Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city 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 ...

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 ...

and District headquarters of

East Godavari district East Godavari is a district in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its district headquarters is at Rajahmundry. As of census 2011, it became the most populous district of the state with a population of 5,151,549. In the Madras Pre ...

. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During

British rule 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 hims ...

, the District of Rajahmundry was created in the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

in 1823. It was reorganised in 1859 and bifurcated into the

Godavari The Godavari ( IAST: ''Godāvarī'' �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakesh ...

and

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

districts. Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district, which was further bifurcated into

East Godavari East Godavari is a district in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its district headquarters is at Rajahmundry. As of census 2011, it became the most populous district of the state with a population of 5,151,549. In the Madras Pre ...

and West Godavari districts in 1925. When the

Godavari district Godavari District was a district in Madras Presidency in British India created in 1859, which was formerly within the Rajahmundry (Rajamahendravaram) District created in 1823. In 1859, Rajahmundry district, along with Masulipatnam and Guntur dis ...

was bifurcated,

Kakinada Kakinada ( formerly called Kakinandiwada, Coringa, and Cocanada; ) is the sixth largest city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the district headquarters of the Kakinada District. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. J. ...

became the headquarters of East Godavari and

Eluru Eluru is a city and the district headquarters of Eluru district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 14 municipal corporations in the state and the mandal headquarters of Eluru mandal in the Eluru revenue division. The cit ...

became the headquarters of West Godavari. It is administered under

Rajahmundry revenue division Rajahmundry revenue division, officially known as Rajamahendravram revenue division, is an administrative division in the East Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 2 revenue divisions in the district which co ...

of the East Godavari district. The city is known for its

floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...

, history, culture, agriculture, economy, tourism, and its heritage. It is known as the "Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh". The city's name was derived from

Rajaraja Narendra Rajaraja Narendra () was the Eastern Chalukya king of the Vengi kingdom in South India. Rajaraja Narendra established the city Rajahmahendravaram. His period was famous for Social and Cultural heritage. During the time of Rajaraja Chola I, Raj ...

, the ruler of

Chalukya dynasty The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...

of 11th century who ruled over the city. In 2015, the city was renamed to Rajamahendravaram from the earlier name of Rajahmundry.

Etymology

The city earlier was called ''Rajamahendravaram'', derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

name ''Rajamahendrapuram'' (The city of King Mahendra). Carrying the same meaning, it is also referred to as ''Rajamahendri''. During Qutb Shahi, Mughal and Nizam rule it was referred in official records with name Rājmandrī and same name was anglicized in the British colonial era as ''Rajahmundry'' or ''Rajamundry''. On 10 October 2015, the State

Government of Andhra Pradesh Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 MLAs elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh fo ...

officially renamed the city with its original name.

History

Rajahmundry was established by Ammaraja Vishnuvardhana the First (919–934 AD). The city as a prominent settlement can be traced back to the rule of the

Eastern Chalukya Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region. Subsequently, they beca ...

king

, who reigned around 1022 AD. Remains of 11th-century palaces and forts still exist. Rulers: * Eastern Chalukyas *

Cholas The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

* Kakatiyas *

Eastern Ganga Dynasty The Eastern Ganga dynasty also known as Purba Gangas, Rudhi Gangas or Prachya Gangas were a large medieval era Indian royal dynasty that reigned from Kalinga from as early as the 5th century to the mid 20th century. Eastern Gangas ruled much of ...

* Reddies *

Gajapati Empire The Gajapati Empire or the Suryavamsa (IAST: Sūryavaṃśa, "Solar dynasty") dynasty was a medieval dynasty from the Indian subcontinent, it originated in the region of Trikalinga (most of the present-day Odisha and North coastal Andhra) a ...

* Vijayanagar Rulers *

Bahmani Sultanate The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan,

Golconda Sultanate The Qutb Shahi dynasty also called as Golconda Sultanate ( Persian: ''Qutb Shāhiyān'' or ''Sultanat-e Golkonde'') was a Persianate Shia Islam dynasty of Turkoman origin that ruled the sultanate of Golkonda in southern India. After the col ...

* Nizam Rule * European Rulers and Zamindars Rajahmundry was under Dutch rule for some time. In 1602, the Dutch constructed a fort here. In 1857, the British conquered the Dutch. They converted it into a jail in 1864 and elevated it into a central jail in 1870. The jail is spread over 196 acres (79 ha) out of which the buildings occupy 37.24 acres (15.07 ha). 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,

became the headquarters of East Godavari and

became headquarters of West Godavari. Rajahmundry was the hotbed of several movements during India's freedom struggle and acted as a base for many key leaders. When the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

had its first meeting in Bombay (Mumbai), two leaders from Rajahmundry, Nyapathi Subba Rao and Kandukuri Veeresalingam, participated in it. Subba Rao, founder of Hindu Samaj in Rajahmundry, was also one of the six founders of India's noted English daily, ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the sec ...

''. The Renaissance of Andhra Pradesh started in Rajahmundry.

Kandukuri Veeresalingam Kandukuri Veeresalingam (16 April 1848 27 May 1919) was a social reformer and writer from the Madras Presidency, British India. He is considered as the father of the Telugu Renaissance movement. He was one of the early social reformers who en ...

is known as the Father of reforms in Andhra Pradesh. He started a monthly magazine Vivekavardhini, and a school for girls at

Dowleswaram Dowleswaram is a part of Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC). It also forms a part of Godavari Urban Development Authority. Landmarks Sir Arthur Cotton built the Dowleswaram Barrage across the Godavari The Godavari ...

in 1874. The first widow remarriage took place on 11 December 1881. A society with 16 members was started on 22 June 1884, which used to look after widow remarriages in Rajahmundry. The town hall was established in 1890 by Veeresalingam.

Bipin Chandra Pal Bipin Chandra Pal ( bn, বিপিন চন্দ্র পাল ; 7 November 1858 – 20 May 1932) was an Indian nationalist, writer, orator, social reformer and Indian independence movement freedom fighter. He was one third of the “L ...

visited Rajahmundry in April 1905 during the Vandemataram Movement. During his visits, he used to address the public in "Pal Chowk" (the present-day Kotipalli Bus Stand).

Annie Besant Annie Besant ( Wood; 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, freemason, women's rights activist, educationist, writer, orator, political party member and philanthropist. Regarded as a champion of human ...

visited Rajahmundry twice. First, she came during the foundations of a branch of the Divya Gyan Samaj at Alcot Gardens were being laid. She came again during the opening ceremony. Ramakrishna Mission was established in the city during 1950–51 near Kambal tank. The place is now the Ayakar Bhavan. Rajahmundry is acclaimed as the birthplace of the

Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken ...

—its grammar and script evolved from the pen of the city-born poet

Nannayya Nannaya ''Bhattaraka'' (sometimes spelled Nannayya or Nannaiah; ca. 11th century) was a Telugu poet and the author of the first '' Andhra Mahabharatam'', a Telugu retelling of the Sanskrit-language ''Mahabharata''. This work, which is rendered ...

. Also known as 'Ādi Kavi' (the first poet) of Telugu, Nannayya, along with

Tikkana Tikkana (or Tikkana Somayaji) (1205–1288) was a 13th century Telugu poet. Born into a Telugu-speaking Niyogi Brahmin family during the golden age of the Kakatiya dynasty, he was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets (Kavi Trayam)" that tra ...

and Yerrana, translated the

version of

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

into Telugu. Kandukuri Veeresalingam – a social reformer and the author of Rajashekhara Charithra, the first Telugu novel – was also from Rajahmundry.

Geography

Rajahmundry is located at . with an average elevation of . It is geographically located at centre of

Godavari District Godavari District was a district in Madras Presidency in British India created in 1859, which was formerly within the Rajahmundry (Rajamahendravaram) District created in 1823. In 1859, Rajahmundry district, along with Masulipatnam and Guntur dis ...

s.There is

paddy Paddy may refer to: People *Paddy (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname *An ethnic slur for an Irishman Birds *Paddy (pigeon), a Second World War carrier pigeon * Snowy sheathbill or paddy, a bird species *Black-faced s ...

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

and various varieties of

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s cultivation in the area.

River Godavari The Godavari (IAST: ''Godāvarī'' �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwa ...

flows through the west of Rajahmundry. The Rajahmundry traps, part of the

Deccan Traps The Deccan Traps is a large igneous province of west-central India (17–24°N, 73–74°E). It is one of the largest volcanic features on Earth, taking the form of a large shield volcano. It consists of numerous layers of solidified flo ...

, 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 temperature ranging from to with 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 A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

rain at the end of summer, with depressions in the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line bet ...

Demographics

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 city had a population 341,831. 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 The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species dev ...

of 972 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 84.28% (male 88.14%; female 80.54%) with 264,653 literates, significantly higher than the national average of 73.00%. 94.12% of the population spoke

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

and 3.49%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

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 has merged 23 surrounding villages from Korukonda, Rajanagaram, Rajahmundry Rural and Kadiam mandals into

Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (also known as RMC, formerly known as Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation) is the civic body that governs the city of Rajamahendravaram in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is spread over an area of . ...

and upgraded to Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC). AP govt issued GO no:85 on 28 Jan 2020 and published it in the Gazette on 31.01.2020.

Godavari Urban Development Authority The Godavari Urban Development Authority (GUDA) is an urban planning agency spread over the district of East Godavari in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was constituted on 4 November 2016, under ''Andhra Pradesh Metropolitan Region and Ur ...

(GUDA) is also working for the progress of new master plan. Present representatives of City: * Margani Bharat Ram ( Rajahmundry Lok Sabha). * Jakkampudi raja ( Rajanagaram). * Gorantla Butchaih Chowdary ( Rajahmundry Rural). *

Adireddy Bhavani Adireddy Bhavani (born ) is an Indian politician who is serving as a Member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly since 2019 representing the Telugu Desam Party from the Rajahmundry City Constituency. Early life Adireddy Bhavani is th ...

( Rajahmundry Urban). Mandals in city: * Seethanagaram * Korukonda * Rajanagaram * Rajahmundry Urban * Rajahmundry Rural * Kadiam

Floriculture

Rajahmundry is also famous for flowers. Various varieties of flowers are cultivated here. Nurseries here are spread more than 3,500 acres in Kadiam, Rajahmundry Rural mandals of the city. Floriculture is expanding to

Mandapeta Mandapeta was originally called "Mandavyapuram", which came from Sage Mandukya. Mandapeta is a second-grade municipality established on October 1, 1958 in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located ...

town. Central Floriculture Institute and Research Centre is under construction at

Vemagiri Vemagiri is a locality in Rajamahendravaram Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the ...

in the city. Government is exporting these flowers from

Rajahmundry Airport Rajahmundry Airport is a domestic airport located at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on National Highway 516E. During 1985–1994, it was used by Vayudoot. It is heavily used by the helicopters of Oil and Natural Gas Corpo ...

through

cargo planes A cargo aircraft (also known as freight aircraft, freighter, airlifter or cargo jet) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is designed or converted for the carriage of cargo rather than passengers. Such aircraft usually do not incorporate passenger a ...

Economy

Rajahmundry is a commercial hub for

and West Godavari Districts. Nurseries in Kadiam mandal generates huge revenue to

. A floriculture research centre is in construction at

to give a major boost to the nurseries in Godavari districts.

Floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...

is expanding to

Alamuru Alamuru is a village in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-m ...

and Atreyapuram mandals. Main Road and Tadithota are main marketing places in the city. Many shopping complexes, multiplexes, hotels and convention halls are in construction near

NH 216A NH or Nh may refer to Businesses and organizations * All Nippon Airways (IATA code NH), formerly Nippon Helicopter, Japan's largest airline * National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, a South Korean cooperative federation also known by its Kor ...

(old NH 16) and it is becoming another shopping centre. Tourism also generates revenue to this region. It is one of the largest bullion markets in India which consists 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 The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...

, 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 Hydel Power Plant. The Government has set up industrial parks and industrial clusters at Nidigatla, Pallakadiam, Rajanagaram, Kadiyam, Jegurapadu areas in the city. The present five-year plan of district consists of making the city as 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 the first handcrafted pens in India since 1932. The pens are made from ebonite with gold or silver plated nibs. Ratnamson is a brand name of the K.V.Ratnam and sons, Ratnam Ball pen works at Fort Gate, Rajahmudry.

Literature

is the earliest known Telugu poet, and the author of the first third of the Andhra Mahabharatam, a Telugu retelling of the

. Sri Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1848–1919), a renowned

social reformer A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary move ...

, is widely considered as the man who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu literature and

Telugu people Telugu people ( te, తెలుగువారు, Teluguvāru), or Telugus, or Telugu vaaru, are the largest of the four major Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups in terms of population. Telugus are native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh ...

; he is also known to have fought for women's issues. General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, (15 May 1803 – 24 July 1899) was a British General and an Irrigation engineer.

Adurthi Subba Rao Adurthi Subba Rao (16 December 1912 – 1 October 1975) was an Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter, editor and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Rao is widely regarded as the intellectual fountain h ...

, prominent old-time Director and Producer of Telugu Films.

Julia Maitland Julia Charlotte Maitland (21 October 1808 – 29 January 1864), ''née'' Barrett, first married name Thomas, was an English writer and traveller, and the grandniece of the novelists Fanny Burney and Sarah Burney. She and her husband ran a boys' s ...

, a campaigner for "native" education, founded a multilingual school and reading room in the town in 1837.

Music and films

Durga Cinetone Durga Cinetone was an Indian film studio established in 1936 in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India by Nidamarthi Surayya. It was the first South Indian film studio. Due to financial crisis, the studio was later shut down. Films produced {, c ...

was the first

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 ...

n film studio, to be built in Rajahmundry in the year 1936 by Nidamarthi Surayya. Many other films are being shot in the city. The city has produced many well-known artists in the

Telugu film industry Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, H ...

such as

S. V. Ranga Rao Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao (3 July 1918 – 18 July 1974), popularly known as SVR, was an Indian actor, producer, and director known for his works majorly in Telugu and Tamil films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history o ...

, Ali, Raja Babu,

Jaya Prada Jaya Prada Nahata (born Lalitha Rani; 3 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. She is hailed as one of the most iconic and influential actresses in both Telugu and Hindi film industries in late '70s, '80s and early '90s. Jayaprada ...

Sameera Reddy Sameera Reddy (born 14 December 1978) is a former Indian actress who primarily worked in Hindi films, in addition to Tamil and Telugu language films. Reddy made her film debut with the 2002 film ''Maine Dil Tujhko Diya''. She is best known for ...

Bhanupriya Bhanupriya (born Mangabhanu; 15 January 1967) is an Indian actress, Kuchipudi dancer, and voice artist. In a career spanning over 4 decades, Bhanupriya has appeared in 155 feature films- predominantly in Telugu & Tamil, in addition to occasion ...

, Sriman,

Meghna Reddy The Meghna River ( bn, মেঘনা নদী) is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, one of the three that form the Ganges Delta, the largest delta on earth, which fans out to the Bay of Bengal. A part of the Surma-Meghna River System, ...

, Thotakura Venkata Raju,

Uma Pemmaraju Uma Devi Pemmaraju (31 March 1958 – 8 August 2022) was an Indian-American journalist and television anchor. She was one of the original hosts on the Fox News cable network at their 1996 premiere. Pemmaraju, who was born in India and raised in ...

Ramesh Ramesh Ramesh is a common name. In Persian, the name is derived from Pahlavi origin "Ramishn", meaning "happiness". It is also an Indian masculine given name, from Sanskrit, diminutive of Rameshwar, meaning "Lord/husband of Rama (the goddess Laks ...

, Sira Sri,

Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar is an Indian lyricist predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He worked for more than 125 films and penned lyrics for more than 390 songs. He extensively worked with director Puri Jagannadh and music director Chakri and ...

, Ali and J. D. Chakravarthy.

Tourism

The river

and its bridges and the Sir Arthur Cotton Museum are some of the attractions in the city. Rajahmundry is a tourist destination in the state. Daily tourist boats are availed from Pushkar Ghat to

Papikondalu Papikonda National Park is a national park in India, located near Rajamahendravaram in the Papi Hills of the Alluri Sitharama Raju and Eluru districts of Andhra Pradesh, and covering an area of . It is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area a ...

and

Bhadrachalam Bhadrachalam is a census town in Bhadradri Kothagudem district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage town with the Bhadrachalam Temple of Lord Rama, situated on the banks of Godavari river. It is located east o ...

. Nurseries in Kadiam mandal is another tourist destination. Government of

is rehabilitating the

old Godavari bridge The Old Godavari Bridge (also known as The Havelock Bridge) is a decommissioned bridge that spans the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, India. Commissioned in 1900, the bridge served trains plying between Howrah and Madras. It is the earliest o ...

(Havelock Bridge) and constructing resorts, convention centers, film studios, hotels, recreational places at Pichukalanka and other islands on River Godavari and eco-tourism centre at Kadiyapulanka, Zoological Park. Government of Andhra Pradesh is constructing Rajahmundry International Cricket Stadium on PPP mode to host international matches. Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC),

(GUDA) and

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Andhra Pradesh, India. The department offers tour packages of Heritage, Nature, Adventure, Health and Rural tourism representing r ...

(APTDC) is planning River Front Development on stretch of river Godavari from Venkatanagaram to Vemagiri. The Government is signing MoUs with private agencies for Malls, Multiplexes, Hotels, Convention Centers and Recreational places on PPP mode as a part of tourism development.

is being developed as an international airport for giving a major boost to tourism in Godavari districts.

Polavaram Project The ''Polavaram Project'' is an under construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. The project has been accorded National project status by the Centr ...

, which is away from city will become another major tourist site near the city.

Transport

The bridges across Godavari river are an important transport infrastructure for connectivity such as, the Godavari Bridge, which is the third longest railroad bridge in India; and the

Godavari Arch Bridge The Godavari Arch Bridge is a bowstring-girder bridge that spans the Godavari River in Rajahmundry, India. It is the latest of the three bridges that span the Godavari river at Rajahmundry. The Havelock Bridge being the earliest, was built in ...

, commissioned on 14 March 1997 for

Howrah–Chennai main line The Howrah–Chennai main line is a railway line connecting Chennai and Kolkata cutting across Eastern Coastal Plains of India. It covers a distance of across, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Sections The long trunk line ...

. While, the

Old Godavari Bridge The Old Godavari Bridge (also known as The Havelock Bridge) is a decommissioned bridge that spans the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, India. Commissioned in 1900, the bridge served trains plying between Howrah and Madras. It is the earliest o ...

(The Havelock Bridge) was the earliest of all, built in 1897 and was decommissioned in 1997. The city also has Dowleswaram Cotton Barrage bridge and fourth bridge on either side of the main city that connects the highways of East Godavari and West Godavari districts.

Roads

Rajahmundry is very well connected to the state and the rest of India with a network of state and national highways. NH 16 passes through the city. NH 365BB, NH 516D connects the city with

Khammam Khammam formally (Khammam Mettu) is the city in Khammam district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is the fourth largest city in the state. It is the headquarters of the Khammam district and Khammam Tehsil, mandal also. It is located about ...

Suryapet Suryapet is a city in the Indian state of Telangana. It is a municipality and the headquarters of its eponymous district. The Government of India announced Suryapet to be developed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transform ...

and

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 ...

which is a spur road to NH-16 connects the city with

Ravulapalem Ravulapalem is a village in Ravulapalem Mandal,Konaseema Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh. Ravulapalem is the entry point for the lushy green Konaseema Delta region, often called the Kerala of Andhra. Ravulapalem is well known for its Ban ...

, Tanuku,

Tadepalligudem Tadepalligudem is a city in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a Selection Grade municipality and the mandal headquarters of Tadepalligudem mandal in Bhimavaram revenue division. Tadepalligudem is the second ...

and

. NH 516E connects the city with

Vizianagaram Vizianagaram is a city and the headquarters of Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is central Eastern Ghats, about west of the Bay of Bengal and north-northeast of Visakhapatnam. The city has a population of 22 ...

via Rampachodavaram,

Narsipatnam Narsipatnam is a census town in Anakapalle district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was upgraded from a gram panchayat into municipality in 2012. The town is spread over an area of The resting place of the revolutionary Indian freedo ...

and

Araku Araku Valley is a hill station in Alluri Sitharama Raju district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, lying 111 km west of Visakhapatnam city. This place is often referred to as ''Ooty of Andhra''. It is a valley in the Eastern Ghats inh ...

. ADB Road and

SH 40 The following highways are numbered 40: International * European route E40 Argentina * National Route 40 Australia * NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney) * Victorian State Route 40 * Mulligan Highway (Queensland) ...

(Canal Road) connects the city with

and SH 41 is connected with

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prad ...

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 ...

borders with Andhra Pradesh and

. SH 104 connects the city with

Amalapuram Amalapuram is a town in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the district headquarters and the largest town of Konaseema district. It is the mandal and divisional headquarters of Amalapuram mandal and Amalapuram revenue division respectivel ...

. SH 172 is connected to Purushottampatnam and

. SH 72 connects the city to

Nidadavolu Nidadavolu is a town in East Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the mandal headquarters of Nidadavolu mandal in Kovvur revenue division. History The town was known as ''Niravadyaprolu'' or ''Nir ...

Palakollu Palakollu is a city and the administrative headquarters of Palakollu Mandal in Narasapuram revenue division in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Palakollu is situated in Coastal Andhra region of the state. It occup ...

and

Narasapuram Narasapuram, or Narsapur, is a city in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and mandal headquarters of Narasapuram mandal in Narasapuram revenue division. The city is situated on the banks of the V ...

Bhimavaram Bhimavaram is a city and headquarters of West Godavari district of the Andhra Pradesh state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bhimavaram mandal in Bhimavaram revenue division. It is a part of Bhimavaram Urban Development Aut ...

NHAI The National Highways Authority of India or NHAI (Hindi: भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण) is an autonomous agency of the Government of India, set up in 1995 (Act 1988) and i ...

is constructing flyovers on NH 16 and NH 216A at

Diwancheruvu Diwancheruvu is a part of Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC). It is a one popular locality in Rajamahendravaram City. Geography This area is heart of Rajamahendravaram City. Locality info Diwancheruvu locality is 2nd and 4t ...

Lalacheruvu Lalacheruvu is a locality in Rajamahendravaram City. It is a part of "Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC)". The locality also forms a part of Godavari Urban Development Authority The Godavari Urban Development Authority ( ...

, Morampudi,

and Kadiyapulanka junctions in the city to ease traffic. Trumpet Bridge is being constructed at ADB road on NH 16 in Rajanagaram. An ROB was proposed from Morampudi to Kotipalli Bus stand.

(GUDA), Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC) are constructing an outer ring road (ORR) for the city to ease traffic in the city.

Railways

Rajahmundry railway station Rajahmundry railway station (station code:RJY) located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, serves Rajahmundry in East Godavari district. It is administered under Vijayawada railway division of South Coast Railway zone (formerly South Central ...

is classified as an ''A category'' station. It is located on the Howrah-Chennai main line of

South Central Railway zone The 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 Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh. It has three divisions under its administrati ...

. The new platforms 4 and 5 will be operational in the year 2023. , , and are other railway stations serving the city region. A second railway line is proposed on the Godavari Arch Bridge. A new railway line to

Raipur Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Ch ...

from the city connecting Rampachodavaram and other East agency areas is in the proposal. The frequency of trains will be increased after the completion of Kovvur-

railway line and the distance to will be decreased.

Waterways

National Waterway 4 was declared on 24 November 2008, which connects the Indian states of

, Andhra Pradesh,

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 ...

, and the union territory of

Puducherry Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to: * Puducherry (union territory), a union territory of India ** Pondicherry, capital of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry district, a district of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry t ...

. It passes through Kakinada, Rajahmundry,

, Commanur,

Buckingham Canal The Buckingham Canal is a -long fresh water navigation canal, that parallels the Coromandel Coast of South India from Kakinada City in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh to Viluppuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most ...

and also part of

and

rivers. Kakinada Port is the nearest port to the city. A new commercial port is under construction at Kakinada City by GMR on PPP mode.

Port is proposed according to AP State Reorganisation Act. It is being developed by

Inland Waterways Authority of India Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India. It was constituted under IWAI Act-1985 by the Parliament of India.http://iwai.nic.in/showfile.php?lid=882 See section 3 of the act Its hea ...

.Inland water port is proposed at Bobbillanka.

APTDC The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Andhra Pradesh, India. The department offers tour packages of Heritage, Nature, Adventure, Health and Rural tourism representing r ...

and other private agencies' boats and launches are available daily from Pushakar Ghat to

and

Airways

is situated at

Madhurapudi Madhurapudi is a locality of Rajamahendravaram Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in th ...

in the north of Rajamahendravaram. The airport serves the people of godavari districts in Andhra Pradesh. Indigo airline has been operating non-stop flights to and fro the cities namely Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam. The direct flight services to Mumbai and Delhi are expected in the near future. The airport's runway was expanded from 1,749 m to 3,165 m and it is the second longest runway in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A new integrated domestic terminal will come up at Rajahmundry airport as part of its expansion and upgradation plans. The new terminal building, which will be built at a cost of Rs 135 crore, will have all modern facilities including aero bridges, and will be able to handle 1,400 passengers (700 arrivals and 700 departures) at a time. The airport has also obtained a DGCA license for handling wide-bodied aircraft such as

Airbus A321 The Airbus A321 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short to medium range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin engine jet airliners; it carries 185 to 236 passengers. It has a stretched fuselage which was the first derivative of the b ...

and

Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...

. The airport has a dedicated cargo terminal. The government of AP is keen on exporting flowers through this airport from the nurseries in Kadiyam mandal of East Godavari district.

Education

The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under the ''School Education Department'' of the state. As per the school information report for the academic year 2016–17, the city has 55,501 students enrolled in 244 schools. The medium of instruction followed by schools are Telugu and English. The ''Railway High School'' in the city has a history of more than hundred years, established in the year 1909. The city has one of the thirteen regional offices of the Board of Intermediate Education, which administers Intermediate education (10+2) education. The Government Junior College is the only government run junior college, established in 1974 and there are four private-aided, twenty private-unaided colleges in the city. The Government Arts College was founded more than 150 years ago by the reformer, Kandukuri Veeresalingam Panthulu. The BEd Training Institute is one of the oldest in India.

Adikavi Nannaya University Adikavi Nannaya University (IAST: ''Ādikavi Nannaya Viśvavidyālayamu'') is a state university located in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established on 22 April 2006 through the Government of Andhra Pradesh Act No. 28 of 2006. ...

was established in March 2006, named after an 11th-century poet,

. Other major universities in the city include

Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University The Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (PSTU) is one of the few Indian language universities in India. University It was established as "Telugu University" on 2 December 1985 through an Act of Legislation (Act No. 27 of 1985) by the State Leg ...

Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) is a public agricultural university with its headquarters at the village Lam, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. History The original Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University was esta ...

, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University Study Center. Andhra Pradesh State Forest Academy is located in the city for Forest skills training.

National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh National Institute of Technology Andhra Pradesh is a public technical university and one of the National Institutes of Technology started by the Government of India and is situated at Tadepalligudem, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh Sta ...

is located from the city. Central Government Institutions in the city are as follows: *"

Central Tobacco Research Institute Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) or also known as ICAR-CTRI is a central research established in 1947 under the aegis of Indian Central Tobacco Committee (ICTC), Madras. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) took over the contro ...

(CTRI)". *"National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)". *"National Academy of Constructions (NAC)". "Central Floriculture Institute and Research Centre" is in construction at

. "Science City" is in construction at Bommuru. After the Reorganization of

State the following institutes are sanctioned for the city: *"Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE)". *"National Civil Aviation Academy". *"National Institute of Drama (NID)". *"AP State Forest Academy".

References

External links

* {{Authority control * Cities in Andhra Pradesh Mandal headquarters in East Godavari district Archaeological sites in Andhra Pradesh Ancient Indian cities Hindu holy cities Former capital cities in India Cities and towns in East Godavari district