory and mystic charm.
Telugu, the official language of Andhra Pradesh, is described by C.P. Brown as the " Italian of the East ". It has been influenced by Sanskrit. The prominent poets of Telugu include Nannaya, Tikkana, Sri Krishna Devarayulu and a host of others.
The dance styles in the State are based on the standard treatises, viz. Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala.
Kuchipudi, a blend of music and abhinaya, is Andhra Pradesh‘s unique contribution to dance it have flowered from a village called Kuchelapuri or Kuchelapuram in Krishna district. From its birth around 300 B. C., it has remained a continuous and living tradition of this region, performed by men of the Brahmin community.