GAJAPATINAGARAM TALUK.
This lies next north of Vizianagram, and on the west runs up to the Jeypore hills. Except in this western corner, where the scenery is picturesque and even wild, the taluk resembles in appearance the rest of the plain country of the district, consisting of a wide expanse of red soil dotted with low, red hills.
The places of interest in it include the following:- -
Ándra: Lies ten miles north-west of Gajapatinagaram near the mouth of a valley at the foot of the hills; population 2,724. The hills behind it are sometimes called 'the Ándra hills.' On Tuesdays a big market is held, whereat quantities of hill produce are exchanged for the commodities of the plains.
The village is the chief place in the impartible ancient zamindari of the same name. This is said to have been granted, along with the title of Pratápa Rao, by Visvambara Deo, Rája of Jeypore from 1713 to 1752, to Pedda Ráman Dora of the Konda Dora caste. The permanent settlement was made in 1803 with this man's grandson, Gárayya Dora. These Doras had allied themselves to the Vizianagram family and paid them tribute. Mr. Alexander reported that the inaccessibility of their estate and their active and enterprising spirit rendered them much more desirable as allies than enemies, and so the tribute had always been light. On the death of Viziaráma Rázu at the battle of Padmanábham in 1794, the Ándra property was left in their possession at the same peshkash (Rs. 1,500); and this sum (less the value of land-customs resumed) was again continued at the permanent settlement. The present holder is Sanyási Dora alias Gárayya Dora, who is the adopted son of the son of the Gárayya Dora above mentioned.
He also owns the small impartible estate of Sarapalli-Bhímavaram. In the days when the Púsapátis were in power this, says Mr. Carmichael, was a separate zamindari with a tribute of Rs. 600. The owner, Jógi Rázu, in 1796 joined the notorious outlaw Mukki Rájabhúpála Rázu (see p. 54), and was turned out by Mr. Webb, who gave the property to the then holder of Ándra.
Gajapatinagaram is the head-quarters of the taluk and a union of 2,724 inhabitants, but is otherwise uninteresting. It
