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    Andhra Pradesh State Information

    Capital: Hyderabad

    Districts: 23

    Languages: Telugu and Urdu

    Introduction to Andhra Pradesh

    Andhra Pradesh is recognized variously for its legendary dynasties, temples, beautifullanguage - Telugu, lacquer toys and beautiful weaves, rich literature and the vibrantKuchipudi. Andhra Pradesh has often been called the food bowl of the south.

    There are ruins, palaces, museums, and ports apart from the sacred Tirupati, whereone can leave ones prayers to be answered.

    Andhra Pradesh has a wide variety of wildlife and natural beauty. As one travels in thestate, one can find diverse landscapes, from a lush coastal area to a dry deciduousforest to a mangrove belt.

    The state is home to India's largest tiger reserve, in the Nallamai forest.

    The Godavari river delta is famous for reptiles like the salt-water crocodile, fishing catsand other exotic animals.

    India's largest pelican refuge at Kolleru Lake, which is also a haven for migrating birds,

    is an important tourist site.

    Geography of Andhra Pradesh

    Andhra Pradesh is located in south India, bounded by Tamil Nadu in the south,Maharashtra in the north and northwest, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa in the northeast,Karnataka in the west, and by the Bay of Bengal in the east.

    It is situated on the Deccan plateau and is one of the oldest geological formations of thecountry.

    The Godavari and Krishna rivers cut through the state, forming large deltas beforejoining the Bay of Bengal.

    The Tungabhadra, an important tributary of the Krishna, is yet another important river ofthe state.

    The state can be divided into three important regions - the coastal region, comprising ofnine districts, generally called Andhra; the interior region, consisting of four districts

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    collectively known as Rayalseema; and the Telengana region, consisting of the capitalHyderabad and nine adjoining districts.

    Brief History of Andhra Pradesh

    Andra Pradeshs earliest appearance in history is found in Aitareya Brahmana (800 BC)as Dakshina Padh.

    Andhras, Pulindas, Sabaras, and many other sects lived in Dakshina Padh. In theMauryan age, the Andhras were a political power in the Deccan. Megasthenes, whovisited the court of Chandragupta Maurya (322-297 BC), mentioned that the Andhracountry had 30 fortified towns and an army of 1,00,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 1,000elephants.

    The Buddhist religious books reveal that Andhras established their kingdoms on theGodavari belt at that time. Even Ashoka referred in his 13th rock edict that the Andhras

    were his subordinates. The flourishing Satvahana Empire, which followed the Mauryas,covered the entire Deccan plateau by the 1st century AD. From the seventh to the 10thcenturies, the Chalukyas ruled the state. This was followed by the rule of the Cholas,Kakatiyas, and the powerful Vijayanagar Empire. By the 16th century, the Qutab Shahidynasty established its firm foothold in and around Hyderabad.

    The Nizams, as the rulers of Hyderabad were called, maintained their rule, even duringthe advent of the French and British.

    Andhra Pradesh was constituted as a separate state on October 1, 1953, comprisingthe 11 districts of the erstwhile Madras state, and made Kurnool the capital. By

    November 1, 1956, the Nizams state of Hyderabad was amalgamated to the state ofAndhra Pradesh.

    Government of Andhra Pradesh

    Dr. Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as Y.S.R., is the currentChief Minister of the Andhra Pradesh.

    Dr. Reddy belongs to the Indian National Congress party and was elected to the AndhraPradesh Legislative Assembly from the Pulivendula Assembly Constituency ofCuddapah District. He has been Chief Minister since May 14, 2004. He served as the

    leader of the Opposition in the House for the previous term during which N.Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief Minister.

    Districts of Andhra Pradesh

    Andhra Pradesh has 23 districts: Adilabad, Ananthapur, Chittoor, Cuddapah, EastGodavari, Guntur, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Krishna, Kurnool,

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    Mahaboobnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nellore, Prakasam, Nizamabad, Rangareddy,Srikakulam, Vishakapatnam, Vizingaram, Warangal and West Godavari

    Economy of Andhra Pradesh

    Accounting for more than 98% of the countrys production of barites, Andhra Pradeshhas almost a monopoly on chrysotile asbestos.

    The important minerals found here include copper ore, manganese, mica, coal, andlimestone. The famous Singaneri coalmines are located here.

    Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam are the centers for several important industries likemachine tools, fertilizers, ships, drugs and pharmaceuticals, heavy electrical machinery,cement, electrical equipment, aeronautical parts, glass, etc.

    The important power projects include Nagarjunasagar, Nizamsagar Hydel power

    project, Sileru, Vijayawada, etc.

    Agriculture is the main occupation for about 70% of the population. Important cropsgrown here are rice, jowar, bajra, ragi, small millets, cotton, sugarcane, pulses,groundnut, bananas, and tobacco.

    The state accounts for about 55% of the countrys production of castor, and about 94%of Virginia tobacco. Nearly 23% of the states total land mass is covered by forests.

    The major forest products are teak, eucalyptus, cashew, casuarinas, bamboo, softwood, etc.

    Andhra Pradesh Travel Information

    The state capital, Hyderabad, has several tourist places in and around it. It has anumber of monuments of historical importance such as Char Minar, Golconda, SalarJung Museum, Mecca Masjid, Osman Sagar and Osmania University, which depicts aHindu-Muslim culture.

    The capital is in reality a twin city Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The twin cities ofHyderabad and Secunderabad are linked together by the Hussain Sagar Lake.

    The other sites of historical importance include Warangal, Palampet, Vemulavada,Bhadrachalam, and Lepakshi.

    Andhra Pradesh is known for pilgrimages, not only for Hindus, but also for Muslims,Christians and Buddhists. The state has a rich heritage of temples, mosques, churchesand viharas.

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    The state is known for the famous Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirupati, Birla Mandir atHyderabad and Bhadra Kali temple at Warangal, Mecca Masjid at Hyderabad, theBuddhist viharas at Nagarjunasagar, and the Sai Baba Ashram at Puttaparthi.

    The Hindu pilgrimage sites include Tirupati, Srisailam, Basara, and Srikalahasti.

    The state was once the site of a flowering Buddhist culture. The Salivahanas, who wereBuddhists by religion, followed the Satvahana dynasty. Several Buddhist stupas andviharas were built during their reign, and Buddhist centers flourished atNagarjunakonda, Amravati, Sankara, Bhattiprolu, Guntupalli, Gantasala, Salihunda,Panigiri, Nelakondapalli, and Bahvikonda.

    There are waterfalls at Ettipothala, Kuntala, and Gandipet. The caves at Undavalli andBorra are also major tourist attractions.

    Two large and world famous dams are located at Nagarjunasagar and Nizamsagar.

    Many wildlife sanctuaries can be found in the state, namely, Kawal, Sivaram, Pakhal,Pranahita, Eturnagaram, Kinnerasani, Papikonda, Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam,Pocharam, Gundlabrahmeshwaram, Shri Venkateshwara, Srilanka Malleswara, andKaundinya.

    There are four bird sanctuaries in the state at Kolleru, Rollapadu, Nelapattu, andManjira.

    The state has nearly 1,000 km of coastline, with eight of its 23 districts having directaccess to the sea, which accounts for the presence of so many beaches.

    Starting from Bheemunipattnam near Vishakhapatnam down to Mypad in Nelloredistrict, the coastline of Andhra Pradesh offers unalloyed joy to the sun worshippers andsea bathers. Apart from the Ramakrishna beach, Lawsons bay and Rishikonda beachat Vishakhapatnam and Bheemunipattnam beaches there are other famous beachessuch as Manginapudi, near Machilipattnam, Kakinada, Chirala, Kalingapatnam andMypad.

    Rivers of Andhra Pradesh

    The state has two great rivers, Godavari and Krishna, which spring from the Western

    Ghats in Maharashtra and flow eastward and joins the Bay of Bengal.

    The Godavari enters the state of Andhra Pradesh direct from Maharashtra, but theKrishna first goes to Karnataka where it flows for a considerable distance beforeentering Andhra Pradesh. Besides these two big rivers, there are many small riverssuch as Tungabhadra and Pennar. Pennar originates in the Karnataka plateau.

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    Like all the peninsular rivers all these are rain fed rivers as there is no snow below theHimalayas. Andhra Pradesh has considerable topographical variations with dense forestin the north east, flat paddy lands in the coastal plains, several noteworthy beachesalong the Bay of Bengal and the stark boulder-strewn region around Hyderabad.

    Education in Andhra Pradesh

    Andhra Pradesh is served by more than 20 leading institutes of excellence in highereducation. All major art, humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, business andveterinary science courses are offered at graduate and postgraduate level. Advancedresearch is conducted in all major areas.

    Andhra Pradesh has 1330 Arts, Science and Commerce colleges, 238 Engineeringcolleges and 53 Medical colleges.

    The student to teacher ratio is 19:1 in the higher education. According to census taken

    in 2001, Andhra Pradesh has an overall literacy rate of 60.5%. While male literacy rateis at 70.3%, the female literacy rate however is only at 50.4%, a cause for concern.

    The state has recently made strides in setting up several institutes of high quality.International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) and Indian School of Business(ISB) are gaining international attention for their standards. National Institute of FashionTechnology, Hyderabad (NIFT) is well reputed among those interested in a career infashion.

    Food of Andhra Pradesh

    Pulihara (or tamarind rice) is the main coarse in Andhra Pradesh, and green chilies addspice to the cuisine.

    The Andhra pickle, sharp and extremely hot, is a favorite all over the country.

    Papads, roasted or fried, are another popular condiment. Due to the rule of the Nawabsand Nizams, there is also a strong Muslim influence on the cuisine in the form of rich,spicy local dishes, especially in the area around the capital.

    The world famous Hyderabadi Biryani, a blend of rice and meat cooked over hot coals,the Nahari, the Kulcha and the Kebabs have a lot in common with the northern Mughlai

    cuisine.

    Other very famous dishes include Bagara Baingan, or seasoned eggplant, and Haleem(spiced pounded wheat with mutton).

    A wide variety of fruit, like custard apples, grapes like the Anab-e-shahi, and apricotslike the Khobani provide a neutralizing affect over the spicy food.

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    Arts & Culture of Andhra Pradesh

    The Andhras were originally believed to be Dravidians. However, some theoriessuggest that they were Aryans by origin who moved south of the Vindhyas, andeventually mixed with the non-Aryans.

    The Banjaras (or gypsies), the Gonds, the Sarvas, the Bagatas, the Mandulas, theYenadis, the Chenchus, the Gadabas and the Mathuris are the well-known tribes of thestate. Professionally they are food-gatherers, hunters, small farmers and nomads.

    One can find people of different faiths here - Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists andChristians. The principal language is Telugu, although Urdu is also spoken in andaround Hyderabad.

    Due to its diversified socio-cultural and religious influences, the handicrafts of AndhraPradesh prospered around the temples, courts, villages and tribal communities.

    Bidri is a metal craft of Andhra Pradesh. It derives its name from Bidar, the hometown ofthis exquisite craft and the basic material used is alloy of zinc, oxidized and intricatelyinlaid with silver.

    Nirmal is a famous art that can be traced back to the Kakatiyas. Decorative, beautifullypainted wooden articles like furniture, bowls, lamps, ashtrays, and boxes are typicalitems of Nirmalware.

    Himroo is a distinctive, luxurious fabric, once used as dress material by the nobles, witha cotton base and silk or art silk weave, made into stoles, gowns and furnishings.

    The colorful leather puppets or Tholubommalu, made from buffalo hide, bleached andtinted with local paints are famous in Andhra Pradesh.

    The most popular figures are the heroes and villains from mythology.

    The artisans of Hyderabad have perfected the art of creating articles of jewelry from thedays of the Golconda kingdom.

    Hyderabad today is the largest pearl center of India.

    Andhra Pradesh has an age-old tradition of hand-woven fabrics.

    Silk and cotton saris from Pochampalli, Venkatagiri, Siddipet, Gadwal, Uppada,Narayanpet and Dharmavaram are household names throughout India.

    Other interesting crafts are the silver filigree work in Karimnagar, gold covering work onalloy or copper, silver, brass and gold from Machilipattnam, beads and bangles fromKalahasti, in the Chittor district, and silver snake chains from Hyderabad.

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    The Chari woodwork is also famous, especially in the Warangal district.

    Dance & Music of Andhra Pradesh

    Kuchipudi is Andhra Pradeshs most outstanding contribution towards the enrichment of

    the Indian culture. It began in the dance-drama form dating back to the 15th century. Itsbirthplace was Kuchipudi village near the Krishna River. A fine combination of Natya,Nritta, and Nritya, Kuchipudi was never a solo affair and required a number of actors.Men and boys who received vigorous training in abhinaya, music, dancing, and singing,presented it in the open air on a stage. Kuchipudi has also recently evolved into a solodance style. The solo dances are characterized by a rich expression, fast rhythms,swinging knee movements and circular movement of the arms.

    Inhabited by many large tribes, Andhra Pradesh presents a rich wealth of traditional folkand tribal dances. Bathakamma, Gobbi, Mathuri, Dhamal, Dandaria, Dappu, andVadhyam are a few famous tribal dances. The dances of the Banjaras and the Siddi

    tribes are also famous.

    Other dance forms of Andhra Pradesh include Veeranatyam, Butta Bommalu, ChinduBhagawatam, Tappeta Gullu, Lambadi, Bonalu, and Dhimsa. 'Tholubommalata', ashadow puppetry theatre is a fascinating folk art.

    Festivals of Andhra Pradesh

    Hindu festivals such as Dussehra, Deepavali, Sri Ram Navami, Krishna Janmashtami,Vinayaka Chavithi or Ganesh Chaturthi and Maha Shivratri are celebrated in the state.Similarly, Muslim festivals such as Bakr-Id and Id-ul-Fitr and Christian festivals like

    Christmas, Easter and New Year Day are also celebrated with gaiety. However, thecelebrations of Ugadi (Telugu New Year's day in March-April) and Sankranti (inJanuary) are unique in the state.

    Bathakamma is special to the Telengana region. In the month-long festival, GoddessBathakammas idol is worshipped and is made to float on the rivers and lakes.

    The annual tourism events include the Visaka Utsav (from the third Friday to Sunday ofJanuary), Deccan Festival (on the 25th of February, of which the Pearls and BanglesFair is a part), Rayalseema Food and Dance Festival (in October, at Tirupati) andLumbini Festival (from the second Friday to Sunday of December, at Nagarjunasagar

    and Hyderabad).

    Costumes of Andhra Pradesh

    The attire of people from Andhra Pradesh shows impact of North and South Indianculture. Sari, salwar kameej, and churidaar are the clothes that women of this stategenerally wear.

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    Men generally wear a kurta with lungi (a piece of cloth worn around the waist).

    Western influence has increased the popularity of trousers, shirts, and jeans in recentyears