Andhra Pradesh

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Andhra Pradesh
ఆంధ్రధ్రదేశ్
‫آندھرا پردیش‬

— State —

Lepakshi Nandi (bull) - Historical Landmark of

the State

Seal
 Location of Andhra Pradesh in India

Map of Andhra Pradesh

Coordinates (Hyderabad): 17.366°N
78.476°ECoordinates: 17.366°N 78.476°E

Country India
Established 1 November 1956 (55 years ago)
Capital Hyderabad
Largest city Hyderabad
Districts 23 total
Government
– Body Government of
India,Government of Andhra
 Pradesh
– Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan
– N. Kiran Kumar Reddy (INC)
Chief Minister
– Legislature Bicameral (294 + 90 seats)
– Deputy Chief Damodar Raja Narasimha
Minister
– High Court Andhra Pradesh High Court
Area†
– Total 275,045 km2 (106,195.5 sq mi)
Area rank 4th
Population (2011)[1]
– Total 84,655,533
– Rank 5th
– Density 307.8/km2 (797.2/sq mi)
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code IN-AP
HDI 0.572 (medium)
HDI rank 20th (2005)
Literacy 67.77% (2011)
Official Telugu,[2] Urdu[3]
language
Website ap.gov.in

Andhra Pradesh (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ధ్రదేశ్, Urdu: ‫آندھرا پردیش‬, [aːnd̪ʱrə prəd̪eːʃ] ( listen)), is
one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest
state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population
isHyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third among all
states in India.[4] The State has the second-longest coastline of 972 km (604 mi) among all the
States in India.[5] The primary official language of Andhra Pradesh is Telugu and Urdu is the
secondary official language in some places,[2] while other languages spoken in Andhra Pradesh
are Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Oriya. 10281 persons declare English as their first language
in Andhra Pradesh according to the 2001 census.[6]

Andhra Pradesh lies between 12°41' and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40'E longitude, and is
bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the
East, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west. Andhra Pradesh is historically called
 the "Rice Bowl of India". More than 77% of its crop is rice; Andhra Pradesh produced
17,796,000 tonnes of rice in 2006.[7] Two major rivers, the Godavari and theKrishna, run across
the state. The small enclave (30 square kilometres (12 sq mi)) ofYanam, a district of Puducherry,
lies in the Godavari Delta in the northeast of the state.

On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganization Act formed Andhra Pradesh by merging
Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State and the already existing Andhra State .[8]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Early History
 2 Early modern history
 3 Geography and climate
 4 Demographics
o 4.1 Religions
 5 Economy
o 5.1 Information technology and other key sectors
 6 Administration
 7 Tourism
o 7.1 Religious Tourism
 7.1.1 Other temples and piligrimage sites in Andhra Pradesh
 8 Culture
o 8.1 Cuisine
o 8.2 Dance
o 8.3 Literature
o 8.4 Cinema
o 8.5 Music
 9 Sports
 10 Education and Research
 11 Transport
o 11.1 By road
o 11.2 By rail
o 11.3 By air
o 11.4 By sea
 12 Newspapers and journals
o 12.1 In Telugu
o 12.2 In Urdu
o 12.3 Newspapers from other states
 13 See also
 14 References
 15 External links

[edit]Early History

Main article: History of Andhra Pradesh

Kondaveedu

Kakatiya sculpture atWarangal

A pillar at Ahobilamtemple in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh

Rock-cut Lord --Buddha-- Statue at Bojjanakonda nearAnakapalle,Visakhapatnam

An Andhra tribe was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such asAitareya Brahmana (800 BCE)
and Mahabharata (400 BCE).[9]The Natya Shastra written by Bharatha (1st century BCE) also
mentions the Andhra people.[10] The roots of the Telugu languagehave been seen on inscriptions
found near the Guntur district[11]and from others dating to the rule of Renati Cholas in the 5th
century CE.[12]

Megasthenes, a Greek traveller and geographer who visited the Court of Chandragupta
Maurya (322–297 BCE), mentioned that the region had three fortified towns and an army of
100,000 infantry, 200 cavalry, and 1,000 elephants. Buddhist books reveal that Andhras
established their huts or tents near the Godavari River at that time.[13]

Inscriptional evidence shows that there was an early kingdom incoastal Andhra (Guntur District)
ruled first by Kuberaka and then by his son Varun, with Pratipalapura (Bhattiprolu) as the
capital. Around the same time, Dhanyakatakam/Dharanikota (present dayAmaravati) appears to
have been an important place, which was visited by Gautama Buddha. According to the
ancient Tibetanscholar Taranatha: "On the full moon of the month Chaitra in the year following
his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, the Buddha emanated the mandala of 'The
Glorious Lunar Mansions' (Kalachakra)".[14][15]

Literary evidence shows that long before Satavahanas, a legendary king named Andhra
Vishnu ruled in and around theDiviseema region of Andhra Pradesh. After his reign, people
came to believe that he had an amsa of the divine savior Lord Maha Vishnu himself. Perhaps in
his honor, people dedicated a new temple now located at Srikaku?am, Krishna District. The lord
of the temple is known as Andhra Vi?h?u or Srikaku?andhra Vi?h?u. The Mauryans extended
their rule over Andhra in the 4th century BC. With the fall of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd
century BC, the Satavahanas became independent. After the decline of the Satavahanas in 220
CE, the Ikshvaku dynasty, Pallavas, Ananda Gotrikas, Rashtrakutas, Vishnukundinas, Eastern
Chalukyas, and Cholas ruled the land.[16]

During this period, Telugu emerged as a popular language,

supplanting Prakrit and Sanskrit.[17] Telugu was made the official language by
the Vishnukundina kings (5th and 6th centuries), who ruled from their capital city of Vengi.
Eastern Chalukyas ruled for a long period after the decline of Vishnukundinas; their capital was
also Vengi. As early as the 1st century CE, Chalukyas were mentioned as being vassals and
chieftains under the Satavahanas and later under the Ikshvakus. The Chalukya ruler Rajaraja
Narendra ruled Rajahmundry around 1022 CE.[18]
The battle of Palnadu (1182) resulted in the weakening of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty and led
to the emergence of the Kakatiya dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Kakatiyas were
at first vassals of the Rashtrakutas, and ruled over a small territory near Warangal. Eventually all
the Telugu lands were united by the Kakatiyas. In 1323 CE, Delhi Sultan Ghiyath al-Din
Tughluq sent a large army under Ulugh Khan to conquer the Telugu country and captured
Warangal. King Prataparudra was taken prisoner. Musunuri Nayaks recaptured Warangal from
the Delhi Sultanate in 1326 CE and ruled for fifty years.

State language Telugu (తెలుగు)

State symbol Poorna kumbham (పూర్ ణకంభం)

State song Maa Telugu Thalliki (మా తెలుగు తల్లకి

ి మల్ల ి పూదండ)
by Sri Sankarambadi Sundaraachari

State animal Black Buck (కృష్ ణ జంక)

State bird Indian Roller (పాల పిట్)ట

State tree Neem (వేర)

State sport Kabaddi (చెడుగుడు)

State dance Kuchipudi (కూచిపూడి)

State flower Water lily (కలువ పువ్వు )

Inspired by their success, the Vijayanagara Empire, one of the greatest empires in the history of
Andhra Pradesh and India, was founded by Harihara and Bukka, who served as treasury officers
of the Kakatiyas of Warangal.[19] In 1347 CE, an independent Muslim state, the Bahmani
Sultanate, was established in south Indiaby Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah in a revolt against the
Delhi Sultanate. The Qutb Shahi dynasty held sway over the Andhra country for about two
hundred years from the early part of the 16th century to the end of the 17th century.[20]
Although Hyderabad was founded less than 500 years ago, archaeologists have unearthed Iron
Age sites near the city that could date back to 500 BC. Approximately over 1000 years ago this
region was ruled by Kakatiyas until 1310 AD, and fell under Delhi sultanate from (1310–1345),
when the central sultanate became weak the Bahmani Sultan revolted against the Sultan of Delhi
Muhammad bin Tughluq and established an independent state in Deccan within the Delhi
Sultanates southern provinces and ruled until 1518 AD. Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, governor of
golconda, declared Independence from Bahmani Dynasty, and announced himself a sultan of
golconda in the year 1518 AD, and founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty.[21]

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (the ruling family of the
Golconda Sultanate, previously a feudatory of Bahmani sultanate that declared independence in
1512) founded the city of Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591[20] to relieve a
water shortage the dynasty had experienced at its old headquarters at Golconda city(11
kilometers west of Hyderabad city on the other side of Musi). He also ordered the construction of
the Charminar. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured kingdom of Golconda including the
city of Hyderabad in 1687 and, during this short Mughal rule, Mughal-appointed governors of
the city soon gained autonomy.[22]

In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who was granted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk ("Governor of the country") by the
Mughal emperor, defeated a rival official to establish control over kingdom of Golconda
renamed it as Hyderabad state. Thus began the Asaf Jahi dynasty that ruled Hyderabad State
until a year after India's independence from Britain. Asaf Jah's successors ruled as the Nizams of
Hyderabad. The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad city both culturally and
economically. Hyderabad city became the formal capital of the kingdom (Hyderabad state) and
Golkonda city was almost abandoned. Huge reservoirs, like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabhadra,
Osman Sagar, and Himayat Sagar, were built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun
during this time; the actual work was completed by the Government of India in 1969. The wealth
and grandeur of the Nizams is demonstrated by the fabled Jewels of The Nizams, which is a
tourist attraction. The state was the richest and the largest among the princely states of India. The
land area of the state was 90,543 mi²; its population in 1901 was 50,073,759. It enjoyed an
estimated revenue of £90,029,000.[23][24]
Charminar at Hyderabad

[edit]Early modern history

Vizag skyline

See also: Andhra State, Vishalandhra Movement, and Telangana Rebellion

In Colonial India, Northern Circars became part of the BritishMadras Presidency. Eventually this
region emerged as the Coastal Andhra region. Later the Nizam rulers of Hyderabad ceded five
territories to the British which eventually emerged as Rayalaseemaregion. The Nizams retained
control of the interior provinces as theprincely state of Hyderabad, acknowledging British rule in
return for local autonomy. However, Komaram Bheem, a tribal leader, started his fight against
the erstwhile Asaf Jahi Dynasty for the liberation ofHyderabad State.[25] Meanwhile,
the French occupied Yanam, in the Godavari delta, and (save for periods of British control)
would hold it until 1954. India became independentfrom the United Kingdom in 1947. The
Nizam wanted to retain the independence of the Princely Hyderabad State from India, but the
people of the region launched a movement to join the Indian Union. The state of Hyderabad was
forcibly joined to the Republic of India with Operation Polo in 1948.[26]
In an effort to gain an independent state based on the linguistic and protect the interests of the
Andhra (Telugu-speaking) people of Madras State, Potti Sreeramulu fasted until death in 1952.
After his death, Andhra attained statehood on 1 November 1953, with Kurnool as its capital.[27]

On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganization Act merged the Telugu-speaking areas of the
former Hyderabad state with the Telugu-speaking areas of the former Madras state to form the
state of Vishalandhra, which is named as Andhra Pradesh. The city of Hyderabad, the former
capital of the Hyderabad State, was made the capital of the new state.

There were several movements to disintegrate Andhra Pradesh into two states viz. Andhra
and Telengana in the late 1960 which are continuing till date.

On 9 December 2009, it was announced that a separation proposal for Telangana would be
introduced to the state assembly.[28] Controversy arose as to the future status of Hyderabad City,
part of one of the ten districts of Telangana region.[29] This move was opposed by protesters from
Kosta and Rayalaseema regions. On 23 December 2009, the government decided to put the
decision of bifurcating the state on hold until a consensus is achieved among the different
political parties.

This agitated supporters of a separate Telangana state.[30] On 5 January 2010, the Central
Government represented by Home Minister P Chidambaram conducted a meeting by inviting all
the recognised political parties of AP and recorded their stand on the issue. The Government of
India appointed a committee, headed by B. N. Srikrishna, to guide the central government to
settle the issue of Telangana amicably.[31] The committee submitted its report on 30 December
2010, a day before its term was to expire.[32]

[edit]Geography and climate

The Mouth of the Godavari River (East) emptying into the Bay of Bengal
Greater Flamingoes(Phoenicopterus roseus) taking off Pocharam lake

Aerial view ofVisakhapatnam port

Ethipothala Falls

Geographically, Andhra Pradesh is composed of most of the eastern half of theDeccan

plateau and the plains to the east of the Eastern Ghats. Andhra Pradesh is divided into three
regions. The northern part of the plateau is theTelangana region and the southern part is known
as Rayalaseema. These two regions are separated by the River Krishna. The third region
is Coastal Andhra.[33] The plains to the east of Eastern Ghats form the Eastern coastal plains. The
Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and individual sections have local names. The Kadapa
Basin[34] formed by two arching branches of the Eastern Ghats is a mineral rich area. The coastal
plains are for the most part delta regions formed by the Godavari, Krishna, and Penner rivers.
The Eastern Ghats are a major dividing line in the state's geography. The Ghats become more
pronounced towards the south and extreme north of the coast. The Eastern Ghat region is home
to dense tropical forests, while the vegetation becomes sparse as the Ghats give way to the
Deccan Plateau, where shrub vegetation is more common. Most of the coastal plains are put to
intense agricultural use. The west and southwest parts of Andhra Pradesh have semi-arid
conditions.
Indian Space Research Organisation's Satish Dhawan Space Centre is located at the Barrier
Island ofSriharikota, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

The climate of Andhra Pradesh varies considerably, depending on the geographical region.
Monsoons play a major role in determining the climate of the state. Summers last from March to
June. In the coastal plain, the summer temperatures are generally higher than the rest of the state,
with temperature ranging between 20 °C and 41 °C.[35]

July to September is the seasons for tropical rains in Andhra Pradesh. The state receives heavy
rainfall from Southwest Monsoon during these months. About one third of the total rainfall in
Andhra Pradesh is brought by the Northeast Monsoon. October and November see low-pressure
systems and tropical cyclones form in the Bay of Bengal which, along with the Northeast
Monsoon, bring rains to the southern and coastal regions of the state. November, December,
January, and February are the winter months in Andhra Pradesh. Since the state has a long
coastal belt the winters are not very cold. The range of winter temperature is generally 12 °C to
30 °C.[35]

Hyderabad is the capital and, along with the adjoining twin city Secunderabad, is the largest city
in the state.Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh's main seaport, is the second largest city and is
home to the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command. Due to its location and proximity to major
rail and road routes, Vijayawada is a major trading center and is the third largest city of the
state,Guntur is the fourth largest city of the state, followed
by Warangal, Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Kakinada. Other important places of the state
are Nellore, Srikakulam,Kurnool, and Kadapa.

[edit]Demographics

[hide]Population Trend

Census Pop. %±

1961 35,983,000 —

1971 43,503,000 20.9%

1981 53,550,000 23.1%

1991 66,508,000 24.2%

 2001 75,727,000 13.9%

2011 84,655,533 11.8%

Source:Census of India[36]

Languages of Andhra Pradesh in 2001[37]

Telugu (84.77%)
Urdu (8.36%)
Hindi (2.77%)
Tamil (1.13%)

Telugu is the official language of the state, spoken by 83% of the population. Major linguistic
minority groups include Urdu (8.63%), Hindi(3.23%), and Tamil (1.01%).

Other languages spoken in Andhra Pradesh by less than 1% each

areMarathi (0.8%), Kannada(0.74%), and Oriya (0.44%). Languages spoken by less than 0.2% of
the population
include Malayalam (0.08%), Gujarati(0.06%), Bengali (0.05%), Gorkhali/Nepali (0.03%), Punja
bi (0.01%) andSindhi(0.01%).[38]

The main ethnic group of Andhra Pradesh is the Telugu people, who are primarily Dravidians.

Andhra Pradesh ranks tenth compared to all Indian States in the Human Development Index
scores[39]with a score of 0.416.
The National Council of Applied Economic Research district analysis in 2001 reveals
that Khammam,Krishna, West Godavari, Chittoor, and Medak are the five districts with the
highest Human Development Indexscores in ascending order in rural AP. The data show that the
poor make up 16.3 per cent of the total population in rural AP and expenditure on consumption is
around 13.5 per cent of the total consumption expenditure. The female literacy rate is 0.66
compared to male literacy rate in rural AP. The district-wise variations for poverty ratio are high
and low for the ratio of female/male literacy rate.[40]

[edit]Religions
The state is home to Hindu saints of all castes. An important figure is Saint Yogi Sri Potuluri
Virabrahmendra Swami. He was born in theVishwabrahmin (goldsmith) caste and
had Brahmin and Dalit disciples.[41] Fisherman Raghu was a Shudra saint.[42] Saint Kakkayya
was achura (sweeper) Harijan saint.
Religion in Andhra Pradesh
Percent
Hinduism   89.01%
Islam   9.16%
Christianity   1.7%
Jainism 0.05%
Sikhism 0.04%
Others 0.17%
Several important Hindu modern-day saints are from Andhra Pradesh. These includeNimbarka,
who founded Dvaitadvaita; Mother Meera, who runs an ashram in Madanapalle;Sri Sathya Sai
Baba, Sri Sivabala Yogi Maharaj who advocates religious unity in worship; Swami Sundara
Chaitanyanandaji of the Aurobindo Mission; and Brahmarshi Subhash Patri, founder of the
pyramid spiritual societies movement.[citation needed]Islam in Hyderabad, with historical patronizing
by the rulers, has a strong Sufi influence, with various moments active in the last two decades.
Hyderabad has also produced many renowned religious scholars of representing different Islamic
sects and trends, including Abul Ala Maududi, Turab-ul-Haq Qadri, and Allamah Rasheed
Turabi.[43] Most Telugu Christians are Protestant belonging to major Indian Protestant
denominations such as the Church of South India, the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church, the
Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches and several others.


Tirumala Gopurams Temple

Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad

The Church of South IndiaCathedral at Medak

[edit]Economy

Main article: Economy of Andhra Pradesh

GDP by year

Year State GDP ( MM)

1980 81,910

1985 152,660

1990 333,360

1995 798,540
2000 1,401,190

2007 2,294,610

Andhra Pradesh's GSDP for 2010 was estimated at $100.35 billion in current prices. The state
ranks third in terms of overall Gross State Product among all the states of the Indian Union.[44] In
terms of per capita GSDP the state compares very favorably with other large states. In the 2010
list by Forbes Magazine, there are Seven from Andhra Pradesh among the top 100 richest
Indians.[citation needed]

Coconut fields in East Godavari

Srisailam Dam - Hydro Electric Power Source

Agriculture has been the chief source of income for the state's economy. Andhra Pradesh is an
exporter of many agricultural products. Four important rivers of India,
the Godavari, Krishna, Penna, and Thungabhadra flow through the state, providing irrigation.
Rice, sugarcane, cotton, Chili pepper, mango, and tobacco are the local crops. Recently, crops
used for vegetable oilproduction such as sunflower and peanuts have gained favour. There are
many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation
Projects and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.[45][46]
The service sector of the state accounts for 43% of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) and
employs 20% of the work force.[46]Andhra Pradesh economy has registered over 5.5% annual
economic growth rate during the last two decades.[citation needed] The state is one of the most
industrially developed states of India.[citation needed]

Andhra Pradesh ranks second in India in terms of mineral wealth. The state has about one third
of India'slimestone reserves, estimated at about 30 billion tonnes. The Tumalappalli Uranium
mine in Andhra has confirmed 49,000 tonnes of ore and there are indications that it could hold
reserves totalling three times its current size, The Times of India quoted Srikumar Banerjee as
saying. The mine's proven reserve is enough to support a 8,000 mega watts nuclear power plant
for 40 years, the report added. The Krishna Godavari Basin has huge reserves of natural gas and
petroleum. The state has a large amount of coal reserves.[46] The state ranks first nationwide
in hydro electricity generation, with a national market share of over 11%. Andhra Pradesh has
the second largest power generating utility in the country, with an installed capacity of around
10,650 MW. The two cheapest sources of thermal power generation – coal and natural gas – are
in abundance.[citation needed]

[edit]Information technology and other key sectors

Cyber Towers at Hyderabad

The Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly at the centre of Hyderabad City.

Main article: Software industry in Andhra Pradesh

In 2004–2005, Andhra Pradesh was at the second position[citation needed] in the list of
top information technology exporting states of India. The IT sector is expanding at a rate of
52.3% every year. The IT exports reached 19,000 crores ($4.5 billion) in 2006–2007,
contributed to 14 per cent of total IT exports of the nation and ranked fourth in India.[47] Other
key sectors include, Biopharmaceuticals, Power, Automobile, Tourism, Textiles, Retail, Leather,
Mining and Religious tourism.

[edit]Administration

Main articles: Government of Andhra Pradesh, Politics of Andhra Pradesh, and List of Chief
Ministers of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has a Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly, lower house) of 294 seats, and
a Vidhan Parishad (legislative council, upper house) of 90 members. 31 members are elected
from local bodies, 31 members are elected from the assembly, eight members are elected from
teachers, eight members are elected from graduates, and 12 members are nominated by the
Governor. In the Parliament of IndiaAndhra Pradesh has 18 in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper
House, and 42 in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House.[48][49]

Andhra Pradesh had a series of governments headed by Indian National Congress (INC) Party
until 1982.N. Chandrababu Naidu held the record for the longest serving chief minister (1995 to
2004). P. V. Narasimha Rao served as the chief minister of the state from 1971 to 1973, and went
on to become the Prime Minister of India in 1991. The first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
was Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, who later served as President of India. The Congress Chief
Ministers of the state are Damodaram Sanjivayya, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, P. V. Narasimha
Rao, Jalagam Vengala Rao, Marri Chenna Reddy, Tanguturi Anjaiah, Bhavanam Venkatarami
Reddy, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, Nedurumalli Janardhana
Reddy, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Konijeti Rosaiah and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Andhra Pradesh High Court at Hyderabad, the main judicial body for the State
[citation needed]

Until 1962, the CPI, along with socialist parties, played an important role as opposition parties.
Parties namely Praja Socialist Party and Krishi Lok Party played important role in 1950's. In the
1967 state assembly elections all socialist parties were eliminated and CPI lost opposition party
status. N.G. Ranga's Swatantra Party became the Opposition Party. They also failed to hold
control later and became defunct. In 1978 Jalagam Vengal Rao and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy
formed the Reddy Congress and contested against Congress (I) but lost.

In 1983 the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won the State elections and N.T. Rama Rao(NTR)
became the chief minister of the state for the first time. This broke the long time single party
monopoly enjoyed by the INC from 1956 until 1982. A few months after the election, Nadendla
Bhaskara Rao usurped power when NTR was away in the United States for medical treatment.
After coming back, NTR campaigned for a comeback by demonstrating the support of the
majority of the elected MLAs. The governor Thakur Ram Lal was ousted by Indira Gandhi and
in his place she appointedShankar Dayal Sharma. NTR was reinstated as Chief Minister. Within
a month NTR recommended the dissolution of the assembly and called for fresh elections.
Gandhi was assassinated on 31 October 1984 by her Sikh bodyguard and Rajiv Gandhi was
made Prime Minister by President Giani Zail Singh. In the ensuing elections for Lok Sabha and
the AP Assembly, the Telugu Desam Party won in Andhra Pradesh and NTR came back to
power.

The 1989 elections ended the rule of NTR, with the INC party returning to power with Marri
Chenna Reddy at the helm. He was replaced byJanardhan Reddy in 1990, who was replaced
by Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy in 1992. In 1994, Andhra Pradesh gave a mandate to the
Telugu Desam Party again, and NTR became the chief minister again. Nara Chandrababu Naidu,
the son-in-law of NTR, usurped power with the backing of a majority of the MLAs. The Telugu
Desam Party won both the assembly and Lok Sabha election in 1999 under the leadership
of Chandrababu Naidu. There was an assassination attempt on Naidu in 2003 in Tirupathi; he
survived the attack. In the ensuing elections the party lost power to a resurgent Congress Party
and its allies. Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy became the Chief Minister.

Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy became the CM again by fending off the Praja Rajyam Party and a
major alliance of TDP, TRS, CPI and CPM. He died on 2 September 2009 in a helicopter
crash. Konijeti Rosaiah, a senior statesman and former State Finance Minister, became the Chief
Minister of AP on 3 September 2009. On 24 November 2010, Rosaiah submitted his resignation
on the grounds of increased work pressure.Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy Reddy was sworn in as
the new CM on the following day.[50]

[edit]Tourism
Belum Caves

Rishikonda beach

Borra Caves (stalagmites and stalactites)

Andhra Pradesh is promoted by its tourism department as the "Koh-i-Noor of India."

Andhra Pradesh is the home of many religious pilgrim centres. Tirumala Venkateswara
Temple in Tirupati, the abode of Hindu god Venkateswara, is most visited religious center of any
faith in the world.[citation needed]Srisailam, nestled in the Nallamala Hills is the abode
of Mallikarjuna and is one of twelve Jyothirlingas in India. Amaravati's Shiva temple is one of
the Pancharamams, as is Yadagirigutta, the abode of an avatara of Vishnu, Lakshmi Narasimha.
The Ramappa temple and Thousand Pillars temple in Warangal are famous for their temple
carvings. The state has numerous Buddhist centres at Amaravati, Nagarjuna
Konda, Bhattiprolu,Ghantasala, Nelakondapalli, Dhulikatta, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda,
Shalihundam, Pavuralakonda,Bojjannakonda(Sankaram), Phanigiri and
Kolanpaka.[51] The Vijayanagara Empire built number of monuments, including
the Srisailam temple and Lepakshi temples.

Araku Valley

North View of Bhimilibeach

The golden beaches at Visakhapatnam, the one-million-year-old limestone caves at Borra,

picturesque Araku Valley, hill resorts of Horsley Hills, river Godavari racing through a narrow
gorge at Papi Kondalu, waterfalls at Ettipotala, Kuntala and rich bio-diversity at Talakona are
some of the natural attractions of the state.Kailashagiri is a park near the sea in Visakhapatnam.
Visakhapatnam is home to other tourist attactions such as the INS Kursura S20 Submarine
museum (the only one of its kind in India), the longest beach road in India, Yarada Beach, Araku
Valley, and Indira Gandhi Zoological Gardens.

The Borra Caves are located in the Anatagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats, near Vishakapatnam.
They are at an altitude of about 800 to 1300 metres and are famous for million-year-old stalactite
and stalagmite formations. They were discovered by British geologist William King George in
1807. The caves get their name from a formation inside the caves that looks like the human
brain, which in the local language, Telugu, is known asburra. The Belum caves were formed due
to erosion in limestone deposits in the area by the weakly acidic water of the Chitravati River
millions of years ago.

The Papi Hills are located in Khammam district, near Bhadrachalam. Boat cruises are available
on the river Godavari.
The Belum Caves in Kurnool District have a length of 3,229 metres (10,594 ft), making them the
second largest natural caves on the Indian subcontinent. The Belum Caves derive their name
from Bilum, the Sanskrit word for caves. In Telugu, the caves are known as Belum Guhalu. The
caves have long passages, spacious chambers, freshwater galleries, and siphons. The caves'
deepest point is 120 feet (37 m) from the entrance and is known asPatalganaga.

Horsley Hills, elevation 1,265 metres (4,150 ft), is a summer hill resort in Andhra Pradesh, about
160 km (99 mi) from Bangalore and144 km (89 mi) from Tirupati. The town of Madanapalle lies
nearby. Major tourist attractions include the Mallamma temple and the Rishi Valley School.
Horsely Hills is the departure point for the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary at a distance of 87 km
(54 mi).

Nirmal is famous for its handicrafts and paintings. Kuntala waterfall, at 45 metres (148 ft), is the
biggest in the state. Charminar, Golconda Fort, Chandragiri Fort, Chowmahalla Palace,
and Falaknuma Palace are some of the monuments in the state.

Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada in Krishna district, Venkateswara Temple in Dwaraka

Tirumala, West Godavari District, and Surya temple in Arasavelli in Srikakulam District are also
places to see in Andhra Pradesh.

The Annavaram Satayannarayana Swami temple is in East Godavari,

near Kakinada.Konaseema is another place in East Godavari for nature lovers with scenic
greenery of lush paddy fields and coconut groves. All along the banks of river Godavari and its
canals.

[edit]Religious Tourism

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, an important pilgrimage site inTirupati

Birla Mandir Hindu temple

Diguva Mangalagiri Temple

Durga Temple in Vijayawada

Ramappa Temple

Malluru Ugra Narasimha Swamy Temple at Mangapet of Warangal District Andhra

Pradesh, India

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in the town of Tirumala in Chittoordistrict is a very important

pilgrimage site for Hindus throughout India. It is the richest piligrimage city of any religious
faith in the world.[52]Its main temple is dedicated to the god Venkateswara. In 1517 Vijayanagara
ruler Sri Krishna Deva Raya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels,
enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. Statues of Sri Krishna Deva Raya and
his spouse stand in the premises of the temple.
The five ancient Hindu temples of Lord Shiva, known as Pancharama Kshetras, are located at -
Amararama, Draksharama, Somarama,Ksheerarama and Kumararama. The Sivalingas at
these temples are made from a single Sivalinga.

Simhachalam is another popular pilgrimage site of national importance located on a hill 20

kilometres (12 mi) north of the Visakhapatnam city centre. Simhachalam is said to be the abode
of the savior-godNarasimha, who rescued Prahlada from his abusive father Hiranyakashipu. One
of the most exquisitely sculpted shrines of Andhra Pradesh, it has a beautifully carved 16-
pillared Natya mantapa and a 96-pillared Kalyana mantapa. The temple was built in 11th
century by Kullotunga chola. Engaged couples go to this temple as a ritual just before marriage.
It is one of the most crowded temples of Andhra Pradesh.[citation needed]

Srisailam temple in Kurnool district is a very famous Shiva temple, and is one of the
twelve Jyotirlingashrines. Lord Ramahimself installed the Sahasralinga, while
the Pandavas lodged the Panchapandavalingas in the temple courtyard. The Skanda Purana, an
ancient religious text, has a chapter called "Srisaila Kandam" dedicated to this temple, which
points to its ancient origin. It is said that Adi Shankara(c. 788–821 CE) visited this temple at the
time that he composed his Sivananda Lahiri. Srisailam is located in Kurnool district.[citation needed]

Bhadrachalam Temple is a temple to Lord Rama in the town of Bhadrachalam in Khammam

district. It is situated on the banks of the river Godavari. This is the place where Kancherla
Gopanna (1620–1680) wrote his devotional songs dedicated to lord Rama. It was believed that
lord Rama spent some years on the banks of river Godavari here in Treta Yuga. Kancherla
Gopanna raised the funds and constructed the temple during the reign of Tanisha in the 17th
century. Sri Rama Navami, a celebration of the Marriage of Lord Rama and sita, is celebrated
here every year. Government of Andhra Pradesh sends pearls for the event.[citation needed]

Kanaka Durga Temple is a temple to the goddess Durga situated on the Indrakeeladri Hill in the
city ofVijayawada on the banks of Krishna River. Special pujas are performed during Dasara,
also calledNavratri. The most significant are Saraswati puja and Theppotsavam. The festival of
Dasara for the Goddess Durga is celebrated there every year. A large number of pilgrims attend
the colourful celebrations and take a holy dip in the Krishna River.[citation needed]

[edit]Other temples and piligrimage sites in Andhra Pradesh

 Gnana Saraswati Temple, Basar is a temple to the goddess Saraswati, goddess of

education. Basaris located in Adilabad district 50 kilometers from Nirmal.
 Yaganti Caves and Mahanandi are pilgrimage centres in Kurnool District.
 Kailasagiri Temple Hill, in Visakhapatnam.
 Birla Mandir, in Hyderabad.
 Sanghi Temple, at Hayathnagar, in Hyderabad.
 Chilkur Balaji Temple, on the banks of Osman Sagar Lake.
 Ramappa Temple, constructed in 1213, is located 77 km from Warangal.
 Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad.
 There is a statue of Buddha that was erected in 1992 on the Hussain Sagar Lake in
Hyderabad.
 Srikalahasti Temple is an ancient Shiva temple located on the banks of
river Swarnamukhi in Chittoordistrict.
 Satyanarayana Swamy temple in Annavaram in East Godavari district.
 Vemulavada in Karimnagar district is another popular place of pilgrimage. It is best known
for the Sri Raja Rajeshwara temple.
 Venkateswara Temple in Chinna Tirupathi(Dwaraka Tirumala) near
to Tadepalligudem and Eluru.
 Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi in Ananthapur district.
 Sri Viswa Viznana Vidya Adhyatmika Peetham is a theosophical congregation based on the
principles of oneness of God, and discovering divinity in the self. The ashram is situated
in Pithapuram, East Godavari district.
[edit]Culture

Bapu's paintings, Nanduri Venkata Subba Rao's Yenki Paatalu (Songs about a washerwoman
called Yenki), mischievous Budugu (a character
by Mullapudi), Annamayya's songs, Aavakaaya (a variant of mango pickle in which the kernel of
mango is retained), Gongura (achutney from Roselle plant), Atla Taddi (a seasonal festival
predominantly for teenage girls), the banks of river Godavari, and the Dudu basavanna (the
ceremonial ox decorated for door-to-door exhibition during the harvest festival Sankranthi) have
long defined Telugu culture. The village of Durgi is known for stone craft, producing carvings
of idols in soft stone that must be exhibited in the shade because they are prone to
weathering.[citation needed] Kalamkari is an ancient textile art form dating back to the Indus Valley
Civilization. Andhra Pradesh is famous for doll making. Dolls are made from wood, mud, dry
grass, and lightweight metal alloys. Tirupathi is famous for redwood carvings.Kondapalli is
famous for mud toys with rich colors. The village of Etikoppaka, located in Visakhapatnam
district, produces lacquered toys. Nirmal paintings are expressive and are usually painted over a
black background. Story telling in Andhra Pradesh is an art form in itself. Folk dances unique to
Andhra Pradesh include Yaksha ganam, Burra katha (usually done by three people, telling
stories using three different musical instruments), Jangama kathalu, Hari kathalu, Chekka
bajana, Urumula natyam (usually done at festivals, where a group of people dance in circles
with loud music), and Ghata natyam (performances done with earthen pots over one's
head).[citation needed]

Andhra Pradesh has many museums, the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, which features a
varied collection of sculptures, paintings, and religious artifacts, including the Archaeological
Museum[53] at Amaravati near Guntur City that features relics of nearby ancient sites, and
theVisakha Museum, in Visakhapatnam, which displays the history of the pre-Independence and
thotla konda which depicts the age old budhist stupa's and cultural style, Madras Presidency in a
rehabilitated Dutch bungalow.[54] Victoria Jubilee Museum in Vijayawada has a good collection
of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery and inscriptions. Other ancient sites
include dozens of ancient Buddhist stupas in Nagarjunakonda which is now an island
in Nagarjuna Sagar, an artificial lake that formed after the construction of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.
The Island has a large museum that houses many Buddhist relics.[55]

Just like in other parts of the country, many festivals are celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, which
include - Ugadi, Sankranthi, Dasara,Varalakshmi Vratham, Vinayaka
Chavithi, Deepavali, Batukamma, Rakhi poornima, Christmas, Sri Rama Navami, Bonalu, Maha
Shivaratri,Nagula Chaviti, Holi, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Muharram, Milad-un-Nabi etc.

[edit]Cuisine

Hyderabad biryani served with other Indian dishes

Uggani bajji - typical snack of Rayalaseema

Main article: Andhra cuisine

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is one of the spiciest of all Indian cuisines. There are many
variations to the cuisine (all involving rice) depending on geographical regions, caste, and
traditions. Pickles and chutneys, called thoku also called as pachadi in Telugu, are particularly
popular in Andhra Pradesh and many varieties of pickles and chutneys are unique to the State.
Chutneys are made from practically every vegetable including tomatoes, brinjals (eggplant),
and roselle (Gongura).Avaakaya (mango) is probably the best known of the Andhra Pradesh
pickles. Rice is the staple food and is used in a wide variety of ways. Typically, rice is either
boiled and eaten with curry, or made into a batter for use in a crepe-like dish
called attu (pesarattu is made of a mixture of this batter and mung beans) or dosas, a crepe filled
with black beans or lentils.[citation needed]

Meat, vegetables and greens are prepared with different spices (masala) into a variety of strongly
flavored dishes such as Hyderabadi Biryani, fish curry, brinjal curry, and Gongura pachadi the
most popular dish of andhra pradesh.An Andhra dish is recognized with the dish being listed in
the menu. The coastal region is even more well versed with the varieties in sea food specially
known for "Chapala Pulusu", "Bommidala pulusu", "Koramenu kura". Especially Hyderabadi
cuisine is influenced by the Muslims who arrived in Telangana in the 14th century. Much of the
cuisine revolves around meat. It is rich and aromatic, with a liberal use of exotic spices
and ghee (clarified butter). Lamb, chicken, and fish are the most widely used meats in the non-
vegetarian dishes. Biriyani is perhaps the most distinctive and popular dish of Hyderabadi
cuisine.[citation needed]

[edit]Dance
Classical dance in Andhra can be performed by both men and women; women tend to learn it
more often.Kuchipudi is the state's best-known classical dance form. The various dance forms
that existed through the state's history are Bonalu, Dappu, Chenchu
Bhagotham, Kuchipudi, Bhamakalapam, Burrakatha,Veeranatyam, Butta bommalu, Tappeta
Gullu, Lambadi, Dhimsa, Kolattam, and Chindu. Jaanapadam theenmar is a popular folk dance.
Jayapa Senani was the first person to write about the dances prevalent in Andhra
Pradesh.[56] Both Desi and Margi forms of dances are included in his Sanskrit treatise Nrutya
Ratnavali.

Kuchipudi, dance by Yamini Reddy

Kuchipudi Dancer

[edit]Literature
Main article: Telugu literature

Nannayya, Tikkana, and Yerrapragada form the trinity who translated the great Sanskrit
epic Mahabharata into Telugu. Pothana is the poet who composed the classic SriMad Maha
Bhagavatamu, a Telugu translation of Sri Bhagavatham, authored by Veda Vyasa
in Sanskrit.Nannayya (c. 11th century AD), the earliest known Telugu author, was patronized by
the king Rajaraja Narendra who ruled from Rajamahendravaram (now Rajahmundry).
The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada. The Telugu poet Vemana, a
native of Kadapa, is notable for his philosophical poems. Telugu literature after Kandukuri
Veeresalingam (1848–1919) is termed modern literature. Known as Gadya Tikkana, Satyavathi
Charitam was the author Telugu-language social novel, Satyavathi Charitam. Jnanpith
Awardwinners include Sri Viswanatha Satya Narayana and Dr. C. Narayana Reddy. The Andhra
Pradesh native and revolutionary poet Sri Sribrought new forms of expressionism into Telugu
literature.[citation needed]
Other modern writers include Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, the only person nominated from India
for a Nobel prize in literature sinceRabindranath Tagore. The West Bengal Government
conferred on him the title Rashtrendu ("Moon of the Nation"). Telugu University awarded him
an honorary Doctorate in Literature in 1994. He received the Kalidas Samman award from the
Madhya Pradhesh government, and he won the Central Sahitya Akademi fellowship in
1999. Puttaparthi Narayanacharyulu is one of the scholarly poets of Telugu literature. He wrote
the books Sivatandavam and Panduranga Mahatyam. Other notable writers from Andhra
Pradesh include Srirangam Sreenivasarao, Gurram Jashuva, Chinnaya Suri, Viswanatha
Satyanarayana.[citation needed] Dr.vempalli gangadhar,popular telugu story writer.see
web;www.vempalligangadhar.com

[edit]Cinema

A western street replica at Ramoji Film City

Main article: Telugu Cinema

In the early 90's the Telugu film industry, had completely shifted its base
to Hyderabad from Madras. Hyderabad, houses Prasads IMAX theatre which was the biggest 3D
IMAX screen in the world when it was built in 2007.[57]Tollywood is among the, highest number
of film producing industries in India.[58] It is also home to Ramoji Film Citywhich is the world’s
largest integrated film studio complex at over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of land.[59] Prolific film
producer from the state, D. Ramanaidu holds a Guinness Record for the most number of films
produced by a person.[60] Andhra Pradesh has around 5500 cinema halls. The state produces
about 200 films a year. It has around 40% (330 out of 930) of the Dolby Digital theatres in
India.[citation needed]

[edit]Music
Balamuralikrishnaduring a concert in Kuwait on 29 March 2006, accompanied by Mavelikkara
Sathees Chandran (violin), Perunna G. Harikumar (mridangom), Manjoor Unnikrishnan
(ghatam)

Main article: Music of Andhra Pradesh

Many composers of Carnatic music like Annamacharya, Tyagaraja, Kshetrayya, andBhadrachala

Ramadas were of Telugu descent. Modern Carnatic music composers likeGhantasala and Sri M.
Balamuralikrishna are also of Telugu descent. The Telugu film industry hosts many music
composers and playback singers such as S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. Folk songs are popular in the
many rural areas of the state. Forms such as the Burra katha and Poli are still performed
today.[61]

[edit]Sports

The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, is the governing body which looks after the
infrastructure development inCricket, Field hockey, Association Football, Olympic
weightlifting, Chess, Water Sports, Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis, Cycling etc.[citation
needed]
Sports like kho kho, kabaddi, chinni daandu and goli (marbles) are played mostly in coastal
Andhra & Telangana areas.

One of the most popular sports in Andhra pradesh is cricket. The Hyderabad Cricket
Association nurtures potential international players. The Hyderabad cricket team has won
the Ranji Trophy twice. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, regularly
hosts international matches. The Deccan Chargers, an Indian Premier League franchise, is based
in Hyderabad.

Notable cricketers from Andhra Pradesh, include C. K. Nayudu, Maharajkumar of

Vizianagram, M. V. Narasimha Rao, Mohammad Azharuddin, M. S. K. Prasad, V.V.S.
Laxman, Tirumalasetti Suman, Arshad Ayub, Ambati Rayudu, Paul Valthaty, Venkatapathy
Raju,Sravanthi Naidu, Yalaka Venugopal Rao etc.

Other accomplished sports-persons include, A. Ramana Rao, Karnam Malleswari, Pullela

Gopichand, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Sharath Kamal, Chetan Anand (Badminton), Mukesh
Kumar (Hockey), Abdul Najeeb Qureshi, Jwala Gutta, Raman Subbarao, Kamineni Eswara Rao,
etc. Grandmasters in Chess like, Koneru Humpy, Pendyala Harikrishna, Dronavalli Harika and
Gogineni Rohit hail from the state.

[edit]Education and Research

Indian School of Business

Andhra Pradesh is served by more than 20 institutes of higher education. All major arts,
humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, business, and veterinary science are offered,
with first degrees and postgraduate awards available. Advanced research is conducted in all
major areas.[citation needed]

Andhra Pradesh has 1,330 arts, science and commerce colleges; 1,000 MBA and MCAcolleges;
847 engineering colleges; 53 medical colleges, and one Indian Institute of Technology (in
Hyderabad). The student to teacher ratio in higher education is 19:1. According to the 2001
census, Andhra Pradesh has an overall literacy rate of 61.11% (as per Andhra pradesh Govt's
official website). The male literacy rate is 70.3% and the female literacy rate is 67.4%.[citation
needed]

Andhra Pradesh is the home to Osmania University, it is one of the oldest modern universities in
India. It is one of the largest university systems in the subcontinent with over 300,000 students
on its various campuses and affiliated colleges.[62] The Government of Andhra Pradesh has
established Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT)[63] in 2008 to cater
to the educational needs of the gifted rural youth of Andhra Pradesh. The Institute specializes in
teaching and research in Information Technology and other emerging disciplines under the
control of a common university Governing Council and following a common syllabus.

School children in an elementary school in Andhra Pradesh

The state has recently made strides in setting up several institutes. Andhra Pradesh is home to
the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad,[64] Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Hyderabad,[65] International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-
H),[66] National Institute of Technology NIT Warangal,[67]the Nalsar University of Law, Centre
for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Chemical
Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Hyderabad
Campus),University of Hyderabad, School of Planning and Architecture, Rajiv Gandhi
University of Knowledge Technologies[68] and the Indian School of Business (ISB). The
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and The Institute of Hotel Management,
Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition are also located in Hyderabad. Also Georgia
Institute of Technology,[69] is in the process of setting up their campus in Hyderabad.
Apart from this Andhra Pradesh was home to many more top class university's like English and
Foreign Languages University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University,[70] Osmania
University,[71] Andhra University,[72] Nagarjuna University,[73] Kakatiya University,[74] Sri
Venkateswara University,[75] Sri Krishnadevaraya University,[76] Potti Sreeramulu Telugu
University,[77] Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Rayalaseema university,
Kurnool,[78] and private engineering colleges like Vasavi College of Engineering, Chaitanya
Bharathi Institute of Technology, MVSR Engineering College to serve their people across
Andhra Pradesh.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has established the first University of Health Sciences,
fulfilling the recommendations of several committees. The Andhra Pradesh University of Health
Sciences was established by Act.No. 6 of the Andhra Pradesh legislature and was inaugurated in
1986 by the late Sri N.T. Rama Rao, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. After the death of
its founder Sri N.T. Rama Rao the University was named after him as NTR University of Health
Sciences, Andhra Pradesh.

[edit]Transport

[edit]By road
Major road links of Andhra Pradesh

The railroad bridge between Rajahmundry andKovvur

A total of 146,954 km (91,313 mi) of roads are maintained by the State, of which State
Highways comprise 42,511 km (26,415 mi), National Highways 2,949 km (1,832 mi), and
District Roads 101,484 km (63,059 mi). The growth rate for vehicle ownership in Andhra
Pradesh is the highest in the country at 16%.[79]

Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is the major public transport
corporation owned by the government of Andhra Pradesh that connects all the cities and villages.
APSRTC is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest fleet of vehicles
(approximately 21,000), and the longest distance covered daily. Vijayawada is the 2nd largest
Bus-Standing in Asia.[80] Thousands of private operators also run buses connecting major cities
and towns. Private vehicles like cars, motorised scooters, and bicycles occupy a major share of
the local transport in the cities and adjoining villages.

[edit]By rail

The Secunderabad Railway Station, headquarters of theSouth Central Railway

Visakhapatnamseaport
Railways are a major means of transport connecting all major cities and towns. The history of
railways in Andhra Pradesh dates back to the time of Nizam of Hyderabad. This Railway Station
is located in the heart of Telangana Region. Most of Andhra Pradesh falls under the auspices of
the South Central Railway, founded in 1966 with its headquarters at Secunderabad. The East
Coast Railway serves Srikakulam, Vizianagaram District, and part of Visakhapatnam district
including Visakhapatnam City. Vijayawada Railway Station is one of the busiest railway
junctions in India.5th largest Railway station in South.

[edit]By air
Hyderabad International Airport, also known as Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, is the
international airport for the city of Hyderabad. It is the largest airport in the state and one of the
busiest airports nationwide. Other airports in the state are Visakhapatnam Airport, Vijayawada
Airport, Rajahmundry Airport, and Tirupati Airport. The government also has plans to start
airports in eight other
cities: Guntur, Ongole, Nellore, Warangal, Kadapa, Tadepalligudem,Kurnool, Karimnagar, Ram
agundam and Kothagudem.

[edit]By sea
Andhra Pradesh has two of the major ports of India at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada and three
minor ports atKrishnapatnam (Nellore), Machilipatnam, and Nizampatnam (Guntur). A private
port is being developed atGangavaram, near Visakhapatnam. This deep seaport can
accommodate ocean liners up to 200,000–250,000 DWT.

[edit]Newspapers and journals

[edit]In Telugu

 Andhra Bhoomi
 Andhra Jyothy
 Andhra Prabha
 Deccan Chronicle
 Eenadu
 Islamic Voice - Telugu
 Namaste Telangana
 Prajasakti
 Suryaa
 Vaartha
 sakshi
[edit]In Urdu

 Awam
 Etemaad daily[81]
 The Munsif Daily
 The Siasat Daily
[edit]Newspapers from other states

 Hindustan Times
 The Business Line
 The Economic Times
 The Hindu
 The New Indian Express
 The Times of India
 Those other problems in Andhra Pradesh
 P. Sainath

 If present political trends and shifts in Andhra Pradesh intensify, the State could see an election
within a year. And not just over Telangana.

 When Chandrababu Naidu sits on a hunger fast for suffering farmers, you know something is afoot
in Andhra Pradesh. Excessive rains have devastated the crops in the State. And losses have been
enormous. But a farmer losing over Rs.15,000 on an acre of paddy will get less than Rs.2500 in
compensation. And the nature of land relations in Andhra Pradesh ensures that most tenant farmers
won't get even that.
 Yet, it is the political shifts that are less seen. If — and it is very much an ‘if' — present trends
intensify, Andhra Pradesh could see an election within a year. And not just over Telangana. That
election could throw up big surprises and a new regional formation of some strength.
 The ruling Congress seems preoccupied with shooting itself in the foot. Faced with an array of
issues that demand attention, it has focussed all its energies on fighting Jaganmohan Reddy. The
highlight of the handling of Telangana was not to address the problems of that troubled region but
to order the son of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy not to go there for any kind of campaign. In public
perception, rightly or wrongly, this was writing off Telangana to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. For
those opposed to statehood for the region, this seemed a betrayal. They recall how ‘YSR' had
undermined K. Chandrasekhar Rao whose previous resignation saw him lose strength in the Lok
Sabha. This year, KCR's TRS swept the region. For those demanding a separate state, the Congress
has promised little and delivered less. Not a single one of their burning problems has been taken
up, let alone resolved.
 The State government needed to tackle a growing crisis on many fronts, farming being one of them.
A year of total paralysis under K. Rosaiah meant this did not happen, even though the then
Agriculture Minister tried to reverse some awful policies flowing downwards from the Centre.
Ultimately, the Centre's policy direction on agriculture had to further undermine small farmers
everywhere, including Andhra Pradesh.
 Already, the lack of land reform within Andhra Pradesh makes the plight of tenant farmers — who
account for a third of the farmers in the State — a lot worse. Tenancy farming has grown and the
AP Kisan Sabha estimates there are 40 lakh such farmers across the State. Most lead a life bogged
down in anxiety, tension and debt. The few rights they have are fragile, the farms they operate are
 failing even without natural calamity. They account for a large number of farm suicides in the State.
Even when compensation is paid out for crop losses, these are grabbed by the owner whose land
the tenant has leased for farming, since the land is in his name. Getting loans from banks is sheer
torture. (At this point, Collectors in some districts are appealing to bankers to extend credit to
tenant farmers.) The banks have not given out even a fraction of these loans promised to tenant
farmers by official diktat.
 Tenant farmers have little security of tenure and are subject to rack-renting. Three commissions in
recent years, those headed by Jayati Ghosh, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan and Konneru Rangarao have
made major observations and recommendations relating to this group. In practice, the government
has done nothing about them. And as times get worse for farmers as a whole, tenant farmers take a
bad beating.
 Then there are the problems of the MNREGS, once doing relatively better in Andhra Pradesh than in
many other States. The past year has unsettled a once-working programme. Again, for many, this
compares badly with the YSR period when in districts of Anantapur there was a member from
almost every household at the NREG sites in many villages. Back then, distress migrations had
actually fallen in districts like Mahbubnagar as the NREGS expanded. So quite a few do hark back to
that period as one of hope. Even in urban Andhra Pradesh where the YSR government restored
lakhs of BPL cards cancelled by the Naidu regime.
 There are also the issues of mega projects and the lakhs of people displaced by those. Of flawed
irrigation projects, dubious land deals, and a bizarre number of SEZs. These and major corruption
scandals were pretty much a part of YSR's time, too. However, the negative outcomes of some of
these would unfold more slowly. So in the 2009 elections, the positive policies paid off — while the
bills for the destructive ones would and will come in later. So in public perception, the YSR era
comes out looking good compared to the chaos of the present. As of now, a lot of this translates
into public goodwill for Jaganmohan Reddy. While this situation lasts, the negatives of his own
politics, ambition, character and charges of corruption might seem less important to those fed up
with the way things are now. These problems could well catch up with him but at present, he seems
to be on a roll.
 That Mr. Naidu, of all people, has decided to go on a hunger strike in support of suffering farmers
confirms that the Opposition sees the government as being in real trouble. Yet the Congress mess-
up has not seen Mr. Naidu gain greatly so far. As for the Praja Rajyam Party of Chiranjeevi, it now
seems a severely edited scene in the unfolding drama. If the present trends hold, the default gainer
could be Jaganmohan Reddy and his yet to be named new party. The Congress will be the big loser
— beyond the State too, given Andhra Pradesh's importance to its strength at the Centre. With
Tamil Nadu also in flux, the Congress problem becomes national. Its allies know it is in trouble. Note
Sharad Pawar's increasingly strident criticisms of government policies.
 The more the Congress has tried to can Jaganmohan Reddy, the more — so far — he gains. Indeed,
its perceived “insults to the YSR legacy” could translate into a matter of regional pride that works in
favour of YSR's son. Jagan Reddy has made deep forays into the districts and the Congress is
unable to counter him. More important, the public response to his visits has been impressive and, at
least for now, appears to be growing. Sitting Congress MLAs show up at his meetings. Followers of
other parties attend them in big numbers.
 Large turnouts to receive him at railway stations have made the Congress nervous. The party's shot
at playing Reddy politics has shown little success so far. And the splitting of the YSR family has not
gone down well with a public already seeing Jagan Reddy as the wronged party.
 It's a classic Congress dilemma. The party has no leaders of any consequence in the State (or most
States) because that is how it needs it to be. It cannot allow the emergence of strong State leaders
independent of the Centre. YSR was an exception. The same problem in Maharashtra has seen it
bring in a Chief Minister with no base, let alone a State-wide standing. It matters little now, who it
makes Chief Ministers in the States — it has no leaders. Anyone seen emerging was choked off. In
Maharashtra, where the NCP was an endangered species, it gets a new lease of life. In the just
concluded Assembly session, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar seemed dominant. While Prithviraj
Chavan appeared to be wondering what he had got himself into. In Andhra Pradesh, it gets more
embarrassing, where to fight Jagan Reddy the Congress has to (without saying so) oppose dynastic
succession. Something it is not best qualified to do. A growing number of Congress supporters seem
drawn towards Jagan Reddy.
 It can, of course, prolong its tactical manoeuvres. It is the most experienced political force in the
country at that. But Andhra Pradesh might not be so easy to control from here on. The report of the
commission on Telangana is barely two weeks away. It will certainly recognise the historic neglect
of that region and its huge and long ignored problems. Whether it advises statehood for it or draws
up a list of options including that one, who will contain the fallout? Either way, there is turbulence
ahead. Who is the State leader who commands respect in all regions? What happens if and when
the number of MLAs joining Jagan Reddy's camp reaches a critical mass? What will the Congress go
to the people of Telangana and Andhra with in the event of an election? Leave alone the next State
polls — which could happen two years ahead of schedule if the Congress government folds — the
by-elections to the seats vacated by Jagan Reddy and his mother will prove humiliating. The results
could see a bigger flow of MLAs towards him. Across all regions of the State, the Congress is
between a rock and a hard place.