Rajahmundry or Rajamahendri is the biggest city of the East & West Godavari districts and first municipal corporation in the Godavari district’s of Andhra Pradesh state in India. Poet Nannayya gave Telugu script here which made it a language. It is the birthplace of poet Nannayya, who is also called the first poet of Telugu. The City is known as the Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh, Rajahmundry is noted for its versatile Vedic culture and intellect. It is one of the oldest cities of India. It is the seventh most populous city in Andhra Pradesh. City population is around 1 million, but census shows 413,616 (Census 2011).In Madras Presidency,The district of Rajahmundry was created in 1823.The rajahmundry district was reorganized in 1859 into two – the Godavari and Krishna districts.During British rule, Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district. Godavari district was further bifurcated into East and West Godavari districts in 1925. It is situated 400 kilometres (249 mi) east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari.It is the birth city of Andhra Pradesh. This is probably due to the fact that the Telugu language originated here.
Throughout history, Rajahmundry has been a well educated city with educational jewels (Institutions) from the rule of Rajaraja Narendra to its glorious present. Recollect the song from the movie, “Andhra Kesari” which says “Vedamla Ghoshinche Godavari, Amara Dhamamla Bhasille Rajahmahendri”. The Government Arts College, now called Government College (Autonomous) in Rajahmundry was founded more than 150 years ago and is a NAAC accredited (A) Institution. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India worked at this college. The Institutes founded by the great reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam Panthulu have now grown into large colleges and organisations. SKR Women’s college is famous for its campus and teaching facilities. The B.Ed Training Institute is one of the oldest in India. St. Ann’s (EM) School, APPM Model High School, Bala Vigjana Mandir (B.V.M.), Sri Satya Sai Gurukulam,etc. being among the better known schools.
Sir Arthur Cotton Museum was constructed here in 1998. This museum was constructed in memory of Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, a British irrigation engineer. Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton also known as “Cotton Dora”, who constructed the Dowleswaram Barrage is revered in the Godavari Districts for his efforts in transforming River Godavari from a threatening and deadly natural force into a tame and fertile water resource. Sir Cotton is popularly known as the ‘Delta Architect’ of the Godavari District because of his pioneering works in irrigation engineering through his construction of the anicut system. The Museum narrates the construction of present Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage constructed with the advance engineering skill. It is the only civil engineering museum in the state. It contains many pictures describing the working of the dam and display of the tools used during the construction.
Rajahmundry is also a major Hindu pilgrimage sites, with a number of temples like the Kotilingalu (10 million Sivalingas) temple on the bank of Godavari. It hosts holy congregations called Pushkaram held once every 12 years and considered auspicious to take sin-ridding holy dips—with the last in August 2003, when around 34 million are said to have taken the bath. This festival lasts for 12 days and people offer prayers and make offerings to their departed family members. A huge and beautiful Krishna temple has been constructed by the ISKCON foundation on the banks of Godavari. Popularly called as Gowthami Ghat, it is a major attraction for young people as a recreational center.
The Museum was established on 20-11-2006 in Andhra Pradesh Housing Board Colony, Rajahmundry, East Godavari District in the accommodation of 8 rooms in the 1st and 2nd floors of the building. In 3rd floor there is 36 feet long concrete model of Aeroplane structure. The main items and subjects in the Museum galleries are human anatomy, physical sciences, life sciences, snakes and reptiles kept in formalin liquid, historical monuments, some models of multi purpose projects, models of different dinosaurs, art models, one big dead turtle etc., At present the museum is attracting the visitors of all types, students, general public, educationists and thinkers etc.
A huge library, The Gowtami Grandhalayam is a combination of Vasuraya Grandhalayam (established by Vasudeva Subbarayadu) and Ratnakavi Grandhalayam (established by Kokkonda Venkatratnam). Later many small libraries came into being and were finally merged into this big Library. It was named in 1898 and was registered in 1920. One can find rare books and manuscripts which time and again are being referred by the research scholars. It has an amazing collection of about 60,000 books on various subjects in different languages are here. The Gowthami Library Timings are from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. except Thudays and public holidays.
Named after the renowned painter Damerla Rama Rao who was born on March 8, 1897 at Rajahmundry to Physician Dr. Damerla Venkata Rama Rao and Lakshmi Devi and who was intensely inclined towards the art of painting and sketching since childhood. He along with his father went to Sisil N. Burns, who was the Dean of arts in Mumbai School of Arts in 1916 to show his sketches to the Dean who in turn was surprised and impressed resulting in his admission directly into the third year of fine arts course. The Damera Rama Rao Art Gallery Timings are from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Fridays and public holidays.
Dowleswaram Barrage near Rajahmundry on River Godavari Sir Arthur Cotton, a British irrigation engineer, oversaw the construction of the Dowleswaram Barrage in nearby Dowlaiswaram, a village eight kilometers downstream of Rajahmundry. The dam, which was completed in 1850, is composed of four divisions: Dowlaiswaram Division, Ryali Branch Division, Madduru division and Vijjeswaram division. This was all in all 900 yards (800 m) long and 9 feet (3 m) high, and comprised the rail-cum-road bridge linking Kovvur, Asia’s second longest after the Japan’s Kansai International Airport Sky Gate Bridge.
The city origins can be traced back to the rule of the Chalukya king Raja Raja Narendra who reigned around 1022 AD, after whom it is named Rajamahendri or Rajamahendravaram. Remains of 11th-century palaces and fort walls still exist. However, new archeological evidence suggests that the town may have existed much before the Chalukyas. Rajamhendravaram was renamed Rajahmundry during the rule of the British, for whom the city was the headquarters of the Godavari district. When the district was split into East and West, subsequently, Kakinada – became the headquarters of East Godavari.
Telugu Talkie era started with Bakta Prahalada (1931). Andhra was not yet been identified as a competent area for cinema shooting so. The shooting was being done in the places like Kolhapur, Kolkata Studios. In 1936, a studio, by name Durga CineTone was started in Rajahmundry. It was started by Nidamarti Soorayya whose father Jaladurga Prasad’s name was after it. The first talkie film was shot in Andra Pradesh. Those days, there were only three film studios in south India – two in Chennai and Durga Cinetone in Rajahmundry, He produced films, built three cinema halls in Rajahmundry
The construction of the bridge commenced on November 11, 1897 and opened for traffic on August 30, 1900. The Bridge was named after Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock, the then Governor of Madras. Mr. F.T.G. Walton served as the Engineer-in-chief assisted by executive engineers R.A. Delanougerede, F.D. Couchman, J.E.Eaglesome.. It has 56 spans each of 45.7 metres (150 ft) and is 2,754 metres (9,035 ft) long. Having served its full life span of 100 years, it was decommissioned in 1997, and Godavari Arch Bridge was built as a replacement for the bridge.
The First Godavari Rail Bridge was built in 1897, under the supervision of Er. Walton, a British engineer, across Godavari connecting East and West Godavari districts. Stretching for three kilometers, and constructed with stone masonry and steel girders, this bridge served the trains plying between Madras (Chennai) and Howrah (Kolkata). With increased traffic in freight and passengers, a rail-cum-road bridge was built across the river’s downstream was inaugurated by the then president of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed in 1977.
A third railway bridge, the The Godavari Arch Bridge, was built between 1991 and 1997. It was commissioned for passenger traffic in March 1997 and became fully operational for running trains by the Indian Railways from 2003, as the bridge built in 1897 was found not suitable for railway traffic anymore. The Dhowleswaram bridge across Godavari is seven kilometers south of Rajahmundry. On the banks is the Rallabandi SubbaRao Museum displaying coins, sculpture, pottery, inscriptions and palm-leaf manuscripts.
The rebirth of cultural heritage in Andhra Pradesh started in Rajahmundry. Mr. Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu is known as The father of reformations in Andhra Pradesh. He started a monthly magazine “Vivekavardhini”, a school for girls at Dowlaiswaram in 1874. The first widow marriage took place on Dec 11, 1881. A society with 16 members was started on 22nd Jun,1884, which used to look after the widow marriages in Rajahmundry. The town hall in Rajahmundry was established in 1890 by Veeresalingam.
Rajahmundry was one of the biggest cities in South India in the 19th century. It was the hotbed of several movements during India’s freedom struggle and acted as a base for many key leaders. When the Indian National Congress had its first meeting in Bombay (Mumbai), two leaders from Rajahmundry, Nyapathi Subba Rao and Kandukuri Veeresalingam participated in it. Subba Rao, founder of Hindu Samaj in Rajahmundry, was also one of the six founders of India’s noted English daily The Hindu.
This Rail Cum Road Bridge is longest of its kind in Asia and second longest in the world. Its total length 4.732 km (4732 mts).Finished in 1972 and inaugurated by the then President of India, Fakruddin Ali Ahmed, its total construction cost is 63 crores in those days. Locally it is called Kovvur bridge by people of Rajahmundry, as it connects Rajahmundry city with Kovvur town. Its also the most important connecting point of Agriculturally Rich East and west Godavari Districts.
Today we find Andhra Bank office in the place once the studio existed. Chittajallu Pullaiah, the first-generation director, had a close association with this studio. Sampurna Ramayanam was the first cinema to be shot there. More than 20,000 ft. reel was shot here, as, sources say. Satyanarayana Vratam, Kasula Peru, Bhaktamarkandeya, Chal Mohana Ranga, Mohini Bhasmasura, were but from this very studio. Durga Cine Town was winded up running short of technical advancement.
Established in the year 1967, The Rallabandi Subbarao Government Museum is famous for it’s cultural storage. Unravel the mysteries of the past through the interesting range of artifacts like coins, sculpture, pottery, inscriptions and palm leaf manuscripts. This Museum is a tribute in itself strengthening the cultural field of Andhra Pradesh once more. The Museum Timings are from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Fridays and public holidays. Entree Fize : 3/- 1/-
The climate is mostly hot and humid, with mostly a tropical climate and thereby, with no distinct seasons. The mean maximum temperature is 36 °C. The hottest season is from April to June, with temperature ranging from 34 °C to 48 °C — with maximum of 51 °C recorded in May 2002 and May 2007. The coolest months are December and January, when it is pleasant at 27 °C – 30 °C. There is a lot of rain due to the monsoon and cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal.
During the construction of the Railway bridge (Havelock Bridge – named after the then Madras Governor) in 1900 one of the Fort walls was demolished. The fort was constructed between the 8th and 11th centuries during the reign of Chalukyas. Today also we can find Kandakam Street (Kandakam – A big canal dug around the fort filled with water to stop the enemy forces from coming into the fort – generally 20 feet (6.1 m) deep and 50 feet (15 m) wide).