Nellore

The city of Nellore is an urban aggregation as well as a municipal corporation of the Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. Nellore is also the headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District. Located at the banks of Pennar River, the city lies 453 km south-east of the state capital, Hyderabad.

The surrounding districts of the city include Prakasam in the north, Kadapa in the west and Chittoor in the south. The Bay of Bengal runs past the eastern periphery of Nellore. The city as well as its nearby places like Gudur and Kavali is also highly populated. Krishna Patnam Port, one of South Asia’s biggest ports lies 25 km from Nellore at Krishnapatnam.

Nellore was anciently known as Vikrama Simhapuri and the present name of the city has been derived from the Tamil word ‘neil’, which means rice, complementing its rice farming. It has played an important role in the emergence of the Telugu Language as well as in the formation of Andhra Pradesh.

The rulers of the city include the Maurya Dynasty, Kharavela of Chedi Dynasty, Satavahanas, Pallavas, Cholas, Eastern Gangas of Kalinga Empire, Kakatiyas, Telugu Cholas, and Pandyas. The district of Nellore was taken over by the British during which it underwent many political changes.

After independence, the city became and remained a part of Madras District until October 1, 1953. It became a part of Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956 when the states were categorised, based on linguistic differences.

Nellore is known for producing mica, lemon, and agricultural products like rice and is also known as the ‘Agricultural Capital of India’. The city also has large number of temples namely Narasimha Swamy Konda, Jonnavada Kamakshi Ammavari Temple, Ayyappa Temple, Golagamudi Venkaya Swami Temple, etc. Shri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Nellore is the most ancient and belongs to the 12th century. The city has also been home to great poets and literary personalities.

Out of the large number of temples present in the city, the Talpagiri Ranganadhaswamy Temple and the Shri Gayathri Devi Vishwakarma Temple are the most popular. The Talpagiri Ranganathaswamy Temple is located 5 km from Nellore and is 6000 years old. It is situated on the banks of the River Pennar and has a 96 feet tall Galigopuram with seven gold Kalasams. The Shri Gayathri Devi Vishwakarma Temple is located at Virat Nagar.