History
The District Court ANANTHAPURAMU was established 1st January, 1920. The District has 37 nos number of courts i.e., 9 nos. District courts, 8 nos. Senior Civil Judge Courts and 20 nos. Junior Civil Judge Courts. Sri J.W.Hughes was the first District and Sessions Judge.
LEPAKSHI
How to Reach
It is the most important place in the Anantapuram District from the historical and archaeological point of view . Lepakshi is situated at a distance of 105km from Bangalore and 110 km from Ananthapur. Lepakshi is well connected by road with frequent bus and private transport facilities from Hindupur at the distance of 15 KM. The nearest railhead is at Hindupur.
The Skandhapuranam refers to Lepakshi as one of the 108 Saiva temples in India . Sri Virupanna, who worked as a Treasury Officer of Penukonda Fort of Vijayanagara Empire, took up the construction of the Lord Veerabhadhra Temple at Lepakshi in the 16th-century. One can find the late Vijayanagara style of architecture in the vestiges of Lepakshi.
The construction of the temple in 1538 A.D. is attributed to Virupanna, a noble man and merchant prince of those times. The natyamandapa or dance hall is supported by 100 pillars finely sculpted with figurines of a dancing Siva, Nandi, Tumbura, Rambha and other celestial beings playing the drum, veena and other instruments in accompaniment. The unfinished Kalyanamandapa on the other side contains sculptures of dikapalakas on the pillar.
From the center of the mantapa emerges a dome, twenty-one feet high, like a great lotus of heaven. In this huge mantapa, the ceiling is divided into different panels by beams that are painted with some of the most exquisite murals of the Deccan.
PUTTAPARTHI
Puttaparthi, now popularly known as Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of Supreme Peace, is the home town of Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba and it is about 40 km away from Dharmavaram, 80 km from Anantapur and 200 km from Bangalore . World renowned and worshiped by his devotees all over the globe as God Incarnate, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has shown humanity a new way of life and through his simple teachings transformed millions of his devotees’ lives. It indeed needs a divine intervention for anyone to achieve the accomplishments of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of supreme peace, is a place every human being should visit in his lifetime to experience for oneself what selfless and pure love can achieve. This is the abode of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and it lies on the bank of the river Chitravati, at a distance of 90Km. from anantapuram and 20Km. from penukonda. He is considered the incarnation of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and thousands of devotees and tourists from the four corners of the world visit Puttaparthi just to have his ‘Darshan’.
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born on 23 November 1926 (1926-11-23)Puttaparthi, Madras Presidency, British India . His first name was Sathya Narayana Raju and after he had the name Satya Sai Baba, he was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918.
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was died on 24 April 2011,(2011-04-24) (aged 84),Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India.
The teachings of Sri Satya Sai Baba:
“ Love All, Serve All
Help Ever, Hurt Never ”
Puttaparthi has a railway station SSPN (Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam) which started functioning from 23 November 2000. It is about 8 kilometers from the ashram. It is easy to reach the town from the railway station, in 20 – 25 mins, as various modes of transport are available like cabs that can be hired and APRRTC buses. It is connected to Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bubhaneshwar, Mumbai and New Delhi directly. The nearest major railway station is 45 kilometers away at Dharmavaram, where one can board a train to anywhere in India. The Dharmavaram railway station itself is connected to Puttaparthi by APSRTC buses. The journey takes about 60 to 75 minutes.
Tadipatri-Chintala Venkataramana Temple
How to reach
Tadipatri is Located at a distance of 90kms, from Ananthapur.
Chintala Venkataramana Temple
Tadipatri has many religious monuments of interest located in and around the town. In the heart of the town is the Chintala Venkataramana Temple with its lofty gopura.
At a distance of 1km, from the town, overlooking the Pennar river is the Bugga Ramalingeshwara Temple, remarkable for a lingam on a pedestal, constantly filled with water from a small spring.
ALURU KONA
This village is at a distance of 5 Km. from Tadipatri Town. It is said that Yerramraju, the chief representative of King Bukkaraya, Built Ranganathaswami temple, in 1334 A.D., Atop a hill. One can find a small water falls in an area in the valley, where water is ever-present. The valley with its natural beauty attracts tourists. Apart from that, thousands of tourists and devotees visit it throughout the year. “Brahmotsavam” of Lord Ranganathaswami is celebrated on Chaitra Sudha Paurnami Day.
GOOTY-FORT
How to Reach
Gooty is located at a distance of 52 km from Anantapur on the Kurnool – Bangalore trunk road. It is one of the oldest hill forts of Andhra Pradesh. This place is well connected by rail and road from Anantapur.
Significance: Gooty fort is situated at a height of 300 mtrs above the plains in Gooty. It is one of the oldest hill forts in Andhra Pradesh. The fort was built by the emperors of the Vijayanagara Kingdom . The Marathas under Murari Rao conquered it. Then it was taken over by Haider Ali in 1773 and eventually fell into the British hands after the defeat of Tipu Sultan in 1799.
The fort was built in the shape of a shell and has 15 forts with 15 main doors (Mukahdwarulu) inside the structure. There is a small pavilion made of polished lime stone called Murari Rao’s seat. This pavilion is on the edge of a cliff from where one can have a panoramic view of the surroundings. The unique feature of the fort is the availability of water resources at such a height.
PENUKONDA FORT – KALESWARA TEMPLE
How to Reach
Penukonda is 50 km from Ananthapur and is located on the way to Bangalore (on National Highway No. 7). It is well connected by road with frequent buses and private transportation from Ananthapur.
Significance: The Penukonda Fort, constructed with stone by mixing lime and clay, served as the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire for a short period and remained inaccessible to the enemies. Now, there are two important sights here. One is the “Gagan Mahal” which was used as a summer resort by the Vijayanagar Kings. The Gagan Mahal witnessed the majesty and aristocracy of the Royal times and was built in 1575 AD. The other is “Babayya Darga” which is the symbol of communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims.
PENNA AHOBILAM
How to Reach
Located at a distance of 12kms, from Uravakonda and 36kms, from Anantapur, it is well-linked by road with frequent bus service.
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple
This Temple is located amidst lush greenery, on the banks of a rivulet of Pennar. Myth has it that this temple was built on the footprint of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy measuring 5 feet 3 inches . And it is said that another footprint of the Lord is at the Ahobilam temple in Kurnool district. According to the sources available, Most of the people visit this place to perform marriage ceremonies of their children and relatives. A grand car festival is conducted in the month of April.
KADIRI TEMPLE
Sri Lakshmi Narashimha Swami Temple is located to the west of the town and is a popular place of pilgrimage attracting devotees even from neighboring districts. The epics say that ‘Narashimha Swami’ is one of the ten avataras of Lord Vishnu. This Vishnu temple appears to have been constructed by one ‘Ranganayudu’, a Palegar of Patharlapattanam.
Several scenes from ‘Ramayana’ are painted on the ceiling of the ‘Rangamantapa’ and several fresco’s on that of the Lakshmi mantapa depicting scenes from the ‘Bhagavata’. Unfortunately the murals have lost their freshness and are fading. Many inscriptions on the temple mostly mention the gifts given by kings to the temple.
The legendary significance of this sacred shrine dates back to Trethayuga, and according to local version, the presiding deity – Narasimhaswami in His terrific aspect – ‘Vugrarupa’ chose to settle down here after killing Hiranyakasipu.
YOGI VEMANA SAMADHI
Famous for the Yogi Vemana Samadhi, Kattarupally attracts a lot of pilgrims. Situated 25 kms. from Kadiri enroute Thimmamamarimanu, the journey offers spectacular views of rock formations of various shapes. Yogi Vemana is widely known as peoples’ poet. His simple and colloquial Telugu poems, which narrates truths of day to day life and social evils, are more popular among the literates and illiterate ruralites.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE DISTRICT:
Anantapur offers some vivid glimpses of the prehistoric past. It is generally held that the place got its name from ‘Anantasagaram’, a big tank, which means “Endless Ocean”.
Anantapur is familiarly known as “Hande Anantapuram”. ‘Hande’ means chief of the Vijayanagar period. Anantapur and a few other places were gifted by the Vijayanagar rulers to Hanumappa Naidu of the Hande family. The place subsequently came under the Qutub Shahis, Mughals, and the Nawabs of Cuddapah, although the Hande chiefs continued to rule as their subordinates.
Anantapur District was formed in the year 1882 having been separated from Bellary District.
THIMMAMMA MARRIMANU (BANAYAN TREE)
How to Reach
Located about 35 kms from Kadiri, and 100 kms from Anantapur.
Significance: It is famous as it has a banyan tree, which is locally called as “Thimmamma Marrimanu”. It is regarded as the biggest of its kind in South India. It’s branches spreads over nearly 5 acres. It is named after ‘Thimmamma’ who was considered to be the representative of the Almighty. To the pride of India, the “Marrimanu” was recorded as the biggest tree in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989.
A small temple dedicated to Thimmamma lies under the tree. An account of this lady in Telugu kept at the shrine reveals that she was the daughter of a Setti Balija couple Sennakka Venkatappa and Mangamma, born in AD 1394. She was married to a Bala Veerayya who died in 1434, and Thimmamma committed ‘Sati’.
The banyan tree is believed to have sprouted at the place where she ascended the funeral pyre. The people of this area strongly believe that if a childless couple worship “Thimmamma” they will have a child the very next year. A big ‘Jatara’ is conducted here on the day of “Shivaratri” when thousands and thousands of people flock here to worship ‘Thimmamma’ on this occasion.