Kurnool: Nesting Ancient Glories with Subtlety

Waheeda Bi khan

Kurnool: Nesting Ancient Glories with Subtlety

Once upon a time in ancient history, bullock carts and caravans would stop on the banks of the Tungabhadra River to grease the wheels before crossing over. The term kandana, meaning grease, found its way into the ancient records as the name for this particular stretch of land, eventually becoming known as Kandanavolu or Kandanolu, which gradually evolved into Kurnool.

Map of Kurnool District in Rayalseema; Source: Wikimedia Commons

The miraculous belief attached to this temple is that the huge Nandi that graces its entrance was smaller in size previously, and the devotees would do Pradakshinas around it. But now, the caretakers had to remove a pillar to make space for its growing size. It is said that the stone Nandi will come alive and raise an ululation when the Kalyuga ends.

Today, Kurnool, the headquarters of the namesake district, resides on the land that has silently yet steadily grown since the Paleolithic era. Nestled on the banks of the Tungabhadra, the city is also known as the Gateway of Rayalseema, indicating its position as the starting point on the map of the Rayalseema region. It experiences a hot savanna climate, with temperatures soaring to 46°C in summer. The region encompassing Rayalseema, to a large extent, belonged to the area of the Araveeti or Aravidu dynasty during the last leg of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The name Rayalseema is associated with the days of the Vijayanagara Empire. Ancient texts prove that the rulers of Vijayanagara used the suffix Raya or Rayalu for this region. Raya is a Sanskrit word in the tadbhava form, meaning Raja (King), and Seema was used to indicate an administrative territory.

Blending the contemporary with the medieval is the iconic landmark in the heart of Kurnool – the Konda Reddy Buruju (watchtower). The fort owes its title to the last king of Alampur Konda Reddy, who was imprisoned in this fort after the defeat and loss of his territory to the Golconda Nawabs. It is said that when his life was at risk, he escaped through the tunnel under this citadel but could not retain his title.

Once upon a time in ancient history, bullock carts and caravans would stop on the banks of the Tungabhadra River to grease the wheels before crossing over. The term kandana, meaning grease, found its way into the ancient records as the name for this particular stretch of land, eventually becoming known as Kandanavolu or Kandanolu, which gradually evolved into Kurnool.

Kurnool is one of those cities that blends the oldest and the latest with such poise that it creates a worthy space of its own in the annals of both history and a gateway to future possibilities. The excavated sites on this land evince that it was inhabited even 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. The rock art or paintings discovered in the Jurreru Valley connect the lineage of this city to the Paleolithic era.

The Kelavaram cave paintings also authenticate this claim of ancestry. The Belum caves, the second-largest cave system in India, are full of long galleries rich in relics, rock paintings, and art.

The relics and artefacts in these caves indicate Buddhist influence, while some vessels are said to date back to 4500 BC. Discovered by Robert Bruce Foote, a British surveyor, in 1884, the cave reaches up to 151 ft deep from the entrance at a point named Pataalaganga. The cave system has spacious caverns with siphons and freshwater, which can be accessed through long passages adorned with stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Yellarthi Dargah is a hub for South Indian Muslims during its Urs celebration, and Jamiya Masjid in Adoni, built with granite stone in the late 17th century, is noteworthy. The unique feature of this landmark is that its area is the same size as the Kabba in Mecca.

If the contemporary world's greatest need is sustainable, greener sources of energy and a drastic reduction in carbon-di-oxide emissions, then Kurnool district has become the gateway of green energy swaraj for India, as it hosts the world's largest green energy project, the Integrated Renewable Energy Storage Project (IRESP).

With its well-irrigated dams and canals, the Kurnool district has achieved remarkable feats while nurturing and preserving its ancient and medieval heritage. It serves as a gateway for travellers to immerse themselves in a rich history and relive the memories bequeathed to this land by our ancestors since the Paleolithic era.

Built during the 12th century by Achyuta Devaraya, the fort has stood the test of time and witnessed wars between different dynasties. It is the only remaining intact structure of the vast Kurnool Fort from yesteryears. The other ruined remnant is the Erra (red) Buruju made of red sandstone. This wrecked fort is flanked at its foot by two temples dedicated to Goddess Yellamma.

The buruju stands proud with its two-storey stone structure and a tall tower-like bastion on the top floor from the Vijayanagara days. The lower floor has a sealed gate that serves as the entrance to a tunnel, confirming the calculated and keen medieval military strategies of that time. The unique and celebratory feature of the tunnel is that it runs for 25 kilometres under the Tungabhadra River to reach Alampur

The name of Kurnool was lost for some time when the British named the entire region "Ceded" because the land was bequeathed to the British by Ali Khan as a subsidiary alliance. However, Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad, who was awarded the region during the Mysore wars, put a condition that the city slandered with the name Ceded and nearby areas under his relatives, the Banaganapalli Nawabs, should be independent of British administration.

But then, colonial history witnessed another confiscation by the British, accusing the Nawab of disloyalty, resulting in his ousting in 1839. The Banaganapalli Nawabs retained their little domain until India gained independence. In the early 20th century, Chilukuri Narayana Rao, a Telugu lecturer, argued about the derogatory implication of the name and submitted a resolution at the Andhra Mahasabha and Ceded Districts Conference to restore the original name of the region. The resolution was approved, and the land revoked its name, once again embracing the ancient grease to become Kurnool.

Historically, Kurnool has a serene blend of ethnicity and heritage that seamlessly flows into the contemporary milieu. After independence, when the Madras presidency was divided into states based on ethnicity and common languages, Kurnool became the first capital (1953-56) of Andhra Pradesh, encompassing the regions of Rayalseema and the former Hyderabad state. This justifies the district's title as the Gateway of Rayalseema.

The district is home to several significant religious sites. The oldest Hindu religious sites in the district include Mantralayam, the teerthasthan, Sri Chowdeshwari Devi Temple, and Shirdi Saibaba Temple, among many others. For other faiths, the Coles Centennial Baptist Church in Kurnool City, near the Konda Reddy Fort, is a landmark known for its rockstone architecture.

The Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple, built in the Vaishnavaite style, in Nandyal, Kurnool district, traces its establishment to the Sangama dynasty of the 15th century, during the Vijayanagara Empire. There are many stories and beliefs associated with this site of worship, making it a must-visit place on any traveller's list.

The story associated with the name of the temple is that sage Agatsya wished to build a place of worship for Lord Venkateshwara, but the toe of the idol broke before it could be installed, which upset the sage. He decided to perform penance until Lord Shiva accepted it, and the Lord, convinced by the sage's devotion, appeared and expressed that the site suited him well because of its resemblance to Kailash. Sage Agatsya then requested the Lord to grant the boon for all devotees to worship Parvati in the form of Lord Uma Maheswara in a single stone, and Lord Shiva granted it.