Andhra Pradesh

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Andhra Pradeshఆం�ధ్ర�ప్ర�దేశ్

پردیش آندھرا

—  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

 – Chief   Ministe r

N. Kiran Kumar Reddy (INC)

 – Legislature Bicameral (294 + 90 seats)

 – Deputy Chief Minister

Damodar Raja Narasimha

 – 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 language

Telugu,[2] Urdu [3]

Website ap.gov.in

Andhra Pradesh (Telugu: ఆం�ధ్ర� ప్ర�దేశ్, Urdu:  پردیش آاندھرا , [aːndFʱrə prədFeːʃ] (  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 (తెలు�గు�)

State symbol Poorna kumbham (పూర్ణ�కుం��భం�)

State songMaa Telugu Thalliki (మా తెలు�గు� తల్లి�కి మల్లె� పూదం�డ)by Sri Sankarambadi Sundaraachari

State animal Black Buck (కుం�ష్ణ� జిం�కుం)

State bird Indian Roller (పాలు పిట్ట!)

State tree Neem (వేప్ర)

State sport Kabaddi (చెడ�గు�డ�)

State dance Kuchipudi (కుం$చిపూడి)

State flower Water lily (కుంలు�వ 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 35,983,00

0

—

1971 43,503,00

0

20.9%

1981 53,550,00 23.1%

0

1991 66,508,00

0

24.2%

2001 75,727,00

0

13.9%

2011 84,655,53

3

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%), Punjabi (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 PradeshPercent

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.