NelaKondapally is the headquarter of a mandal in Khammam district

Khammam district

Khammam District is a district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It had a population of 2,565,412 of which 19.81% were urban as of 2001 census. Khammam town is the district headquarters. The present name of Khammam is derived from the old name Kammamet. Later it was called Khammam Mettu and subsequently...

 in 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...

 of 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...

, located 21 km from Khammam.

HISTORY

Nelakondapally is a historic site encompassed by a mud fortification wall covering nearly 100 acre (0.404686 km²). Excavations have unearthed foundations of brick built Viharas, wells, cisterns, a Mahastupa, terracotta figurines, a bronze idol of Buddha, a miniature Stupa carved in limestone and other early historic materials belonging to 3rd and 4th centuries. Nelakondapalli is known for its historic glory. At a distance of one mile (1.6 km) from Nelakondapalli, the Mandal Headquarters, there are certain archaeological glimpses known as Virataraju dibba and Keechaka Gundam claiming importance in the days of Mahabharatha. Virata

Virata

Virata , in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was a king in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Princess Uttarā, who married Abhimanyu son of Arjuna. Their son Parikshit succeeded...

 Raju was the king of Virata Nagaram and it was under him that the Pandavas worked incognito after their twelve years of exile in the forests. Keechaka, the brother-in-law of Virata who tried to misbehave with Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas, was killed by BHIMA

Bhima

In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...

, working in disguise as a cook (VALALUDU). The old relics unearthed at these places strengthen the belief that this place was noted as far back the days of Mahabharata. Nelakondapalli is also famous of being the birth place of Kancharla Gopanna, popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas. Bhakta Ramadas Memorial Building which was constructed in the birth place of Sri Bhakths Ramadasu in the year 1955, renamed now as Bhakta Ramadasu Dhyana Mandiram was handed over to Sri Seeteramachandra Swamy Devastanam, BHADRACHALAM in the year 1983 for its development.
There are very ancient temples in the village. Three Shivalayas and two vyshnavalayas are famous.
Dusshera festival is celebrated in a very special way in Nelakondapalli which is very famous and people from many other villages come here to see the Dusshera Celebrations.

TRANSPORTATION

It is the major road junction dividing the routes from Khammam, the district headquarters to Kodad and Kusumanchi. Many buses come here and the people are served with several autos to go to many villages around. Many autos have a number system for going to nearby villages like Anantanagar, Aregudem,kattukachavaram.

Andhra Pradesh°N date=December 2010°W