Clockwise from top: Skyline of Kurnool from Penna River Bridge, Pumphouse road in Kurnool, Kurnool Railway station, Kurnool City from Jagannatha Gattu and Kondareddy Buruju
Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956).[5][6][7] The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema". Kurnool is also famous for Diamond hunting as diamonds can be found in the barren land of Kurnool after the top layers of soil are washed away by the monsoon rains.[8] It also serves as the district headquarters of its Kurnool district. As of 2011[update]census, it is the fifth most populous city in the state with a population of 484,327.[3][9] It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. Although the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, modern Kurnool was founded in the 16th century CE with the construction of the Konda Reddy Fort.
Etymology
The original name of Kurnool is found in historical records as Kandanavōlu or Kandanōlu.[10] It used to be a crossing on the Tungabhadra River, where the bullock cart caravans are believed to have greased their wheels ("kandana" being a reference to grease).[11] The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".[12]
History
Palaeolithic era
The Ketavaram[13]rock paintings from the Palaeolithic era and are 18 kilometres from Kurnool. Also the Jurreru Valley, Katavani Kunta[14] and Yaganti in Kurnool District have some important rock art and paintings in the vicinity that may be dated from 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.
Ashoka's rock edicts were inscribed in the 3rd century BCE. The inscription is in Prakrit language and Brahmi script. Both the major and minor edits are found at Erragudi (also called the Yerragudi or Jonnagiri site). These are among the oldest discovered inscriptions in India. The site is close to the Andhra-Karnataka border, in Kurnool district. It is an ASI protected site under Indian law.
Belum Caves are geologically and historically important caves in the district. There are indications that Jain and Buddhist monks were occupying these caves centuries ago. Many Buddhists relics were found inside the caves. These relics are now housed in the Museum at Ananthapur. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found remnants of vessels and other artifacts of the pre-Buddhist era and has dated the remnants of vessels found in the caves to 4500 BC.[15]
Vijayanagara era
Little was known about Kurnool town before the 11th century. The earliest knowledge of this settlement dates from the 11th century. It has developed as a transit place on the southern banks of the river Tungabhadra.
Ruled by the Cholas in the 12th century and later taken over by the Kakatiya dynasty in the 13th century, Kurnool developed into a transit point on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra River. It eventually fell under the rule of a jaghirdar before becoming a part of the Vijayanagar dynasty. King Achyuta Raya, successor of Sri Krishnadeva Raya constructed the Kurnool Fort during the 16th century.
Nawabs
The Abyssinian, Abdul Wahab Khan, defeated King Gopal Raja of the Vijayanagar Kingdom in the 17th century and went on to rule the land for 16 years until his death.
In 1686, Kurnool fell under the influence of the Mughals who were ruled by Emperor Aurangzeb. Later on in Kurnool's history, it was ruled by the Nawabs until the British Government took over in 1839.[16]
Ghulam Rasul Khan Bahadur (died on 12 July 1840) was the last Nawab of Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.[17] He ruled from 1823 to 1839 until the kingdom was defeated by the East India Company.[18] On 12 October 1839, a war broke out between the British Indian Army and the kingdom and continued for six days until the king was detained on 18 October. He was subsequently sent to Tiruchirappalli Central Prison where he died on 12 July 1840.[19]
Landmarks in and around the city include Konda Reddy Fort Formerly called Kondareddy Burj is the historical monument and major tourist attraction of Kurnool located at the northeast part of the city.[25]Orvakal rock Garderns is the sculpture garden with an ancient cave lying on the southeast of the city.[26]Jagannatha Gattu Temple is a popular tourist site of Kurnool. It is famous for its Lord Shiva Temple and is located in B. Thandrapadu, in Kurnool. The history behind the Linga makes it a popular destination.
Climate
Kurnool has a tropical savanna type of climate bordering on hot semi arid climate (KöppenBSh) with temperatures ranging from 26 °C (78.8 °F) to 46 °C (114.8 °F) in the summer and 12 °C (53.6 °F) to 31 °C (87.8 °F) in the winter. The average annual rainfall is about 840 millimetres (33 in).
Climate data for Kurnool (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)
Source 2: Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020)[30]
Kurnool has been ranked 21st best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.[31]
Demographics
As per final data of the 2011 census, the Kurnool urban agglomeration had a population of 484,327, making it the fifth largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh.[32] The literacy rate of Kurnool was 77.37 per cent at the time of the 2011 census.
As per final data of 2011 census, Hindus formed the majority in the Kurnool urban agglomeration. Other religious groups found in Kurnool are Muslims, Christians, and Jains.[33]
Telugu (67.91%) is the official and most spoken language. Urdu (28.17%) and Hindi (1.02%) are also spoken.[34]
Government and politics
Kurnool serves as the district headquarters of its Kurnool district.[35][36] The city is administered by Kurnool Municipal Corporation. State level Government institutions located in the city include:
The primary and secondary school education is imparted by Government, aided and private schools of the School Education Department of the state.[37][38]
Notable institutions located in the city include:
The city has a total road length of 519.22 km[39] State owned bus transport system, APSRTC, operates buses from Kurnool bus station to other parts of the state.[40][41]
Kurnool Airport, officially known as Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy Airport, is located at Orvakal and is situated on the National Highway 40, about 18 km (11 mi) from Kurnool and 54 km (34 mi) from Nandyal. Commercial operations of the greenfield airport were started in March 2021.
^"School Education Department"(PDF). School Education Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original(PDF) on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.