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Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema". Kurnool is also famous for Diamond hunting as diamonds can be found in the barren land of Kurnool after the top layers of soil are washed away by the monsoon rains. It also serves as the district headquarters of its Kurnool district. census, it is the fifth most populous city in the state with a population of 425,214. It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. Although the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, modern Kurnool was founded in the 16th century CE with the construction of the Konda Reddy Fort.
Etymology
The original name of Kurnool is found in historical records as Kandanavōlu or Kandanōlu. It used to be a crossing on the Tungabhadra River, where the bullock cart caravans are believed to have greased their wheels ("kandana" being a reference to grease). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".
History
Palaeolithic era
The Ketavaram rock paintings from the Palaeolithic era and are 18 kilometres from Kurnool. Also the Jurreru Valley, Katavani Kunta and Yaganti in Kurnool District have some important rock art and paintings in the vicinity that may be dated from 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.
Ashoka's rock edicts were inscribed in the 3rd century BCE. The inscription is in Prakrit language and Brahmi script. Both the major and minor edits are found at Erragudi (also called the Yerragudi or Jonnagiri site). These are among the oldest discovered inscriptions in India. The site is close to the Andhra-Karnataka border, in Kurnool district. It is an ASI protected site under Indian law.
thumb|ASI board Kurnool
Belum Caves are geologically and historically important caves in the district. There are indications that Jain and Buddhist monks were occupying these caves centuries ago. Many Buddhists relics were found inside the caves. These relics are now housed in the Museum at Ananthapur. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found remnants of vessels and other artifacts of the pre-Buddhist era and has dated the remnants of vessels found in the caves to 4500 BC.
Vijayanagara era
Kurnool town was Ruled by Chalukyas of Badami and Rashtrakutas before the 11th century. The earliest knowledge of this settlement dates from the 11th century. It has developed as a transit place on the southern banks of the river Tungabhadra.
Ruled by the Chalukya in the 12th century and later taken over by the Kakatiya dynasty in the 13th century, Kurnool developed into a transit point on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra River. It eventually fell under the rule of a jaghirdar before becoming a part of the Vijayanagar dynasty. King Achyuta Raya, successor of Sri Krishnadeva Raya constructed the Kurnool Fort during the 16th century.
Nawabs
The Abyssinian, Abdul Wahab Khan, defeated King Gopal Raja of the Vijayanagar Kingdom in the 17th century and went on to rule the land for 16 years until his death.
In 1686, Kurnool fell under the influence of the Mughals who were ruled by Emperor Aurangzeb. Later on in Kurnool's history, it was ruled by the Nawabs until the British Government took over in 1839.
British Rule
Ghulam Rasul Khan Bahadur (died on 12 July 1840) was the last Nawab of Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. He ruled from 1823 to 1839 until the kingdom was defeated by the East India Company. On 12 October 1839, a war broke out between the British Indian Army and the kingdom and continued for six days until the king was detained on 18 October. He was subsequently sent to Tiruchirappalli Central Prison where he died on 12 July 1840.
After independence
Kurnool was the capital of erstwhile Andhra State between 1 October 1953 and 31 October 1956. The state was later merged with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as the state's capital on 1 November 1956. Currently Kurnool is in the divided Andhra Pradesh state.
Geography
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres (898 feet). Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Hundri and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C.Canal (Kurnool–Cuddapah) was built by the Dutch for transportation, but later used for irrigation.
Cityscape
thumb|Front View of Kondareddy Buruju.|alt=|left
Landmarks in and around the city include Konda Reddy Fort Formerly called Kondareddy Burj is the historical monument and major tourist attraction of Kurnool located at the northeast part of the city. Orvakal rock Garderns is the sculpture garden with an ancient cave lying on the southeast of the city. Jagannatha Gattu Temple is a popular tourist site of Kurnool. It is famous for its Lord Shiva Temple and is located in B. Thandrapadu, in Kurnool. The history behind the Linga makes it a popular destination.
Climate
Kurnool has a tropical savanna climate bordering on hot semi arid climate (Köppen BSh) with temperatures ranging from to in the summer and to in the winter. The average annual rainfall is about .Kurnool city gets decent to good share of rains from pre-monsoon to monsoon seasons. City location is influenced by the orography effect of Nallamala hills in the east. August and September are the rainiest months and February is the driest month. The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours is 386mm in the month of June 1989 and marking the rainiest month of all time with 527mm.
Kurnool has been ranked 21st best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.
Demographics
As per final data of the 2011 census, the Kurnool City had a population of 425,214, making it the fifth largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The literacy rate of Kurnool was 77.37 per cent at the time of the 2011 census.