| గుంటూరు گنٹور Guntur |
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| City of chillies, City of Spices | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| Region | Coastal Andhra |
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| District(s) | Guntur, Andhra Pradesh |
| Mayor | Ramanjaneyulu (In charge IAS Officer) |
| Municipal Commissioner | A.Sarath(In charge IAS Officer) |
| M.P | R Sambasiva Rao |
| Parliamentary constituency | Guntur |
| Planning Agency | GMC, VGTMUDA |
| Population • Metro |
(2007[update]) • 14,19,346 (2007[update]) |
| Sex ratio | 984[1] ♂/♀ |
| Official languages | Telugu, Urdu[2] |
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| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
63.15 km2 (24 sq mi) • 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Climate • Precipitation |
Tropical (Köppen) • 989.1 mm (38.94 in) |
| Website | http://www.gunturcorporation.org |
Guntur (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 national capital, New Delhi and 266 kilometres (165 mi) south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra Pradesh. The city has an estimated population of 818,330 (514,707 as per 2001 census) with an Urban Agglomeration exceeding to more than 1.4 million.
Guntur is a centre of learning and the administrative capital of Guntur district, which is home of historically significant Amaravati, Undavalli caves, Kondavid Fort, Nagarjunakonda 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.
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The Kingdom of Pratipalapura of 500 BCE (Bhattiprolu in Guntur district), appears to be the earliest known kingdom in south India. The earliest recorded reference of Guntur comes from the Idern plates of Ammaraja I (922-929 CE), the Vengi Chalukyan king. Guntur also appears in two other inscriptions dated 1147 CE and 1158 CE. The original Sanskrit (ancient Vedic culture/tradition) name for Guntur was Garthapuri (a place surrounded by water ponds ('garta'/'gunta')). The 'Agasthyeswara Sivalayam' in the old city is an ancient temple for Lord Siva. There are inscriptions in the temple on stones in 'Naga Lipi' (an ancient script) dating back to about 1100 CE. It is considered one of the famous temples in the city. It is said that Agastya built the temple in the last Treta yuga around the Swayambhu Linga and hence it has this name. The 'Nagals' were said to have ruled the region at that time. The region has been historically known for Buddhism and the first Kalachakra ceremony performed by Buddha himself.[3][4] The place of Sitanagaram and the Guthikonda Caves are referred in the ancient texts (Vedic puranas) going back to the Treta yuga and Dwapara yuga (traditional time scale). Also check Timeline of Guntur.
With the advent of the Europeans the city has attained national and international significance. The French shifted their headquarters from Kondavid Fort to here in 1752, probably because of the ample availability of water due to the two large tanks. This settlement formed the nucleus of the modern city. . The Nizam and Haidar Ali too ruled the town till it came under the British in 1788. It was made the headquarters of a district named after it that was abolished in 1859, only to be reconstituted in 1904. The city rapidly became a major market for agricultural produce from the hinterland due to the opening of the railway link in 1890. The expansion continued post independence as well and was concentrated in what is now called "New Guntur".[5][6] The current size of the city has an inner radius of about 6 miles (9.7 km). The City-region comprises the surrounding suburban and rural areas spanning in all the directions. New townships are mushrooming in these areas[5][6] and it is considered as the fourth largest city in the state.
As of the 2010 India census,[10] Guntur had a population of 11,74,591. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Guntur has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 62%. 11% of the population in the city is under 6 years of age.
The region extends over an area of 11.68 sq. miles, while its population was about 25,000 by 1866 census and 30,183 by 1902 census. By the 1961 census, Guntur had a population of 187,122. It has grown about six times in its size during these 60 years. Currently the city is estimated to have population of around 12,00,000 with Urban Agglomeration.[11]
With the culture and traditions of ageless Sanatana Dharma/Ancient Vedic Civilization (known as Hinduism) and its principles (Sarvē Janā Sukhinō Bhavantu), the Guntur Region had a place for all religions, castes, sects and creeds. Guntur is known for its diverse culture. One of the purportedly lost tribes of Israel called Bene Ephraim, has a presence in Guntur, with even a Jewish synagogue. Religious faiths such as Islam and Christianity lead a harmonious, peaceful existence.
Telugu is the main language of communication in the city while Urdu is the other widely spoken language. One of the earliest/purest forms of Telugu language can be noticed in this region. The famous Mahakavi Tikkana(Telugu: తిక్కన్న) (1205–1288) was from this region. Almost all the Muslims in the city speak Urdu as their mother tongue,[2] though they are fluent in Telugu. The culture is vibrant with many festivals (that have been celebrated over thousands of years). Those festivals observed in Guntur with great pomp and splendour are: Deepavali, Krishna-Ashtami, Rama Navami, Sankranti, Sivaratri, Ugadi, Vijaya Dasami, Vinayaka-Chaviti, Ekadasi, Karthika Purnima. Also, noticeable are festivals introduced before a few centuries, including Christmas, Eid ul-Fitr, Muharram, Ramadan. The 30th International Kalachakra festival was held at Amaravati near Guntur.
The city's lifestyle has a mixture of both urban and rural with some cosmopolitan element. Like any typical Indian city, the majority of the population is from middle class and lower middle class families. With a reasonable cost of living and most basic amenities readily available, the city attracts people from other regions. Guntur is known for its fusion of traditional Indian and Western cultures. Guntur's residents wear both Indian style and Western style clothing. The common traditional clothing for women is a Saree, Salwar and for men formally, a Dhovathi or Pancha.
Guntur city and its region are a major commercial centre in India. Cotton, tobacco and chilli are some of the major commodities that are exported from here to different parts of the world. The city hosts the largest Asian market[12] for red chillies. The Tobacco Board, India, a part of the Government of India, is headquartered in Guntur. The chillies that are grown in this region are some of the hottest in the world, and are in constant competition[13] with chillies from Mexico for first place. One of the first of its kind, a global 'Spice Park' is currently being setup in the area.[14] The cotton that grows in the region is used in making some of the finest sarees in India.[15]
The industrial development in the Guntur Region is of medium scale. On a positive note, the region has minimal industrial and related pollution as compared to major cities in the country. It has a large skilled and educated workforce. Some of the industries in the area are: textile mills/handloom, silk, Sangam Dairy, Cement, Chemical and Biotechnology, Andhra Fertilizers, jute mills, granite industries, diamond and other ore processing (Hindustan Zinc Limited), Auto-Nagar and software/IT Companies. A Textile Hub is being developed on the southwestern side of the city,[16] and the government is also encouraging the setting up of new industries. Another ongoing project is a 850 crore IT park in Guntur outskirts.[17] Possible future plans include a large scale Biotechnology Park,[18] as well as a Knowledge Park.
The Guntur region is one of the most fertile areas in India. With the River Krishna flowing to the north of the district, the area has many farmlands and paddy fields growing wide varieties of rice, other food grains, and other various crops. The Guntur Branch Canal (GBC) and other smaller rivers serve water to the farmlands in the region.
A social forestry project for Guntur is on the anvil to make the region greener; Guntur,[19] (since only about 35% of the forest in the district has survived as per available statistics, a common issue throughout India). The government is closely working with other corporates in meeting the goals. As a part of this Green Guntur project, one crore saplings have been planted in the city. The city's UDA is also developing many medium and large scale parks throughout the city.
Located about 40 miles (64 km) from the city's urban area, the region has abundant coastline for trade, transport, and tourism. Though the exports from Guntur region mainly depend on Chennai harbour, there is a push to bring back one of its shore points as a harbour, with a chemical park also under consideration.[20]
A port city to be built[21] near Nizampatnam in Guntur District. This is part of a major renovation of the Nizampatnam Harbour. The development of this harbour will enable the Guntur region to be a major port player, with direct access to exports and imports to, around the world Projects Today,Yahoo News.
Suryalanka is a tourist shore point 35 miles (56 km) south of Guntur City, with all desirable features of a sea shore. It is complete with balmy beaches and world-class resorts. This is one of the top tourism places in the area.
Guntur Container Terminal is a ICD (Inland Container Depot) Facilitating port operations in Guntur Region. It is a port facility, which has been brought into Guntur for the benefit of the trade.
The city is the regional headquarters of the State Road Transport System. It is connected to all the major cities of the country through various national and state highways. There are major highways such as Madras—Guntur—Kolkata highway, Guntur—Nagarjuna Sagar—Hyderabad highway (which can take to other major routes like Mumbai and Delhi) and the Guntur— Vinukonda - Kurnool - Bellary highway. Within the city the traffic primarily flows using the inner, outer ring-roads, few bridges, main roads. Many intersections have innovative traffic signals and video cameras to control and monitor the traffic.[22] Common modes of road transport within the city are cars, motorcycles, buses, and auto-rickshaws; antique pedal rickshaws can still be seen. The city is also a major part of the 60,000 crore Golden Quadrilateral system, a national transportation project that has recently been completed.
Guntur junction is one of the Divisional headquarters (Guntur division) and a major transit point of the Indian Railways System. All four metro cities and most state capitals can be accessed through this transit point. Proposed Greater Guntur has the following stations: the Main Station (near Arundelpet and Railpet) and the others at Nallapadu, University-Center(Namburu), New Guntur(Reddipalem). Two other major transit points close to Guntur are: Tenali and Vijayawada with a future plan of running suburban trains in the suburban region. The Indian Railways is one of the most convenient and efficient systems of commute for the people throughout India.
The closest major airport is located at Hyderabad (4.5 hours travel). A local airport at Vijayawada-Guntur (Gannavaram) offers daily flights to Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore City. There is a proposal to build a more practical airport to the south-west of Guntur City.[23]
Guntur is one of the first cities to provide higher education and graduate programs in India. The Acharya Nagarjuna University is one of the largest universities in the country, and covers various institutions from 3 districts. There are a number of graduate schools, colleges, and high schools providing basic and higher education (agricultural, arts, bio-med, engineering, management, medical, nursing, pharmaceutical, sciences, technology) in the region. The Guntur Institute of Medical Sciences is one of many premier institutes in the city region. The Vedic University near Guntur specializes in the teaching of Vedic Sciences, other related philosophies, and the Vedanta.
The climate in Guntur City is very tropical in nature, but there are dry spells especially during the winter season, Current Temperature@City. The average temperature is warm to hot throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from approximately 16C to 48C (60F to 118F).[24] The summer season (especially during May/June) has the highest temperatures, but these are usually followed by monsoon rains in that season. The winter season (from October to February) is the most enjoyable with a pleasant climate. Summer clothing suffices throughout the year. Local Time at Guntur.
Guntur City is famous for the food items such as mirchi bajji (mirapakaya bajji), aavakaaya pickle, gongura pickle, with traditional Andhra style meals and common breakfast items such as Idli, dosa and puri.[25] There are many top quality Hotels that offer varieties of food items (from several regions of India). The common masala stands, jilebi push-carts, sugar cane juice sellers can be noticed in every corner of the city. There are also International Fast Food and pizza outlets. The city has many star class lodgings, inns and hotels.
There are numerous markets selling vegetables, fruits, flowers and other commodities throughout the city. Also, many Super Markets and Malls are opening due to the rapidly expanding middle and upper classes. The 'Patnam Bazar' area of the city is famous for the wholesale market of many consumer goods. The traditional method of selling vegetables, flowers and other consumer goods using push-carts is still very common and effective. There are special Rythu Bazaars[26] in every corner of the city to sell fresh produce. Locally famous fruits and vegetables include the oval shaped - (unique honey taste) - sapota, mango, Seethaphalam, and Dosakai. Global retail chain Walmart has started a store in the city.[27]
Motion Pictures/Films are a common form of entertainment in the city as well as in the rest of India. Guntur has many movie theatres with updated 3D Screens that play Telugu, English, and Hindi movies with many multiplex theatres. Though not as popular, traditional drama and theatrical events too have their presence in the city.[28] The Guntur Nataka Rangam, Guntur Cultural Association[29] are premier organizations in the state that promote and conduct theatrical events. During early summer season there are festivals and fairs that take place in the city, many types of rides, shows, novelties and food. There are numerous places of interest and parks in and around the city/district for entertainment, culture, and history. Suryalanka is the closest beach/shore-point for the city. There are also many shopping malls that have come up in the city area.
Guntur's infrastructure includes state-of-the-art technologies such as broadband Internet and multimedia for applications such as news, education and other forms of information. News sources, in Telugu, such as Eenadu,Vaartha and those in English, such as The Hindu (newspaper), Indian Express, Deccan Chronicle are widely used. Many newspaper headquarters are located within the city. Cable TV news has become another common mode for news information.
The region of Guntur is one of the medical hubs in India. It offers wide access to top medical care at reasonable prices and has a variety of charity hospitals that serve as a safety net for the destitute. It boasts major medical facilities (super specialty hospitals) and related research institutions. The General Hospital provides free health care to people across the coastal districts. The Sankar Eye Hospital,[30] Kugler Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital are just a few of the many premier hospitals in the region. A new medical facility VIMS [6] is established at Viswanagar to serve the people in the rural areas that are to the south and west of the city.
Both bureaucrats and elected officials manage the city affairs and issues. The municipal commissioner and district collector are usually from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The MP, MLAs, Mayor, corporators constitute the local elected officials. Initiatives such as E-Governance are being put in place to reduce red-tapism, thereby enabling transparency in administration. The Guntur Municipal Corporation is among the select cities (4) across the world where an ‘eco-budget’ is being implemented.[31]
Guntur Range (Andhra Pradesh Police Department) is the regional headquarters of the State Police with its own Inspector General covering three nearby districts (including Guntur district). The High Court was in Guntur briefly after the separation from the erstwhile Madras State,[32] which was later moved to the current state capital after the formation of AP. There is a pending plan to create a High Court bench at Guntur, covering for the coastal districts.[33] Guntur also hosts one of the Indian Army recruitment and training centres.[34] Suryalanka of Guntur Region has an airbase of the Indian Air Force.
The city has hosted several national and international level sporting events for various sports. It is one of the places in India to host the International Grandmaster Chess tournaments.[35] Cricket is the most common and well followed sporting event, there are other sports such as kabbadi, volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis hosted regularly. Following is a list of stadiums in and around the city.[36]
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