Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh is located towards the west-central part of the state. The district is located in the southern banks of Tungabhadra and Handri Rivers. Kurnool Town is presently the district headquarter.
History of Kurnool District
Kurnool District has derived its name from Kurnool town which was the capital of the Nawabs of Andhra Pradesh. The word Kurnool on the other hand is derived from the word, `Kandanvolu.`
Nawab Alaf Khan Bahadur was the first ruler of Kurnool and after him the region has been ruled over by his descendants for 200 long years. The Nawab dynasty of Kurnool was among the few dynasties who had not surrendered to the British rule. Combining with the sultan of Mysore, the Nawabs of Kurnool had bravely resisted the British domination. Even today the Nawab bungalow stands by Tungabhadra River in its pristine glory.
Geography of Kurnool District
The Kurnool district being located to the west of Andhra Pradesh is bounded by Guntur and Nellore districts in the East, Cuddapah and Anantapur lies towards the south, Ballary is in the West and Mahaboobnagar district is towards the north of Kurnool. Kurnool district occupies an area of 17,658 square kilometers. The major rivers of the region are Krishna and Pennar and the important mountain ranges which cut the district from north to south are Nallamalas and Erramalas. Kurnool District has 54 mandals under 3 revenue divisions.
Demography of Kurnool District
When last measured in the year 2001, the population of Kurnool was recorded at 3529494. The density of population in the district of Kurnool was 199 persons per square kilometer. The literacy rate in the district is around 54.43 percent.
Religion in Kurnool District
The majority population in the district follows Hinduism and only a few of them comprise the Muslim and the Christian population. The main festivals which are celebrated in the region are Dusshera, Diwali, Ugadi, Holi, Ramzan and Christmas. Hence it can be said that although the district has a predominance of the Hindu community yet the people in Kurnool from various religious faiths co-exist in absolute harmony and happiness.
Education in Kurnool District
Kurnool district was never known as a seat of education in the state of Andhra Pradesh. But in the recent years the situation is improving and the district is striving hard to enhance infrastructural facilities which would guarantee higher quality of education.
Tourism in Kurnool District
As far as tourism in Kurnool is concerned it is a simple place with a few interesting places which attracts tourists to the district. Some of the important temples of the district are Raghavendra Swamy Temple, Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Lord Siva Temple, Narasimhaswamy Temple, Lord Mahanandeeswara and Mahayogi Lakshmamma Avva Temple. Some of the other attractions in the district of Kurnool are the ruins of the royal fort belonging to the kings of Vijaynagar, the Kondareddy Buruz and the Summer Palace of the Rulers of Kurnool.
Hence it can be said that the district of Kurnool is a simple one which has its own glory and is known for the royal heritage of Nawabs.
