Amaravati Style

Amaravati ( , Telugu: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Guntur district on the right bank of the Krishna River, southwest of Vijayawada. The city derives its name from the nearby historic site of Amaravathi, which served as the capital of the Satavahana Empire nearly two thousand years ago.

The city is an urban notified area. Urban development and planning activities are undertaken by the Amaravati Development Corporation Limited and Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA). The APCRDA has jurisdiction over the city and the conurbation covering Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. The city is spread over an area of , and comprises villages (including some hamlets) from three mandals viz., Mangalagiri, Thullur and Tadepalli. The seed capital is spread over an area of .

The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 resulted in the residual state having no capital city, with Hyderabad serving as the state's temporary capital city despite being located in the new state of Telangana. The government under the leadership of N. Chandrababu Naidu founded Amaravati and declared it as Andhra Pradesh state's new capital city. The farmers of Guntur district gave 33,000 acres of land, to the Government of Andhra Pradesh through an innovative land pooling scheme in return for developed plots and lease payments for 10-year period. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone at Uddandarayunipalem village on 22 October 2015. After fast track completion of interim buildings, government legislature and secretariat started operating from the new facilities at Velagapudi from March 2017.

Etymology

Amaravati literally translates to "the abode of immortals". The name holds deep historical, spiritual and mythological significance. The name is also used for a region near Dharanikota, which served as the ancient capital of the Satavahana dynasty, also known as the Andhras. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, Amaravati is the celestial capital of Svarga (heaven), where the Devas (gods) reside.

History

Early and medieval history

The neighbouring Dharanikota (Dhānyakatakam) was the capital city of the Satavahana dynasty. Its history dates back to the second century BCE. The Satavahanas are prominent in the history of Andhra Pradesh. Their primary language was Prakrit written using the Brahmi script, which served as the base for of Telugu script. The practice of Buddhism was predominant during their period and the dynasty was partly responsible for the prevalence of the faith in the region. The city was also once a holy site of Mahayana Buddhism. The city used to have a large Buddhist Stupa, now known as Amaravati Stupa. It was also the centre of Buddhist learning and art with several Buddhist followers from many South East Asian countries visiting.  

The Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Vishnukundina, Pallavas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Delhi Sultanate, Musunuri Nayaks, Bahmani Sultanate, Vijayanagara Empire, Sultanate of Golconda and the Mughal Empire successively ruled this area before the founding of the Nizamate of Hyderabad in 1724. It was ceded to France in 1750, but was captured by the East India Company in 1759. It was returned to the Nizam in 1768, but was ceded to Britain again in 1788. As part of the Madras Presidency, it was ruled by Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu, the hereditary zamindar of Chintalapally, who founded modern Amaravathi village, near the ruins of the ancient stupa.

Foundation of Amaravati

As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad became the capital of the newly formed state of Telangana, post bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The Central Government formed an expert committee to explore alternatives for the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The committee was tasked with evaluating the suitability of various locations based on data analysis, site visits, and stakeholder consultations. Its duties included assessing the availability of land, water, and natural resources while considering environmental sustainability and the potential for urban growth. It evaluated transportation options including rail, road and air connectivity between the new capital and other major cities. The committee consisted of several experts from various national institutes.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the new capital of the state would be located around Vijayawada. This decision followed a consultative process and was approved by the State Cabinet on September 1, 2014. Chief Minister Naidu stated that the state planned a decentralised development approach, with three mega cities and 14 smart cities. The announcement came amid calls from the opposition YSR Congress Party for a debate on the capital's location. Chief Minister Naidu emphasized that the decision reflects public sentiment, with nearly 50% of representations received by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee favoring the Vijayawada-Guntur region. He also highlighted the need for Central Government support for capital development and special status for the state as assured during the passage of the State Reorganisation Bill.

On October 22, 2015, following a cabinet meeting where it was unanimously approved, Chief Minister Naidu announced the selection of Amaravathi, an ancient town located on the banks of the Krishna River, as the site for the new capital city. During the foundation-laying ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Naidu discussed plans for the capital's development, which aimed to focus on creating an energy-efficient city with industrial hubs. The completion date for the master plan’s first phase was set for May 15, 2016, and plans were proposed for a 200-km ring road to connect Amaravati with Vijayawada and Guntur.

The establishment of Amaravati as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh involved a land pooling initiative crucial for its development. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's administration implemented the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act in 2014, which facilitated the creation of a land bank for the new capital. The Act allowed for voluntary land pooling, enabling landowners to surrender their land in exchange for developed plots and financial compensation. The government aimed to acquire approximately 53,748 acres of land from 27 villages. Around 33,733 acres were pooled through this scheme. While many farmers participated, some, particularly from Penumaka and Undavalli, expressed concerns about compensation rates. The pooling process aggregated small land parcels, which were then improved and partially returned to the original owners. The initiative also included annuity payments for ten years, providing financial support to those who surrendered their land.

Establishing governance

The construction of the temporary Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at Velagapudi, 16 km from Vijayawada, was completed on the October 3, 2016 with a budget of ₹230 crores. By October 17, 2016, five of the six planned blocks began operations. The Secretariat, covering 45 acres, is designed in a G-plus-1 style. The first block houses the Chief Minister's Office, while the others accommodate various ministers and the sixth block is intended for the AP Assembly and Legislative Council. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has also moved to a new temporary building in Amaravati, inaugurated by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. This new court complex includes 16 court halls and a 2.70 lakh square feet office space. Advocates have faced challenges due to a lack of necessary facilities in the new building, including poor broadband and library access. Despite initial difficulties, legal professionals remain optimistic about the future of the new high court and capital city.

Amaravati protests (2019–2024)

2019–2024 Amaravati protests

Amaravati drone summit

The Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 aimed to position Andhra Pradesh as a hub for drone technology in India. Organized by the Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Drone Federation of India, the summit was held on October 22–23 at the CK Convention in Mangalagiri, attracting over 6,900 participants, including industry experts, researchers, and students. The event featured discussions, exhibitions, workshops, and a record-breaking drone show at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada with over 5,500 drones, setting five Guinness World Records. Focused on fostering innovation, the summit aimed to establish a regulatory framework, attract ₹2,000 crore in investments, generate ₹6,000 crore in revenue, and train over 20,000 youth as drone pilots to create 30,000 jobs.

Geography

The city is located in Guntur district, at the heart of Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of the Krishna River. It lies approximately south-west of Vijayawada, north of Guntur, and north-west of Tenali. It is situated about from the historic site of Amaravati, which served as the capital of the Satavahana Empire and from which the city derives its name.

The city has an area of 217.23 km² and is spread across 25 villages in three mandals (Thullur, Mangalagiri and Tadepalli) of Guntur district. The 25 villages in the Capital City area have about 1 lakh population in about 27,000 households. The AP capital region is spread over Guntur, Palnadu, NTR, and Krishna districts and includes Guntur, Vijayawada, and Tenali cities several towns and villages. During winter months, the temperature is between 12 °C and 30 °C. During summer, the temperature is between 17 °C to 45 °C. Climate is very humid in summer with humidity rising up to 68%.

Demographics

Population, language and religion

Telugu is the native and official language of the region, while English is also widely understood. Hinduism is the majority religion, with minority communities of Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists.

Civic administration

Settlements

The table below lists the identified villages and hamlets under their respective mandals, which became a part of the capital city.

''Notes:''
* M – municipality
* The names in brackets are the hamlet villages of the respective settlement.

The administration successfully hosted the inaugural Happy Cities Summit in Amaravati in April 2018. The summit saw the participation of 1,500+ delegates from 15+ countries, including eminent city leaders and urban experts.

Planning

Amaravati is planned to be the people-centric pioneer Smart City of India, built around sustainability and livability principles, and to be the happiest city in the world. Among the innovative features on the drawing board are navigation canals around the city, connecting to an island in the Krishna river. The Government envisaged an investment need of for the development of the city.

Criticism that the city would require enormous amounts of energy and resources and would destroy precious natural environments and local livelihoods were raised and alternate plans were proposed.

The city is planned to have 51% green space and 10% of water bodies. It is being modeled on Singapore, with the master plan being prepared by two Singapore government-appointed consultants.

The city construction had a budget of ₹ 553.43 billions out of which state government contribution is only ₹ 126 billion. Government raised money through bonds. The contribution from the government is to be repaid by the CRDA after 2037. Ultimately state or union governments are not incurring any expenditure to construct the city but wholly financed by the income accrued from the sale of land for various development schemes (₹ 171.51 billion), loans and the local taxes (₹ 146.41 billion by 2037) to the CRDA. The state and union governments are expected to earn ₹ 120 billion per annum out of which state goods and services tax (State GST) alone is ₹ 60 billion per annum. The entire city construction is planned by self-financing from loans and land selling with the state government's moral support. CRDA is expecting a net surplus income of ₹ 333 billion by 2037 after meeting the total expenditure on the city. Amaravati government complex which is intended to provide world-class facilities needed for the state government. The bus rapid transit system (BRTS) in Amaravati to connect with the adjacent Vijayawada and Guntur cities by world-class road network is also part of the CRDA project. Both Amaravati government complex and BRTS are planned with an expenditure of ₹ 140 billion.

Nine themed cities consisting of finance, justice, health, sports, media, and Electronics were planned. Several business groups and institutions like Reliance Group, NRDC-India. Pi Data Centre, HCL Technologies, and BRS Medicity proposed to invest in the city.

The government explored other means of mass transport like ‘monorail’, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and tramways. Two new depots, North and South depots of the APSRTC are proposed to be constructed. A proposed Amaravati high-speed circular railway line would connect the city with the nearby cities of Vijayawada, Guntur and Tenali, extending up to a length of with an estimated cost of . A metro rail project is proposed between the cities of Tenali, Guntur, and Vijayawada with 100 km circular corridor.

Construction

The state government originally engaged the Singapore-based Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp Development consortium for the city's construction. The city's infrastructure was to be developed in 7–8 years in phases, at an estimated cost of ₹33,000 crore. ₹7,500 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), $500 million from the World Bank and ₹2,500 crore from the Indian Government, of which ₹1,500 crore has been granted. With the change of priorities for the government that came into power in 2019, the Amaravati project has substantially slowed, with no completion deadline in sight.

File:Group-D housing buildings under construction in Amaravati.jpg, Group-D officers buildings
File:MLA Quarters under construction in Amaravati.jpg, MLA Housing Complex at Rayapudi
File:Gazetted and NGO quarters under construction in Amaravati (5).jpg, NGO housing
File:MLC Quarters under construction in Amaravati.jpg, MLC Housing Complex at Rayapudi
File:BRTS Lane of Seed Access road, Amaravati during a Sunset.jpg, Amaravati Seed Access Road

Economy

The agrarian economy is transformed into an urban economy with the formation of capital city. Future developments include the Quantum Valley Tech Park, set for 2026, which will host IBM, TCS, and IIT Madras to develop India’s largest quantum computer. The city is being developed with specialised urban nodes such as Justice City, Knowledge City, Health City, and Finance City, each designed to support key sectors like law, tourism, education, healthcare, and finance. These sub-cities aim to diversify the regional economy, foster innovation, and position Amaravati as a leading smart city and IT powerhouse.

Education

National Institute of Design, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh, Vellore Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh, Amrita University, Purdue University, and the Indo-UK Institute of Health (IUIH) in collaboration with the King's College London, are among others to set up campus in Amaravati. In 2018, the city's first management institute, XLRI – Xavier School of Management, was under construction near Ainavolu.

Tourism

Nearby religious sites include the Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple, and the Amaravati stupa in the Amaravati heritage complex, Dhyana Buddha statue and Undavalli Caves.

Transport

Roads

The Amaravati seed capital road is an arterial road under construction to access the core capital area from NH16. The Vijayawada-Amaravati road connects the city with Vijayawada. The Government of Andhra Pradesh is planning to construct a long cable bridge as part of the third phase of the Seed Access Road project in Amaravati. This phase includes a stretch from Prakasam Barrage to Manipal Hospital, which will connect the Seed Access Road to National Highway 16 at Kanakadurga Varadhi. The project was delayed due to land acquisition / pooling issues in Undavalli village between 2014 and 2019, but negotiations have recently resumed under the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to begin work, with an estimated budget of ₹593.03 crore.

NH544D connects Anantapur-Guntur instead of the earlier proposed The Amaravati–Anantapur Expressway. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates buses connecting the city with Vijayawada, Guntur, and Tenali. Auto rickshaws also operate for shorter distances in the capital city area. The Bengaluru–Vijayawada Expressway, also known as Bengaluru–Kadapa-Vijayawada (BKV) Expressway and classified as NH-544G, is an under-construction -long, six-lane access-controlled expressway between the cities of Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, and Vijayawada, the second-largest city of Andhra Pradesh. This Expressway mostly passes in Andhra Pradesh State connects the farthest industrial town Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh to its capital Amaravati.

Railways

The nearest railway stations are Krishna Canal at Tadepalli and Guntur, . However, there are plans to construct an Errupalem–Amaravathi–Nambur railway line which connects Amaravati with Guntur–Krishna Canal section there by connecting with other parts of the state and country.

Air

Vijayawada International Airport serves the whole Andhra Pradesh Capital Region.

Sports

F1H2O Grand Prix of India

From 16 to 18 November in 2018, Amaravati hosted the second F1H2O World championship Grand Prix ever held in India. The event brought wide media attention especially after one of the teams took the color and the name of the state, making it the first Indian branded team in the history of F1H2O.

In popular culture

The film '' Raajadhani Files'' was inspired by the events around Amaravati.

See also

* 2019–2024 Amaravati protests
* Andhra Pradesh Capital Region

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

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* (Parakala Prabhakar's documentary on Amaravati capital issue released on 14 December 2020)

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