Sricity

sri City
town
sri City
Coordinates: 13°33′28″N 80°01′46″E / 13.557673°N 80.029489°ECoordinates: 13°33′28″N 80°01′46″E / 13.557673°N 80.029489°E
Country India
State Andhra Pradesh
Region Rayalaseema
District Chittoor
Area rank 24
Languages
 • Official Telugu
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Website SriCity

Sri City is a Planned Integrated Business City (Township) located 55 km North of Chennai on NH 5 along the border of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Tamil Nadu (TN) States of India. Much of Sri City area is in Chittoor District and a smaller area along the NH5[1] is in Nellore District of AP, adjacent to Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu.

The Satish Dhawan Space Centre (aka SHAR), India’s Satellite/Rocket launching centre is located at Sriharikota, on the eastern side of the Pulicat Lake which separates Sri City and the Satellite launching station.[2][3]

Etymology

Symbol-Sri

The Name Sri City is inspired by the title Sri derived from Sanskrit. Sri is the sacred sound of cosmic auspiciousness and abundance in Hindu religion. Written as Sri or Shree or Sree or Shri, it stands for abundance, auspiciousness, affluence, grace, wealth, light, luster, splendor, beauty, loveliness and authority.[4] The symbol has been used since Vedic times. Holiness is attached to the word when written or spoken. It is also added before a name to show respect. Sri is mentioned largely in all renowned temple towns in the region, Srirangam Srikalahasti, Sriperumbudur and Sriharikota. The world-famous temple city of Tirumala - Tirupati the abode of Lord Sri Venkateshwara (aka Srinivasa, Balaji) is also located near to Sri City. After the symbol Aum (ॐ) and Swastika, Sri is the most popular symbol used in Hinduism. Sri is also the sacred of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity.

History

Chandragiri Fort

The District has hundreds of monuments, memorial rocks and memorials. The Historical Memorials date back to over 1000 years.

The history of the district, which was carved out in 1905 from then Cuddapah, Nellore and North Arcot districts, has been shaped by the ups and downs of several Dravidian kingdoms. It was a British military post until 1884. Back to 1000 years when the region was dominated by Vijayanagara Empire[5] and is linked with the Aravidu dynasty.[6]

Geography

It is situated between North Latitudes of 13°29’50” & 13°34’40” and East Longitudes of 79°57’30” & 80°02’50”,[7] at an average elevation of about 20 metres above MSL (66 ft) covering parts of Chittoor district and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. It is alongside NH 5 which forms part of the Golden Quadrilateral.[3] A Creek (Karipeti Kalava) flows through Sri City passing through a number of Lakes on the way before joining Pulicat Lake North of Tada. There is a state forest on the western boundary. Telugu Ganga project carrying Krishna River water to Chennai City passes along the western boundary of Sri City.

Soils The soils of the area can be broadly classified as

Latosols: Soils formed due to lateralization are called as ‘Latosols’ or ‘Latosolic soils’. This will have local accumulation of ‘iron’ and ‘alumina’ pockets. In fact, it is the iron rich pockets that contribute to the building material. This becomes hard and compact on exposure to drying. A thin regolith forms on the laterite. Latosols with the characteristic red color are seen on the laterite in the area under study. This covers nearly 30% of the area.

Yellow Pedozolic (Podsol) soils: These are developed on the sandy parent material, as noticed on the eastern part of the area under report. As the name indicates, the color of the soil is yellowish. This occupies nearly 40% of the area.

Pedozolic – Latsolic soils: This is the transition between the Latosols and Pedozolic soil. It is mostly observed in the vicinity of the contact between the laterite and the alluvium. This accounts to 30% coverage.

Red Sanders or Red Sandalwood

Climate

Satyavedu Mandal Rainfall (mm)

The area experiences both the Southwest monsoon & Northeast monsoon. In between there are lull periods. The average rainfall per annum as recorded at rain gauge stations at Satyavedu is 1305mm.

Flora

Trees – Red Sanders Wood (Pterocarpus santalinus) is the specialty of this area. Red sanders wood is the heartwood of Pterocarpus santalinus, Linne filius (N.O. Leguminosoe), a small tree indigenous to Southern India[8] and the Philippine Islands. During the Middle Ages it was classed as a spice and used for culinary purposes, and at one time it was supposed to possess medicinal properties. It’s also called Raktachandan. The literal meaning of Raktachandan is blood colored sandalwood. This kind of wood has a special and unique rust red color and it is used to carve out a number of products. The red sandalwood is also used for carving panels, framework and traditional dolls.

Mesophytic type of flora like Syzygium cumini (Neredu), Pongamia ghaira (Kanuga) & large trees of Terminalia arjuna (Erramaddi and Tellamaddi) are found. Large trees of mango, Phoenix sylvestris (lta) & different types of grass along water courses are also seen.

Great Grey Shrike

Fauna

A number of species among birds exist in this district. Among the birds, the Large Grey Babbler (Turdoides malcolmi), the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor), the king crows, mynas and crows, bee-eaters, hoopoes, swifts, vultures, eagles, kites, owls, sand grouse, quails, partridges, green pigeons, pigeons and peacock are also found in the district. The commonly found herbivora present in the district include Sambar (deer) (Rusa unicolor), Blackbuck (Antelope cervicapse), Chital (Axis Axis), wild sheep - (Civis cycloceros), mouse deer (Memina indica), hare (Lapium finidus) and rabbit.

Languages

Being the border town, both Telugu and Tamil are spoken. Telugu is official language of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil is the official language in Tamil Nadu.[9] Most of the educated populace speak English and are bi or tri-lingual.

Demographics

Sri City forms part of Satyavedu and Varadaiahpalem mandals of Chittoor District. It is part of the Satyavedu constituency and Tirupati MP constituency. The population of the constituency is estimated over 90536, with a literacy rate of 78.98, well over national rate of Literacy in India which stand at 61%. SOURCE: Demographics of India, 2001 Census

Economy

Moving with times, Sri City is on its way to becoming a hub[10] for large and medium scale industries, such as Engineering, Electronics, Automotive, Aerospace, Apparel, Renewable Energy, Biotech/Pharma, Sporting Equipment & Toys, Logistics and Warehousing, IT/ITES/BPO, Education & Training Institutes, other Eco-Friendly Industries.

Social Infrastructure Organizations

[14]

SEZ

The Integrated Township includes various Zones: Industrial, Residential, Educational, Commercial and Recreational.

SriCity Business Centre

The Industrial Zone includes a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for Export Oriented Industry and Domestic Tariff Zone (DTZ) for Domestic Industry. It is a business destination for global companies to establish Manufacturing, Services and Trading operations in India.[15]

The SEZ is administered by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC)[16] & Industrial Area Local Authority (IALA). The Government appointed officer controls the planning and building approval processes. A Commissioner appointed by the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce, administers the (SEZ) area.

The SEZ was designed by Jurong Consultants, Singapore,[17] taking into account future dimensions of expansion.[18]

Transportation

Sri City Map with distances

Air

The Chennai International Airport (MAA) is a 90 minute drive from/to Sri City, and Tirupati Airport (TIR) is also a 90 minute drive.[1][19]

Chennai International Airport is the third largest international gateway into the country and the third busiest airport in India after Mumbai and Delhi. It is the main air hub for south India, currently handling over 10 million passengers and serving more than 50 different airlines. It is also the second most important cargo terminus for the country, after Mumbai. The international cargo-handling facilities at Chennai have a turnaround time of 24 hours.[19]

Rail

Sri City is in between two Railway Stations, Tada on the North and Arambakkam on the South. Express Trains connecting Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkota, and Delhi stop at Sullurpeta which is 12 km (7.5 mi) away from Sricity. Mumbai bound trains stop at Renigunta. Nearly 30 suburban trains operate between Sullurpeta[20] and Chennai every day passing via Sri City (Tada & Arambakkam).

Chennai Port

Sea

Chennai Port on the Coromandal Coast. 65 km (40 mi) from Sri City. Strategically located and well connected with major parts of the world, it is today a major Indian Port. It has direct services to Singapore, China, Europe and US.[21]

Ennore Port, is about 24 km (15 mi) north of Chennai Port and 40 km south of Sri City. Currently this port handles mainly bulk cargo. Container handling facility is under development.[21]

Krishnapatnam Port is located 100 km (62 mi) to the north of Sri City, on the east coast of India in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.[21]

Road

Travelling to Sri City is made possible by number of buses (APSRTC, TNSTC) and other private transport providers, and taxis.

Places of interest

View of Pulicat Lake from SriCity

The district boasts few of the finest ancient/modern temples of the country. The archaeological treasures unearthed from the town and its adjoining areas occupy the pride of place at different museums. The Chandragiri Fort is known for its architectural marvels including the Srikalahasti temple.

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati, Goddess Padmavathi temple at Thiruchanoor, Srikalahasti temple, Chengalamma temple in Sullurpeta,[22] Parshwanatha Jain Temple at Chandragiri[23] etc., are the nearby religious tourist destinations to Sricity.

Pulicat Lake, Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary,[24] Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary[25] Tada Falls or Ubbalamadugu Falls,[26] Nagalapuram Falls,[27] Satish Dhawan Space Center[3]are the nearby tourist destinations.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sricity.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tirupati MP also pointed out that Sri City was in close proximity to NH5 & 2 International Airports - Chennai and Tirupati.
  2. ↑ Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) located on the eastern side of the Pulicate Lake separating Sricity and the Satellite Launching Station - Source - Google Maps
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Places to visit near sriharikota (shar) | About Sriharikota-Source-Website on Sriharikota Range (SHAR)
  4. ↑ Meaning of Sri / Shri / Shree / Sree
  5. ↑ Cheruvi-Sricity-Temple-visit-Source-Temples Revival-Voluntary organization by Indian youngsters to revive & maintain our past glory- temples!!
  6. ↑ Complete District History
  7. ↑ Sri City, Andhra Pradesh-Source-Google Maps
  8. ↑ Geobotany of red sanders ( Pterocarpus santalinus ) – a case study from the southeastern portion of Andhra Pradesh by K. K. Raju and A. Nagaraju
  9. ↑ People speaking Tamil are found concentrated in Chittoor district, which adjoins Tamil Nadu - Source - APonline, Government of Andhra Pradesh
  10. ↑ "Financial Express"]. financialexpress.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Chennai Business school set up in Sri City- Reference The Hindu
  12. ↑ IIIT-Sri City Website
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ Multi-product SEZ at Nellore-Source-Financial Express
  16. ↑ SEZs Assisted by APIIC-Source-Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation
  17. ↑ Sri City Master-planned by Jurong Consultants, Singapore - Source - Site Selection Magazine Online
  18. ↑ Sri City SEZ eyes Rs 20,000-cr turnover-Source-The Hindu Business Line
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Distances from Sri City, Tada
  20. ↑ Train Arrival Timings Sullurupeta/SPE-Source-indiarailinfo.com
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Special Economic Zones in India: Recent Developments and Future Prospects, Sri City distance from Chennai, Ennore and Krishnapattnam Ports, refer Page 8-Source-Indian Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore
  22. ↑ Images of Changalamma Temple at Sullurpeta on Nellore District Website-Source Govetment of India
  23. ↑ "Parshvanath Temple built in the 15th Century-Chandragiri".
  24. ↑ "Pulicat Lake Tourism".
  25. ↑ Google Map showing Driving directions from Sricity to Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary
  26. ↑ "'Save Tada Falls' Mission Sees Massive Clean-Up". indiaprwire.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  27. ↑ Ladies trek to Nagalapuram, Dec 2010