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Eluru () is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of
Andhra Pradesh,
India. It is the headquarters of
West Godavari district and has a population of 5,15,343 approximately. Eluru is situated on the national highway
NH 5 connecting
Vijayawada and
Visakhapatnam and about east of state capital,
Hyderabad. Eluru was earlier called
Helapuri and has a rich cultural and political history. It was believed to have been the capital of
Vishnukundinas at one time.
Kolleru Lake a big fresh water lake is found near Eluru.
It is known for its well established educational institutes like
Sir C.R.Reddy College. It is the hub for the paddy, tobacco, coconut exports to all other parts of the state. It is well known for the carpets and incense sticks (
Agarbatti in
Telugu) exports to all over the country.
Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?lci=org.wikipedia.en&q=16.7,81.1(Eluru)&ie=UTF8&ll=16.7,81.1&spn=0.298588,0.55687&z=11
History
Helapuri (
Eluru) was part of the Buddhist kingdom of
Vengi. The Eastern Chalakyas ruled coastal Andhra from 700 to 1200, with Vengi,near the village of Pedavegi, as their capital. Historical evidence can be found at the villages of
Pedavegi and
Guntupalli (Jilakarragudem).
Eluru then became a part of the
Kalinga Empire until 1471. Later it fell into the hands of the
Gajapathis.In 1515
Srikrishnadevaraya captured it. After the fall of the Vijayanagara Kingdom, it was...
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