Gódávari/Gazetteer/Amalapuram Taluk
CHAPTER XV.
GAZETTEER.
Amalapuram taluk—Amalapuram—Ambajipeta—Ayinavalli—Bandarulanka—Bendamurlanka—Gannavaram—Kesanakurru—Mandapalli—Muramalla—Palivela—Peruru—Rali—Vadapalli—Vanapalli—Vyagresvarapuram. Cocanada taluk—Bhimavaram—Chollangi—Cocanada—Coringa—Gollapalaiyam—Injaram—Nilapalli—Samalkot—Sarpavaram—Tallarevu—Yanam. Nagaram taluk—Antarvedi—Jagannapeta—Kadali—Nagaram—Rajavolu—Sivakodu—Tatipaka. Peddapuram taluk—Annavaram—Dharamallapuram—Jagammapeta—Kandrakota—Kattipudi—Kirlampudi—Peddapuram—Prattipadu—Ragampeta—Rangampeta—Talluru—Totapalli—Viravaram—Yelesvaram. Pithapuram division—Chandurti—Kottapalli—Mulapeta—Pithapuram—Ponnada—Uppada. Rajahmundry taluk—Dowlaishweram—Gokavaram—Korukonda—Kottapalli—Rajahmundry. Ramachandrapuram taluk—Bikkavolu—Draksharamam—Gangavaram—Kotipalli—Maredipaka—Ramachandrapuram—Ramaghattalu—Vegayammapeta. Tuni division—Bendapudi—Hamsavaram—Kottapalli—Talluru—Tatipaka—Tetagunta—Tuni. Bhadrachalam taluk—Bhadrachalam—Dummagudem—Gundala—Kumarasvamigudem—Kunnavaram—Parnasala—Rekapalle—Sri Ramagiri. Chodavaram division—Bandapalli—Birampalli—Boduluru—Bolagonda—Chavala—Chidugiiru—Chodavaram—Chopakonda—Dandangi—Dorachintalapalem—Geddada—Kakuru—Kondamodalu—Kundada—Marrivada—Musurumilli—Nadunuru—Nimmalapalem—Palem-Pamuleru—Peta—Rampa—Sirigindalapadu—Tadapelli—Tunnuru—Vadapalli—Velagapalli—Valamuru—Vemulakonda. Polavaram division—Gangolu-Giitala— Jangareddigudem—Pata Pattisam—Polavaram—Taduvayi. Yellavaram division—Addatigela—Anigeru—Dutcharti—Gurtedu—Jaddangi—Kota—Mohanapuram—Nelipudi—Pandrapole —Ramavaram—Virabhadrapuram.
AMALAPURAM TALUK.
Amalapuram taluk is a triangular island enclosed between the Vasishta, Vainateyam and Gautami branches of the Godavari and the sea. With the smaller Nagaram island, which is similarly bounded, it comprises the whole of the central delta of the Godavari river. Statistics regarding it will be found in the separate Appendix to this volume. It is the most populous taluk in the district and the density of its inhabitants to the square mile (548) is well above the average of the plain taluks. Most of the wet land is irrigated by the central delta canal, but the area under wells, though not considerable, is far greater than in any other taluk Jn the district.[1] Of the classified area, 87 per cent, is made up of alluvial earth and the rest of arenaceous soils. The average rainfall is the highest in the district, namely 44.88 inches in the year.
The taluk is an agricultural area, and boasts few other industries. Devangas weave white cloths in fair quantities in several villages, but the industry has greatly declined since the days when Bendamurlanka was a busy port and one of the outlets for the great trade of the East India Company in cotton piece-goods. A large cattle-fair, known beyond the district, takes place at Ambajipeta. A number of places of local religious interest exist; but only two of these, namely Vanapalli and Vadapalli, are known much beyond the limits of the taluk. Periiru is the home of a class of Brahmans who have immigrated from the Tamil country and are called Kona Sima Dravidas. Relics of the Jains are found at Nedunuru and Atreyapuram ; and the large wells so common in the taluk are popularly ascribed to the followers of that creed.
Amalapuram, the head-quarters of the taluk and a union, is situated on the main canal of the central delta 38 miles south-east of Rajahmundry. Population 9,510. It contains the offices of a tahsildar, sub-registrar, stationary sub-magistrate and district munsif, a travellers' bungalow, a coronation rest-house for natives, a local fund hospital (founded 1880) and high school, and a police-station.
Popular legends say that Amalapuram was the capital of the king of Panchala, the father-in-law of the Pandava brothers ; and the taluk is known throughout the district as the 'Panchala country.' Another name for it is the Kona Sima, or the 'end country.' The town contains two temples of local repute. One was built for an idol of Venkatasvami which was found there some years ago by a man of the place, who, as usual, stated that he was told of its existence in a dream ; the other is a shrine to the serpent god, Subbarayudu, the festival at which, held in Margasiram (December-January) is fairly attended. A little weaving of white cloths goes on, counts as fine as 150s being used for the best work, and a little wood-carving of a good class.
Ambajipeta : A hamlet of Machavaram (population 5,66l) which lies five miles west by north of Amalapuram. Contains a police-station and is famous for its large cattle-fair, which is held every Wednesday and is visited even by buyers from other districts. The place is a centre for the manufacture of cocoanut ropes and oil, and a large number of general traders live there. Ayinavalli: Eight miles north of Amalápuram, population 3,363. Its temple to the belly-god Siddhi Vináyaka is well known to the people of this and adjoining districts, and vows are frequently made therein, scarcely a day passing when pilgrims do not visit it to discharge their obligations by breaking cocoanuts before the god. The temple is supposed to have been built to propitiate the belly-god by Daksha, the father-in-law of Siva, before he performed the famous yágam at Drákshárámam referred to in the account of that place on p. 250 below. Ayinavalli is also well known to natives as the birth-place of two famous Sanskrit pandits, Bulusu Achayya and his son Pápayya Sástri, who died not long ago.
It has a hamlet called Muktésvaram ('the place of beatitude') or Kshana Muktésvaram ('the place of instantaneous beatitude') and the names are accounted for by a local legend. The wife of a sage, says this story, was seduced by some celestial being and cursed in consequence by her husband. She purified herself by a bath in the Gódávari and took to a life of contemplation. Ráma, when returning from Lanka, took compassion on her forlorn state and persuaded Siva to give her mukti or beatitude,
Bandárulanka: Four miles west by north of Amalápuram. Population 2,796. The village is known for the manufacture of excellent white cloths. Some 200 Dévánga houses are engaged in the industry, and use thread of the finer counts, up to 130s.
Bendamúrlanka: Twelve miles by road south-south-west of Amalápuram. It is a hamlet of Komaragiripatnam (population 5,757) and contains a police-station, a travellers' bungalow and a vernacular lower secondary school for girls. It is situated at the mouth of the Vainatéyam branch of the Gódávari, and was selected as the site of an English factory in 1751. This was seized without resistance by Bussy in 1757, but was recovered after the battle of Condore, It was once an important centre for the trade with Europe in cotton piece-goods. Bendamúrlanka is still technically a port; but has no harbour and has not been visited by any ships for a long time.
Gannavaram: Nine miles west by north of Amalápuram. Population 2,101. Contains a small market and a travellers' bungalow. It gives its name to the fine aqueduct which crosses the Vainatéyam Gódávari there and is described in Chapter IV. According to the local legend, it was at Gannavaram that the sage Vainatéya stole some of the water of the Vasishta Gódávari to make the river of his own which goes by his name. The sage Vasishta cursed the Vainatéyam, and a bath in it is only sanctifying if taken on a Sunday. The lingam in the Siva temple is said to have been brought from the Nerbudda river by the kite Garuda, and the supposed marks of the bird's claws are pointed out on it.
Késanakurru: Eleven miles north-east of Amalápuram in a straight line. Population 3,556. A bath in its tank is supposed to confer religious merit. The sage Vyása, who (see p. 250) is said to have founded Drákshárámam, once, say the local legends, intended to establish a second Benares at Késanakurru; but heard a voice saying 'Kási nakuru,' 'do not make a Benares.' He accordingly founded Drákshárámam instead; but Késanakurru was named after the words of the divine warning, which have since become corrupted to their present form.
Mandapalli: Fourteen miles north-west of Amalápuram. Population 542. The god at the Siva temple here, Mandésvara, is bathed in oil every Saturday; and a common form of vow consists in a promise to provide the oil for this bath. Saturdays coinciding with the second day before full-moon day are particularly propitious for the fulfilment of this vow.
Muramalla: Thirteen miles north-east of Amalápuram. Population 1,448. The Siva temple here is visited by numerous pilgrims, and the usual vow taken by the devout is a promise to celebrate the marriage of the god. Hardly a day, it is said, passes without this ceremony being performed; and there is a proverb to the effect that at Muramalla there is a marriage every day and the garlands are always green. The temple is rich, and is said to have been founded and endowed 'about 500 years ago' by the widow of a Kóna Síma Drávida Bráhman.
Palivela: Twelve miles north-west of Amalápuram. Population 7,509. The Koppésvara temple here contains a number of inscriptions, some of which have been copied by the Government Epigraphist (Nos. 498 to 505 of 1893). The oldest records a gift by a minister of one of the Vélanándu family and is dated 1172 A.D. None of the others are earlier than the fourteenth century. One on the east wall of the shrine belongs to the time of the great Kákatíya king Pratápa Rudra, and is dated in 1317, or not long before his fall.*[2] The nandi in front of the temple is popularly declared to have been mutilated by order of Aurangzeb.
In former times dancing-girls used to sleep three nights at the commencement of their career in the inner shrine, so as to be embraced by the god. But one of them, it is said, disappeared one night, and the practice has ceased. The funeral pyre of every girl of the dancing-girl (Sáni) caste dying in the village should be lit with fire brought from the temple. The same practice is found in the Srírangam temple near Trichinopoly.
Palivela forms part of the union of Kottapéta (population 10,369), in which Vádapálaiyam and Kammareddipálaiyam are also included. Kottapéta contains the offices of a sub-registrar, a deputy-tahsildar and sub-magistrate, a local fund dispensary (founded 1892), a police-station, a small market, and an English lower secondary school for boys. The travellers' bungalow is in Palivela itself.
Pérúru : Five miles south-west of Amalápuram. Population 5,864. Contains a Sanskrit school. The place is noteworthy as being the home of a colony of Tamil Bráhmans, called Kóna Síma Drávidas, who came, at some date unknown, from Valangimán near Kumbakónam in Tanjore district. The story of their emigration is recounted (with impossible details) in the village itself and is also known in Madras. They no longer speak Tamil, but their village, both in appearance and in general arrangement, is so like a village of the south that it is popularly declared that if a Tanjore man could be suddenly transported thither and set down in the middle of it, he would think he was in his native country.
The original emigrants are said to have been fifteen families of twelve gótras, seven of which belonged to the Vadama, and five to the Brahacharnam, subdivision of the Tamil Bráhmans.
They first settled at Ráli, but difficulties arising, they eventually obtained from a rája a grant of as much land as an elephant could traverse in a given space of time. Thus they secured possession of the village of Pérúru. They increased and multiplied, and many of them emigrated to Ganjám and Vizagapatam, where they call themselves 'Pérúru Drávidas.' They are not popular in the district, and stories in disparagement of them are common. The part they play in the festival at Antarvédi in Nagaram taluk is referred to in the account of that place below.
Pérúru, like Amalápuram, is connected by legend with the Mahábhárata, for it is believed that the tank in the hamlet of Chindádu Garuvu is the identical sheet of water in which Arjuna saw the reflection of the flying fish which he shot in order to win the hand of Draupadi. A bath in this tank on the four Sundays succeeding the New Year's day is considered to have a sanctifying effect.
Numbers of large and ancient revetted wells exist in the village, and are known as the Reddis' wells. The story goes that a Bráhman who had the philosopher's stone was murdered by a Reddi, and that his ghost haunted the murderer and gave him no peace until he built a number of large wells at which it might quench its thirst.
The village is a centre of the export of cocoanuts and cocoaunt oil. One family of Múchis does some good wood-carving.
Ráli: Twenty miles north-west of Amalápuram, population 4,045. Contains a travellers' bungalow. A section of the Dowlaishweram anicut was originally called the Ráli anicut, and the name occurs frequently in the early accounts of the work. The village was once the head-quarters of a taluk. It is also said to have been one of the first halting-places of the Kóna Síma Drávida Bráhmans just referred to. There is a 'Tamil street' (Arava vidi) in it even now. The image of Vishnu in the local temple is represented as half male and half female, and the legend connects this fact with the wellknown story of how the asuras and dévatas churned the sea to obtain the nectar of immortality. When the nectar rose to the top, Vishnu appeared in the form of a beautiful woman, so as to divert the attention of the asuras, was seen by Siva and was pursued by him as far as Ráli.
Vádapalli: Three miles north by east of Ráli. Population 915. It is well known for its temple to Venkata or Venkanna, which is considered by the people of this neighbourhood to be almost as sacred as the famous shrine of the same god at Tirupati in North Arcot. The festival to commemorate the marriage of the deity lasts for five days in Chaitra (April- May), is very largely attended, and is a great occasion for the performance of vows.
Vánapalli: Eight miles north-north-west of Amalápuram. Population 4,686. A large festival in honour, of the village goddess Pallálamma takes place there every year. Marvellous stories are told about this deity : the size and age of her image alter according to the size and age of the worshipper; it sweats profusely and its clothes have to be wrung out every morning; 'an engineer officer' (name unknown) was turned blind some 40 years ago for entertaining the idea of demolishing the temple to make room for a canal; and the stone jackal in the shrine is one which used to defile the holy precincts every night, and was petrified in consequence. At the great festival, which lasts for a week in the month of Chaitra (April-May), a hook-swinging takes place, but nowadays the man is swung in a basket, or by a hook run through his belt. The festival is a great occasion with the jungle 'Chentzus,' who go there to celebrate their marriages and settle their caste disputes.
Vyágrésvarapuram: Ten miles north-north-west of Amalápuram. A hamlet of Pullétikurru, the population of which is 3,516. The name means 'the place of the tiger god.' It is explained by a legend to the effect that a Bráhman, being pursued by a tiger, climbed a sacred bilva tree; and thence addressed the animal with mantrams and prayers, which so affected its feelings that it turned into the stone lingam which is still worshipped under the name of Vyágrésvara.
A fairly large festival takes place in the village on the Sankránti (i.e. Pongal) day, when some fifteen of the neighbouring gods come to visit this deity.