| Wikipedia Guide |
| Guntur pronunciation (help·info) (Telugu: గుంటూరు, Urdu: گنٹور) is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located 40 miles (64 km) to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to the south of the capital, New Delhi. The city has an estimated population of 818,330 (514,707 as per 2001 census) with an Urban Agglomeration of approximately 1,028,667. Guntur is one of the larger (tier-2) cities in the country.
Guntur is a centre of learning and the administrative capital of Guntur district, which is home of historically significant Amaravati, Bhattiprolu and Sitanagaram monuments. The city is also a centre for business, industry, and agriculture. The region is identified as a major transportation and textile hub in India. Additionally, the Guntur area economy has an agricultural component that is internationally known for its exports of chillies, cotton, and tobacco.
The Kingdom of Pratipalapura of 500 BCE ... Read more at wikipedia... |
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 The famous Undavalli Caves associated with the Vishnukundin kings of AD 420-620 are close to the city. These caves were dedicated to Anantapadmanabha and Narisimhaswami |
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| Facts At A Glance |
| Built In |
Founded by the French in the 18th century, the city was ceded to a local ruler in 1766 and to the British in 1788; the cession was confirmed in 1823. |
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| Description |
 Located in the northeastern part of the Andhra Pradesh State, in the Krishna River delta, Guntur lies on the Vijayawada-Madras trunk road, about 9-km to the east of the picturesque Kondaveedu range of hills. It is the headquarters of the district of its name, Revenue division and Taluk. It is one of the oldest municipalities having been constituted in AD 1866. The French founded the city in the mid-eighth century, but in 1788 it was ceded permanently to the British.
The village of 'Ramachandrapuram Agraharam', which is now part of Guntur city, is considered much older than Guntur as it is testified by an inscription dated AD 1296 on a pillar of Mantapam in three temple of Lakshminarayana Swami. It is an important railway junction and is connected by rail with Macherla, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Hubli, Tenali and Repalle. This city is an important commercial centre, with tobacco curing barns, rice mills, cotton and oil mills. There are many places of tourist importance around this city. |
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| Location |
 Guntur lies on the southern bank of the river Krishna about two km from Prakasam Barrage at Vijayawada. |
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| Best time to visit |
 Between November and March. |
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| How To Get There |
 Guntur is an important railway junction of the South. It is well connected by road.
Rail: The nearest railheads are Guntur and Vijayawada. There are good bus connections from Guntur to Amaravati.
Road: Amaravati is situated twenty miles northwest of Guntur and is connected it by a good motorable road. Taxis and buses are available from Guntur. |
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| History |
Guntur District is home to the oldest evidence of humans in India, in the form of Palaeolithic (old stone age) implements.
The earliest reference to Guntur, a variant of Guntur, comes from the Idern plates of Ammaraja I (922-929), the Vengichalakyan King. Guntur also appears in another two inscriptions dated 1147 and 1158.
Since the beginning of Buddhist epoch, Guntur stood foremost in matters of education. Buddhists established universities in ancient times at Dhanyakataka (Amaravathi) . Acharya Nagarjuna, an influential Buddhist philosopher, is thought to have been from the district, and is said to have discovered Mica in this area around 200 BCE.
The Kingdom of Prati Palaputra (5th century BCE), identified with Bhattiprolu, appears to be the earliest known kingdom in Guntur District. Inscriptional evidence shows that king Kubera was ruling over Bhattiprolu around 230 BCE, followed by the Sala Kings. Guntur was successively ruled by famous dynasties such as the Satavahanas, Ikshavakus, Pallavas, Anandagothrins, Vishnu Kundins, Chalukyas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Reddies, Vijayanagara and Qutb Shahis during ancient and medieval times. Later, several subordinate kingdoms ruled the region. These subordinate dynasties also indulged in mutual wars, one of which culminated in the famous battle of Palnadu which is enshrined in legend and literature as "Andhra Kurukshetra" in 1180.
Guntur became part of the Mughal empire in 1687 when the emperor Aurangzeb conquered the Qutb Shahi sultanate of Golconda, of which Guntur was then part. In 1724, Asaf Jah, viceroy of the empire's southern provinces, declared his independence as the Nizam of Hyderabad. The coastal districts of Hyderabad, known as the Northern Circars, were occupied by the French in 1750. Guntur was brought under control of the British East India Company by 1788, and became a district of Madras Presidency.
The Guntur region played a significant role in the struggle for independence and the formation of Andhra Pradesh. India's independence came in 1947, and Madras Presidency became Madras state. The northern, Telugu-speaking districts of Madras state, including Guntur, advocated for a separate state, and the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created in 1953 from the eleven northern districts of Madras. |
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| Excursions |
Buddhist Relics And Lord Amareswara Temple At Amaravati :
Amaravati is situated in Sattenapalli Taluk, 35-km away from Guntur. It is famous as the seat of a temple to Lord Shiva worshipped here as Lord Amareswara and also for the Buddhist sculptures, which are world famous. Amareswaram is considered sacred because of three things, the Krishna River, an important 'Kshetra' with a 'Sthalamahatyam' and the 'Sri Mahalinga Murthy', which are three sacred principles embodied in one.
Undavalli caves :
The Undavalli caves, in the village of Undavalli, are at a distance of 8-km from Vijayawada and nearly 32-km from Guntur. The high hill overlooking the Krishna River hosts fine specimens of cut-in architectural and sculptural models.
Chebrolu :
Chebrolu, a very ancient village with many historical remains, is situated on the Guntur-Bapatla road within a distance of 10-km from Guntur. The high mound, on which the village is situated, has yielded some terracotta figurines, as well as some old coins, which reveal the existence of ancient civilisation at this place. Two gold coins pertaining to the period of the Roman Emperor Constantine were unearthed at this place. A number of lead coins containing the figures of ships, animals and mosques were also unearthed.
Kotappa Konda :
Kotappa Konda is one of the important pilgrim centers of Andhra Pradesh. It is located 13-km southwest of Narasaraopet in and 60-km from Guntur. Original name of this village is "Kondakavuru", but is more popularly known as Kotappakonda or 'Trikutaparvatam' (three-peaked hill). The deity on this hill is named 'Trikoteswara'. Maha Shivaratri is the important festival celebrated here with great devotion and fervour. |
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| Current conditions as of 9/7/10 5:30 PM Local Time |
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33°C |
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6:17 PM |
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