There are a number of ancient inscriptions in both the Bhímésvara and Náráyanasvámi temples in the village. Thirty of these have been copied by the Government Epigraphist (Nos. 460 to 489 of 1893). Some others, mostly of a private nature, are given in one of the Mackenzie MSS.1[1] The most ancient is one among the former dated 1087 A.D. A few of them mention members of the Reddi dynasty. The Mackenzie MS. gives what purports to be a copy of a copper-plate grant of Kátama Véma Reddi to the Náráyanasvámi temple dated 1393 A.D.
Chollangi: Lies six miles south of Cocanada, near the coast, and on one of the traditional seven holy mouths of the Gódávari. It is the first place visited by those who are making the 'pilgrimage of the seven mouths.'2[2] The branch of the river which has its mouth here is said to have been brought down by the sage Tulya, and is accordingly called the Tulya-ságara-sangam. It is really nothing but the Tulya Bhága drain. The village is otherwise quite insignificant, and its population is only 577.
Cocanada, the head-quarters of the taluk and district, is a municipality of 48,096 inhabitants and one of the busiest sea-ports in the Presidency. It is situated on the western side of the Coringa bay, and is connected by a branch with the North-east line of the Madras Railway. Its trade has been referred to in some detail on pp. 113-7. It is the head-quarters of the Collector (the Judge resides at Rajahmundry), the District Forest Officer, Local Fund Engineer, Assistant Commissioner of Salt, Abkári and Customs, District Medical and Sanitary Officer, District Registrar, head-quarters Divisional Officer (either a Deputy Collector or an Assistant Collector) and Government Chaplain, and of the Port Officer in charge of the harbour and port. The minor officials stationed there are the tahsildar, district munsif and stationary sub-magistrate. The place is also the head-quarters of a company of the East Coast Rifle Volunteers, and contains a municipal hospital (founded 1856), a dispensary (founded 1888), a women and children's dispensary (founded 1895), two police-stations, a travellers' bungalow, a large private choultry, a private native rest-house, the Pithápuram Rája's college, an English lower secondary school for boys, and two English, and four vernacular, lower secondary schools for girls. Its medical and educational institutions have been referred to in Chapters IX and X respectively, and the doings of its
