Guntakal
Encyclopedia
Guntakal is a town in Anantapur district
in the southwestern part of the state of Andhra Pradesh
and 50 km away from Bellary of Karnataka, India
. It has a population of 2,26,658 (2001 census). In the year 1963, experts have identified Guntakal station, the hub of Meter Gauge / Broad Gauge movements in several directions, as a natural and ideal location for the Guntakal Railway Division of South Central Railway
. Now Guntakal has become entirely BG with the gauge conversion
of the Guntakal – Kallur section in 2009.
It also houses a railway diesel shed and is one of the most profitable divisions in Indian Railways.
It also had spinning mill which is Asia's second largest cotton spinning mill call A. P. Co-Operative Spinning mill.
, Guntakal had a population of 3,57,592. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Guntakal has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 55%. In Guntakal, 11% of the population is under six years of age. Guntakal is third most populated town after Anantapur & Hindupur. Guntakal named after Guntakallu [Kallu means stones in Kannada][Kallu means Shivalinga in Sanskrit (there is a Shiva's temple in Old Guntakal "Sri Guntakallappa Temple")]. Roughly half of Guntakal's population consists of native Telugu
speakers, while another half speak Kannada.
Guntakal is majorly known for railways, it is a junction which connects south cities to north India, half of its population are employees of railways, and there is a Mother Mary Church which is very famous, and Kasapuram Anjenaya Temple, which is 4 km from Guntakal. Guntakal is also known for film distributors, it was a distribution wing for movies in Andhra Pradesh.
Lord Anjaneya Swamy Temple
(referred to as 'Nettikanti' Anjaneya Swami Temple) is located near Guntakal Town (about 4 km away from Railway Station, at a place called as Kasapuram). People from remote areas of Andhra Pradesh and South India come for Darshan. The temple is maintained by the Endowments Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Not only as a railway station, it also has a relic of the Jain religion. At a distance of 6 km from Guntakal, Konakondla has Jambudweepachakra, known to be sculpted by Jain priests. In Guntakal, there is a tomb of a great Sufi saint named Hazrath Mastan Vali
, for which many people irrespective of their religion come there and take blessings from one of the greatest saints. Guntakal is also famous for the tomb of saint (Hazrat Gulam sha Khadri)located in the porter's lane colony, Guntakal. Most of the people visit this dargah on every Friday evening to take blessing from the hazrat. The church was built in 1880, named as St. Ann, renovated in the year 2002, and renamed as Our Lady of Health. This architectural masterpiece is a must visit. Every year a grand birthday celebration of Mother Mary is being conducted from 29 August to September 8, which draws many devotees of all religions and from other states too. One can visit the "Buggasangala Sivalayam" very near to Kasapuram.
Sri Venkateswara Temple: Established in the year 2002. This temple construction is similar to the Tirumala temple. This temple is situated in Rajendra Nagar, 3 km from the Guntakal station. A lovely dhyan mandir constructed below ground level attracts many devotees during Bhajan
and prayer session.
Sri Guntakallappa Temple : Established long ago. This temple mainly depends on the Kurubas. A Big pooja will be performed every Sunday in the temple.
Chippagiri or Chippigiri is a place in Kurnool District 7 km away from Guntakal, Using Granites of Chippagiri the Cluster of Temples were built. Chippagiri is also place known for Daasa Saahitya with Vijayadasa(1682–1755) lived here. He was the 5th in the line of the Haridasas.
Chippagiri also has Dargha shareef of eminent saint Hazrath Sattar Haji(RA) right visible from the main cross roads and also one more dargah is there named dargah of saint Syed Sultan Mohiyuddin khadri urf BhamBham Saheb.
The shiridi sai baba temple near vv colony is very famous.
Guntakal is an important junction, connecting most parts of the country and thus to many places in India. It is serving station for Bellary.
It has major lines branching out to Delhi
, Howrah, Mumbai
, Chennai
, Bangalore
, Vasco da Gama, Goa
.
Some important long-distance trains pass through Guntakal Junction, such as Karnataka express, Amaravati express, Chennai express, Mysore - Jaipur express, Duronto, Garibrath and Rajadhani expresses.
Buses form another mode of transportation to rural and other areas where there are no railway lines.
Autos are commonly used for general purposes in the City.
There is a plan to build an airport
near the town as it is near Bellary
. This would help in the development of town.
Also Guntakal Railway stations hosts a few AC and Non AC retiring rooms which are rented to the valid passenger ticket holders. But it is difficult to get these rooms as most of the time these are engaged.
restaurant
, where as Pavithra Hotel is a good North Indian
Veg Restaurant. There are also good and famous bakeries. R. R Bakery located at 60 ft road and Bangalore bakery located at Station Road. People here are film
buffs.
The Gram Panchayat names are 1. Kasapuram, 2. Dosaludiki, 3. Gundala thanda, 4. Molakalapenta, 5. Konganapalli, 6. Obulapuram, 7. Yerra Thimma Raya Cheruvu, 8. Dhancherla, 9. Patha Kotha Cheruvu, 10. Gundala, 11. Nakkanadoddi, 12. N. Thimmapuram, 13. Nalladasaripalli, 14. G. Kottala, 15. Donimukkala, 16. Puliguttapalli, 17. Nelagonda, 18. N. Venkatampalli, 19. Chintalampalli, 20. Gurrabbadu, 21. Nagasamudram, 22. Imampuram, 23. Kadiripalli, 24. Ayyavaripalli.
There is 1 CPWS scheme for Kasapuram, Chennappa kottala, Dosaludiki, Sangala villages which are facing excess fluoride and scarcity of water. To provide fluoride-free water to entire mandal - all the villages have been covering under JC Nagi Reddy Drinking Water Project. This work is in progress.
There are two summer storage tanks constructed and maintained by RWS Department in this mandal:
The number of hand pumps in this mandal (rural) are 277 and all the schools have been covered with 500/1000 litres PVC tank connected from local PWS Scheme.
Anantapur district
Anantapur District , ) is one of the 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is Anantapur City. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.- Geography :...
in the southwestern part of the state of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , 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 is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and 50 km away from Bellary of Karnataka, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It has a population of 2,26,658 (2001 census). In the year 1963, experts have identified Guntakal station, the hub of Meter Gauge / Broad Gauge movements in several directions, as a natural and ideal location for the Guntakal Railway Division of South Central Railway
South Central Railway
The South Central Railway is one of the 16 railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Secunderabad and has the following divisions:# Secunderabad# Hyderabad# Guntakal # Vijayawada# Guntur# Nanded...
. Now Guntakal has become entirely BG with the gauge conversion
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
of the Guntakal – Kallur section in 2009.
It also houses a railway diesel shed and is one of the most profitable divisions in Indian Railways.
It also had spinning mill which is Asia's second largest cotton spinning mill call A. P. Co-Operative Spinning mill.
Geography
Guntakal is located at 15.17°N 77.38°E. It has an average elevation of 432 metres (1,417.3 ft).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Guntakal had a population of 3,57,592. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Guntakal has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 55%. In Guntakal, 11% of the population is under six years of age. Guntakal is third most populated town after Anantapur & Hindupur. Guntakal named after Guntakallu [Kallu means stones in Kannada][Kallu means Shivalinga in Sanskrit (there is a Shiva's temple in Old Guntakal "Sri Guntakallappa Temple")]. Roughly half of Guntakal's population consists of native Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
speakers, while another half speak Kannada.
Guntakal is majorly known for railways, it is a junction which connects south cities to north India, half of its population are employees of railways, and there is a Mother Mary Church which is very famous, and Kasapuram Anjenaya Temple, which is 4 km from Guntakal. Guntakal is also known for film distributors, it was a distribution wing for movies in Andhra Pradesh.
Places of interest
(referred to as 'Nettikanti' Anjaneya Swami Temple) is located near Guntakal Town (about 4 km away from Railway Station, at a place called as Kasapuram). People from remote areas of Andhra Pradesh and South India come for Darshan. The temple is maintained by the Endowments Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Not only as a railway station, it also has a relic of the Jain religion. At a distance of 6 km from Guntakal, Konakondla has Jambudweepachakra, known to be sculpted by Jain priests. In Guntakal, there is a tomb of a great Sufi saint named Hazrath Mastan Vali
Tawakkal Mastan Vali
Hazarath Tawakkal Mastan Vali is a Sufi Saint from the Saharwardia Order of the 17th Century. His mausoleum is located in the Cottonpet area of Bangalore, India .He is a disciple of Sufi saint Hazarat Baba Fakruddin of Penukonda....
, for which many people irrespective of their religion come there and take blessings from one of the greatest saints. Guntakal is also famous for the tomb of saint (Hazrat Gulam sha Khadri)located in the porter's lane colony, Guntakal. Most of the people visit this dargah on every Friday evening to take blessing from the hazrat. The church was built in 1880, named as St. Ann, renovated in the year 2002, and renamed as Our Lady of Health. This architectural masterpiece is a must visit. Every year a grand birthday celebration of Mother Mary is being conducted from 29 August to September 8, which draws many devotees of all religions and from other states too. One can visit the "Buggasangala Sivalayam" very near to Kasapuram.
Sri Venkateswara Temple: Established in the year 2002. This temple construction is similar to the Tirumala temple. This temple is situated in Rajendra Nagar, 3 km from the Guntakal station. A lovely dhyan mandir constructed below ground level attracts many devotees during Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
and prayer session.
Sri Guntakallappa Temple : Established long ago. This temple mainly depends on the Kurubas. A Big pooja will be performed every Sunday in the temple.
Chippagiri or Chippigiri is a place in Kurnool District 7 km away from Guntakal, Using Granites of Chippagiri the Cluster of Temples were built. Chippagiri is also place known for Daasa Saahitya with Vijayadasa(1682–1755) lived here. He was the 5th in the line of the Haridasas.
Chippagiri also has Dargha shareef of eminent saint Hazrath Sattar Haji(RA) right visible from the main cross roads and also one more dargah is there named dargah of saint Syed Sultan Mohiyuddin khadri urf BhamBham Saheb.
The shiridi sai baba temple near vv colony is very famous.
Transportation
Guntakal has the third biggest railway station in Andhra Pradesh.Guntakal is an important junction, connecting most parts of the country and thus to many places in India. It is serving station for Bellary.
It has major lines branching out to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Howrah, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Vasco da Gama, Goa
Vasco da Gama, Goa
Vasco da Gama is the largest city in the state of Goa on the west coast of India. It is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Vasco has Goa's largest population, estimated at over 100,000. It is also the headquarters of the Mormugao taluka...
.
Some important long-distance trains pass through Guntakal Junction, such as Karnataka express, Amaravati express, Chennai express, Mysore - Jaipur express, Duronto, Garibrath and Rajadhani expresses.
Buses form another mode of transportation to rural and other areas where there are no railway lines.
Autos are commonly used for general purposes in the City.
There is a plan to build an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
near the town as it is near Bellary
Bellary
Bellary is a historic city in Bellary District in Karnataka state, India.-Origins of the city's name:There are several legends about how Bellary got its name....
. This would help in the development of town.
Accommodation
Hotel Lepakshi( the best hotel in guntakal. ph:08552-226838/223838) on the main road and Ashoka Paradise in Mahendra street, Mayuri Lodge(ph:08552-220090) opp: Vijaya Bank are well established hotels which has good and clean service. On the other side there are lots of budget accommodations in the form of lodges in the central part of Guntakal town. A few being Bhima Lodge, Vasavi lodge, Uma lodge etc. which are surrounded near the bus station.Also Guntakal Railway stations hosts a few AC and Non AC retiring rooms which are rented to the valid passenger ticket holders. But it is difficult to get these rooms as most of the time these are engaged.
Recreation
There are many places to hangout. There are parks and movie theatres. The major theatres in town include SLV, KPS MOVIE A/C DTS QUBE, Chaitanya A/C and Vasavi. There are mini theatres as well. Ruchi is a good Non-Veg restaurant. Pallavi is a good vegetarian South IndianSouth Indian cuisine
South Indian Cuisine is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.-Similarities and differences in "Four states' cuisines":...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, where as Pavithra Hotel is a good North Indian
South Indian cuisine
South Indian Cuisine is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.-Similarities and differences in "Four states' cuisines":...
Veg Restaurant. There are also good and famous bakeries. R. R Bakery located at 60 ft road and Bangalore bakery located at Station Road. People here are film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
buffs.
Guntakal Rural
Guntakal is a Grade 1 Municipality and the Guntakal mandal has been divided into 18 Revenue villages, 24 Gram panchayats and 39 habitations. There are 47 schools in rural area (sZP high schools, 11 MPUP Schools, and 31 MP Elementary schools). There is 1 Primary Health Centre at Nagasamudram and 10 sub centres at different locations of Guntakal rural. There are 49 Anganwadi centres out of which 21 are running in Government buildings and 28 are in Private buildings. There are 2 Veterinary hospital Outlets and 2 Police stations are working in Guntakal Rural area. Only 1 Boys hostel is there in Rural area for the welfare of weaker section students studying from 6th to 10th class.The Gram Panchayat names are 1. Kasapuram, 2. Dosaludiki, 3. Gundala thanda, 4. Molakalapenta, 5. Konganapalli, 6. Obulapuram, 7. Yerra Thimma Raya Cheruvu, 8. Dhancherla, 9. Patha Kotha Cheruvu, 10. Gundala, 11. Nakkanadoddi, 12. N. Thimmapuram, 13. Nalladasaripalli, 14. G. Kottala, 15. Donimukkala, 16. Puliguttapalli, 17. Nelagonda, 18. N. Venkatampalli, 19. Chintalampalli, 20. Gurrabbadu, 21. Nagasamudram, 22. Imampuram, 23. Kadiripalli, 24. Ayyavaripalli.
Rural Water Supply Department
The Rural Water Supply Engineering Department has provided water supply schemes to all the 39 villages with protected water supply schemes with 34 OHSRs and 24 GLSRs. (Two villages are providing with direct pumping through cisterns). These 39 PWS schemes are having 62 sources and having 37 pump rooms.There is 1 CPWS scheme for Kasapuram, Chennappa kottala, Dosaludiki, Sangala villages which are facing excess fluoride and scarcity of water. To provide fluoride-free water to entire mandal - all the villages have been covering under JC Nagi Reddy Drinking Water Project. This work is in progress.
There are two summer storage tanks constructed and maintained by RWS Department in this mandal:
- For (0.0055 TMC) CPWS Scheme to Kasapuram and other 3 villages.
- SS tank (0.0024 TMC) for G. Kottala exclusively. (This village has very high fluoride > 7 PPM and hence canal water is stored in SS tank and supplied to the village)
The number of hand pumps in this mandal (rural) are 277 and all the schools have been covered with 500/1000 litres PVC tank connected from local PWS Scheme.