Nellore is a city and municipal corporation in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Nellore is the 4th most populous city in Andhra Pradesh after the separation of telengana
from Andhra Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Sri Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore
district. The ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri". Nellore is situated about
279 kilometres south of Vijayawada the state capital and 168 kilometres north of Chennai
on the Chennai-Kolkata highway. It is located on the banks of the Penner River and is well
known for its agricultural and aquaculture produce.
History Nellore existed from the times of Mauryan
empire and was ruled by Ashoka in the 3rd century B.C. It was annexed by the Pallavas
between the fourth and sixth centuries A.D. Nellore was known by the name of Vikrama Simhapuri
till the 13th century. It was later part of Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Sultanate
of Golconda, Mughal Empire and Arcot Nawabdom. In the 18th century, Nellore was taken over
by the British from the Arcot Nawabs and was part of the Madras Presidency of British India.
The city had an important role in the emergence of the Telugu language and the formation of
the state of Andhra Pradesh. Potti Sriramulu, who fasted until death for the formation of
Andhra Pradesh, hailed from Nellore. Geography
Nellore is located at 14.43°N 79.97°E﻿ / 14.43; 79.97. It has an average elevation
of 18 metres. Climate
The climate of Nellore city is a typical tropical maritime climate, with warm, humid summers
and mild winters. April and May are the hottest months and the hot conditions generally last
till the end of the June. December, January and February are the coolest months. As the
Bay of Bengal is at a distance of 24 kilometres from the city, the sea breeze renders the
climate of the city moderate both in winter and in summer. Humidity level in the city
is high due to its proximity to the coast. Nellore does not receive the south-west monsoon.
Rainfall in Nellore occurs between the months of October and December due to the north-east
monsoon. This period gives about 60 percent of the city's annual rainfall. Cyclones are
common in the city during this period, causing floods and havoc.
Winter: January and February Summer: March to May
South West Monsoons – June to September North East Monsoons – October to December
The maximum temperature is 36-46c during summer and the minimum temperature is 23-25c during
winter. The rainfall ranges from 700–1000 mm through South West and North East Monsoons.
Nellore is subject both to droughts and to floods based on the seasons.
Demographics As of 2011 Indian census, Nellore city had
a population of 565,258; in the same year the population of its urban agglomeration
was 564,148. The sex ratio in Nellore is 966 females per 1000 males. Effective literacy
is 83.59%; male literacy is 87.53% and female literacy is 79.52%. 8.32% of the population
is under 6 years of age. Government and politics
Nellore is represented by Nellore City and Nellore Rural for Andhra Pradesh Legislative
Assembly. Anil Kumar Poluboina is the present MLA of Nellore City representing YSRCP. Kotamreddy
Sridhar Reddy is the present MLA of Nellore Rural representing YSRCP.
Economy
Proximity to the sea and fertile land towards the east have led to agriculture and aquaculture
being the backbone of the economy. The district has a cultivable area equal to 41.3 percent
and the crops which are most commonly grown in the district are paddy, jowar, bajra along
with tobacco, chillies, groundnut and sugarcane. Handloom, mica mines, thermal power generation
and hand made jewellery are other industries that contribute to the economic development.
Also salt production is the most popular in nellore mostly. For the salt production nellore
takes the top most place in AP. Krishnapatnam port which is located 20 kilometers from the
district serves as a major center for economic activity of the district.
Culture Rottela Panduga
The annual ‘Rottela Panduga’ is a 4-day event celebrated at the Barashahid Dargah
on the banks of Swarnala Cheruvu. The festival is special for the devotees as they exchange
‘rotis’ between them standing in the cool waters of Nellore tank in fulfillment of their
wishes made at the tombs of the warriors in the past. Those whose wishes were fulfilled
would present ‘rotis’ to those who arrive to make their fresh wishes. Different devotees
make different wishes, which mostly relate to health, wealth, family harmony, marriage
alliances, educational progress and so on. Transportation
Road
Nellore is well connected by road with National Highway 5 from Chennai to Kolkata, part of
the Golden Quadrilateral expressway project, passing through it. Nellore is connected by
APSRTC to major parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, TNSTC from Chennai and
KSRTC from Bangalore. Nellore is a zonal headquarters of APSRTC, comprising Nellore, Prakasam and
Chittoor districts. There are 2 bus stations in the city:
RTC Bus Station- for intercity and interstate mofussil buses
Potti Sreeramulu Bus Station or Atmakur Bus Station- for intra district and town buses
Rail Nellore railway station lies on Vijayawada-Chennai
section of Chennai - Howrah trunk line and hence well connected by rail to most parts
of India. Nellore railway station is also connected by Chennai Suburban Railway, lying
on the North Line which terminates at Bitragunta. One major railway station and two small railway
stations are providing services to the people. Sea
Krishnapatnam Port Company in the sea is where Nellore live. was formed by government of
Andhra Pradesh to develop the existing minor port into modern, deep water and high productivity
port, on BOST concession basis for 50 years. It was opened on July 17, 2008. On May 9,
2013, Government of India decided to set up a second major port at Dugarajapatnam in Nellore
District. It will be the second major port in Andhra Pradesh after the Visakhapatnam
Port.And its gonna be the Asia's largest port. Air
The nearest airport is at Tirupati, which is 130 km from the city which has limited
services to certain domestic destinations like Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam,
Mumbai and Delhi. The nearest major airport is the Chennai International Airport, about
189 km from the city, which is an international airport providing connectivity to major parts
of India and the world. The Government of Czech Republic has evinced interest in building
a domestic airport in Nellore. However so far no concrete work has been done on this
front as the process of land acquisition for the airport is posing a problem.
Education Secondary and higher secondary education are
handled by SSC board. Although many schools have a choice to pursue school education through
Central board. Prominent institutions include Vikrama Simhapuri University, Rao's Educational
Society, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Veda and Sanskrit college, Narayana
medical and engineering colleges, Government Medical College, and Venkatagiri Raja's College
and high school,Thrive School [1]. Places of interest
Somasila Dam, Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Udaygiri fort, Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Mypadu Beach, Koduru Beach, Ranganayakulu Temple at penna river are some of the notable
places. See also
List of cities in Andhra Pradesh by population References