Ongole is a city in

Prakasam district Prakasam district is one of the thirteen districts in the coastal Andhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was formed in 1970 and reorganised in 2022 on April 4. The headquarters of the district is Ongole. It is located on the west ...

of the Indian state of

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 ...

. It is the headquarters of Prakasam district and also the mandal headquarters of

Ongole mandal Ongole mandal is one of the 56 mandals in Prakasam district of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is administered under Ongole revenue division and its headquarters are located at Ongole. The mandal is bounded by Naguluppalapadu, Maddipad ...

Ongole revenue division Ongole revenue division (or Ongole division) is an administrative division in the Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 3 revenue divisions in the district which consists of 12 mandals under its administration ...

. Ongole cattle, an indigenous breed of

oxen An ox ( : oxen, ), also known as a bullock (in BrE, AusE, and IndE), is a male bovine trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration inhibits testosterone and aggression, which makes th ...

, derived its name from Ongole.

Etymology

was formerly called ''Ongole district'' and later, renamed to Prakasam in order to pay homage to the great patriot and ex-chief minister

Tanguturi Prakasam Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu (23 August 1872 – 20 May 1957) was an Indian jurist, political leader, social reformer, and anti-colonial nationalist who served as the chief minister of the Madras Presidency. Tanguturi subsequently became the fi ...

Panthulu.

History

The town's history dates from 230 BCE with the era of the

Mauryas The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

and

Satavahanas The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the lat ...

who ruled most of what is now Andhra Pradesh. A few inscriptions dating to the Satavahana period have been found in the village China Ganjam, near Ongole. After the Satavahanas, this place came into the limelight again during the

Kakatiya dynasty The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was an Indian dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region comprising present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and parts of eastern Karnataka and southern Odisha between 12th and 14th centuries. T ...

, when the nearby towns of Motupalli and Voda Revu served as major seaports. Ongole is also mentioned in the inscriptions of the

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...

rulers of the third and fourth century A.D. The city was also ruled by

Krishna Deva Raya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the ...

. The last dynasty to rule the Ongole region before the British was the Mandapati dynasty (

zamindar A zamindar (Hindustani language, Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian language, Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous Raja, ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughal Em ...

s). According to the historical inscriptions available at Sri Raja Rajeswara Swami Temple complex in Ongole City was constructed by

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 ...

. Kaasi Visweswara Swami temple, Chenna Keswva Swami Temple and Veeranjaneya Swami temple were built in the early 17th century by King Vankayalapati mantri and Army Chief. Ongole district came into existence on 02-02-1970 with the carving out portions of

Markapur revenue division Markapur revenue division (or Markapur division) is an administrative division in the Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 3 revenue divisions in the district which consists of 13 mandals under its administr ...

from

Kurnool Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".Kurnool is also known as The City of Gem Stones. It also s ...

from

Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. ...

and

Kandukur revenue division Kandukur Revenue Division (or Kandukur Division) is an administrative division in the Nellore district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 4 revenue divisions in the district which consists of 7 mandals under its administrat ...

from Nellore districts. It was renamed as

in 1972 in memory of the eminent freedom fighter, later Chief Minister of the composite Madras State and the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State, late

Andhra Kesari ''Andhra Kesari'' is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language period biographical film based on the life of Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu, the first chief minister of the newly carved out State of Andhra Pradesh in Independent India. A co-production betwee ...

Sri Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu, who was born at Vinodarayuni palem, a hamlet of Kanuparthi village of Naguluppala Padu Mandal of this district.

Geography

Ongole is located at 15.5°N 80.05°E. It has an average elevation of 10 m (33 ft)

AMSL Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. The ...

and is situated on the plains. The city is around 15.54miles () to the west of the Bay of Bengal on the east coast of India.

Climate

Summer temperatures reaches as high as (March–May) has the highest temperatures., but these are usually followed by monsoon rains and the annual average rainfall 794.5 mm receiving both northeast and southwest monsoons. The winter season (from November/ to February) is the most enjoyable with a pleasant climate. Winter months are usually dry, with little to no rainfall. The average annual temperature is 24.5 C. Cyclones may occur any time of the year, but occur more commonly October–December.

Demographics

2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Informatio ...

, the city had a population of 208,344. The sex ratio of 994 females per 1000 males, higher than the national average of 940 per 1000. 19,744 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 10,228 are boys and 9,516 are girls&a ratio of 935 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 83.04% with 153,628 literates, significantly higher than the state average of 67.41%.

Governance

Civic administration and politics

The

Ongole Municipal Corporation Ongole Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the city of Ongole in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of municipal corporation in Madras ...

administers the civic needs of the city, constituted as a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in 1876 and was upgraded to

municipal corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally ...

on 25 January 2012. The jurisdiction of the corporation is spread over an area of with 50 election wards. The agglomerated villages that were merged into Ongole corporation are: Cheruvukommupalem, Throvagunta, Muktinuthalapadu, Dsarajupalli, Koppolu, Narasapuram Agraharam, Pellur,

Pernamitta Pernamitta is a village in Prakasam of 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 wit ...

, Vengamukkapalem. Kathamaneni Sakunthala is the commissioner of the municipal corporation. Ongole assembly constituency represents

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly or Andhra Pradesh Śāsana Sabha is the lower house of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature. The Legislative Assembly consists of 175 members which are elected by adult universal suffrage under the first-p ...

and its also a segment of Ongole Lok Sabha constituency, representing the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...

in Indian general elections.

Balineni Srinivasa Reddy Balineni Srinivasa Reddy (born 12 December 1964, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India) is an Indian politician and Minister for Energy, forest & environment, science & technology in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Member of the Legislative Assembly f ...

is the present MLA of the constituency from

YSR Congress Party The Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP or YCP; ) is an Indian regional political party based in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Its president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy serves as the state's chief minister. It is currently the fifth l ...

. The constituency is a part of

Ongole (Lok Sabha constituency) Ongole Lok Sabha constituency is one of the twenty-five lok sabha constituencies of Andhra Pradesh in India. It comprises seven assembly segments and belongs to Prakasam district. Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy(Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Part ...

which was won by

Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (born 15 October 1953) is an Indian Politician who is the current Member of Parliament in 17th Lok Sabha. He represents Ongole constituency of Andhra Pradesh and is a member of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party. H ...

of YSR Congress Party.

Economy

Agriculture is the primary industry of Ongole, and the city is a major center for

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

trading in Andhra Pradesh. Export of oxen Bos taurus indicus

Ongole bulls are a breed of oxen that are exported to many countries. The Brahman bull in America is an off-breed of the Ongole. Ongole Island, in Malaysia, holds many Ongole oxen. The population of Ongole off-breed animals in Brazil is said to be around several millions. The original breed of Ongole stud bulls are found in a small region around Ongole town between the Gundlakamma and Musi rivers.

Transport

The city is connected by road to major destinations.

National Highway 16 Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to: International * Asian Highway 16 * European route E16 * European route E016 Australia - Thompsons Road (Victoria) - South Australia Canada ;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway: *Yellowhead H ...

, a part of

Golden Quadrilateral The Golden Quadrilateral ( hi, स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज, Svarnim Chaturbhuj; abbreviated GQ) is a national highway network connecting several major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a ...

highway network, bypasses the city.

National Highway 216 The following highways are numbered 216: Canada * Anthony Henday Drive, Alberta Highway 216 * Manitoba Provincial Road 216 * Prince Edward Island Route 216 * Quebec Route 216 * Nova Scotia Route 216 China * China National Highway 216 Costa Rica ...

connects the city with

Kathipudi Kattipudi is a village in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh State, India. Geography The main village is centered at , which is approximately 47 m above sea level. Kattipudi is the origin of National Highway NH 216 National Highw ...

. The city has a total road length of . Ongole

bus station A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is ...

is owned and operated by

Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is the state-owned road transport corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its headquarters is located at NTR Administrative Block of RTC House in Pandit Nehru bus station of ...

. The station is also equipped with a

bus depot A bus garage, also known as a bus depot, bus base or bus barn, is a facility where buses are stored and maintained. In many conurbations, bus garages are on the site of former car barns or tram sheds, where trams (streetcars) were stored, and ...

for storage and maintenance of buses. The 'Passengers delight project' was implemented at the bus station for improving cleanliness and modernizing it.

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

is categorized as a ''Non-Suburban Grade-3 (NSG-3)'' station in the

Vijayawada railway division Vijayawada railway division (formerly: Bezawada railway division) is one of the three railway divisions under South Coast Railways of the Indian Railways. The headquarters of the division are located at Vijayawada. History It was formed as ...

Education

The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools of the School Education Department of the state. Instruction in the schools is given in English and Telugu. The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) is a medical college in Ongole. Some of the famous educational institutes include RIMS, QIS College of Engineering and Technology, QIS Institute of Technology, RISE Groups of Institutions, Indira Priyadarshini Law College, Prakasam Engineering College, and the Pace Institute of Technology and Sciences.

Sports

The PDCA-CSR Sarma College Ground is one of the home grounds of the

Andhra cricket team The Andhra cricket team is an Indian domestic cricket team representing the South India state of Andhra Pradesh. The team's main home ground is Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium at Visakhapatnam, while some home matches ...

, with a

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

status and hosts

Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy (also known as Mastercard Ranji Trophy for sponsorship reasons) is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. Board of Control for Cr ...

matches. The ground has recorded the first ever triple century by a wicket keeper in Ranji Trophy, achieved by Srikar Bharat of the Andhra cricket team. The police parade grounds hosted the first state-level Girl Football Tournament in October 2016.

References

External links

{{Prakasam district Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2011 All articles containing potentially dated statements Cities in Andhra Pradesh Mandal headquarters in Prakasam district District headquarters of Andhra Pradesh