Kurnool, Information about Kurnool, Kurnool Tour

Kurnool is situated on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra and Handri rivers in the central west part of Andhra Pradesh. Kurnool was the former capital of Andhra Pradesh from 1953 until 1956. It is the headquarters of the district. In 12th century AD, the Odders used the site on which the town stands as a halting place and greased their cart wheels with oil locally supplied by some of the oil mongers, and called the place as Kandanavolu which later came to be known as Kurnool. Kurnool is also the gateway to an important Hindu pilgrimage-the Shrine of Srisailam. Kurnool has also fragments of the old fort and several mosques built by Muslim rulers. It has a pleasant climate, specially in winter months.

Tourist Attractions of Kurnool

There are only few worth visiting places in Kurnool. Some of the places are the Kondareddy Buruz protected under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, tomb of Abdul Wahab, the remains of the palace of Gopal Raju, the last Hindu rulers of Kurnool and the ruins of a royal fort. This fort belongs to the medieval kingdom of Vijayanagar, which flourished from the 14th to the 16th century. Some temples like 'Nagareswarasawami', 'Peta Anjaneyaswami', 'Venugoplaswami', 'Iswaraswami', 'Saibab', and 'Birla Mandir' or 'Stayanarayaswami' are also there in Kurnool. Several Persian and Arabic inscriptions, which throw light on various aspects of historical interests, are noted at the place.

Excursions from Kurnool

Ahobilam
Ahobilam is a great religious centre of considerable antiquity, and located 74 km from Nandyal and 26 km from Allagaddal. It is a reputed Hindu pilgrim centre, especially for Vishnavites. The temple is divided into two parts - the lower Ahobilam and the upper Ahobilam. The upper Ahobilam is a plateau of 2,800 meters height above sea level.

Adoni
There is a fort in Adoni which was once a stronghold of Vijayanagar Empire, but now stands in ruins upon five rocky granite hills. There are two of hills each of about 800 feet in height. Jama Masjid is a fine piece of Muslim architecture located in Adoni.

Srisailam
Srisailam is situated in the thick and inaccessible forests of the Nallamalai hills in Kurnool. It is one of the most ancient and sacred places in South India. This important religious shrine stands on the Rishabhagiri hill, on the southern bank of the sacred river Krishna. Srisailam is referred to as 'Sri Giri', 'Sriparvata', 'Rudra Parvata' and 'Seshachalam' in several texts and Puranas.

Mahanandi
Mahanandi is located about 16 km from Nandyal. It is a reputed pilgrim centre in the State and a scenic spot due to its location to the east of the Nallamalla hill ranges in a natural gorge surrounded by thick forests on all the sides.

How to get here

By Air:
The nearest airport is located at Hyderabad, about 219 km from Kurnool.

By Rail:
The railway station is located on the Secunderabad-Bangalore railway line.

By Road:
Kurnool is well connected with all the important places in the district as well as Cuddapah, Anantapur, Chittoor, and Hyderabad.

To know the distances from Kurnool click here.