Anakapalli

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City in Andhra Pradesh, India

title: "Anakapalli" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["anakapalli-district", "cities-and-towns-in-anakapalli-district", "district-headquarters-of-andhra-pradesh"] description: "City in Andhra Pradesh, India" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anakapalli" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in Andhra Pradesh, India ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Anakapalli
image_skyline	Anakapalle Montage.png
image_caption	Anakapalli montage
Clockwise from top left: rock-cut Buddha statue at Bojjannakonda, view of Anakapalli, Anakapalli railway station, streets of Anakapalli, rail bridge on Sarada River, view of Satyanarayana Konda
pushpin_map	India Andhra Pradesh
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Andhra Pradesh
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	India
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Andhra Pradesh
subdivision_type2	District
subdivision_name2	Anakapalli
subdivision_type3	City
subdivision_name3	Visakhapatnam
governing_body	Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority
unit_pref	Metric
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	23.28
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	29
population_total	86,519
population_as_of	2011
population_density_km2	auto
population_footnotes
demographics_type1	Languages
demographics1_title1	Official
demographics1_info1	Telugu
timezone1	IST
utc_offset1	+5:30
postal_code_type	PIN
postal_code	531001/02
area_code_type	Telephone code
area_code	08924
registration_plate_type	Vehicle Registration
registration_plate	AP31 (Former)
AP39 (from 30 January 2019)
blank1_name_sec1	Vidhan Sabha constituency
blank1_info_sec1	Anakapalli
blank2_name_sec1	Lok Sabha constituency
blank2_info_sec1	Anakapalli
leader_name	Konathala Ramakrishna
leader_title1	MP
leader_name1	C. M. Ramesh
::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/A_View_of_Anakapalle_Train_station.jpg" caption="Anakapalli railway station"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Anakapalle_Municipal_Office.jpg" caption="Anakapalli Municipal Office"] ::

Anakapalli () is a suburb of Visakhapatnam city, located within the jurisdiction of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. It contains India's second largest jaggery market.

History

The town was ruled by the Kalinga Empire (ancient Odisha). Different dynasties ruled this region, including the Chedi Kingdom of Kalinga, the Eastern Ganga dynasty, the Gajapati Kingdom, the Kakatiya dynasty, and the Qutub Shahi empire. Around 1611, Kakarlapudi Appala Raju Payakarao conquered the region under the Sultanate of Golconda, with Anakapalli as his fortified headquarters. The historical saga of Anakapalli begins with the historian Tallapragada, who identified and documented its significance. This was substantiated by the historical evidence found on Bojjanakonda. Additionally, the area was ruled by various dynasties including the Satavahanas, Vishnukundina, Gajapathi, Vijayanagara Samrats, and Golkonda Samanta Rajulu.

The aliases of Anakapalli are Aniankapalli, Anekaphalle, Vijaypuri, Veniapalii, Kanakapuri, Bellampatnam, and Anakapally. It is located by the side of the holy Sarada River.

Anakapalli was an estate in the Visakhapatnam District of the Madras Presidency. Originally belonging to the Rajas of Vijayanagaram, it passed entirely into the hands of the family through an auction purchase in 1802. The estate was subject to a tribute (peshkash) to the government of 2997 peshkash per annum and was later resold by the Raja to Gode Jaggappa. It consists of 16 villages and 17 hamlets, and it comprises some of the richest land in the district.

The annual rental value, along with five other attached estates, was 17,609 peshkash. The Anakapalli taluk contains 45 towns and villages and 154 hamlets, all zamindaris (private estate holders) with 27,929 occupied houses and 131,637 inhabitants. According to the 1881 census, the population included 130,667 Hindus, 1,367 Muslims, and 3 Christians. The government land revenue, excluding zamindari, was 127 peshkash. The area had a criminal court, and in civil matters, it was under the jurisdiction of the Munsif's Court at Rayavaram.

Anakapalli town, which is located in Anakapalli taluk, Visakhapatnam district, Madras Presidency, lies 20 mi southwest of Visakhapatnam on the Sarada River and the Grand Trunk Road. In 1881, the population of the town was 13,341, with 3,810 houses. The municipal revenue for 1880-81 amounted to about 915 peshkash. Much of the surrounding area historically belonged to the king of Vijayanagara. Recently, it has experienced a growth spurt due to the molasses and small-scale cotton export businesses, serving as an agricultural center.

As the headquarters of the taluk, it houses the regular subordinate courts and a jail dispensary and courts. It is the fourth most populous town in the district.

Buddhist area

One of the most significant Buddhist sites in Andhra Pradesh, Sankaram, is located 3.5 km away from Anakapalli and 41 km away from Visakhapatnam on the Sabbavaram by-pass road. The name Sankaram derives from the term Sangharama. Sankaram is famous for its many votive stupas, rock-cut caves, brick-built structural edifices, early historic pottery, and Satavahana coins that date back to the 1st century AD. The main stupa here was initially carved out of rock and then covered with bricks.

Visible there are a number of images of the Buddha carved on the rock face of the caves. At Lingalametta, there are hundreds of rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows, spread over the hill. Among other Buddhist attractions here are relic caskets, three chaitya halls, votive platforms, stupas, and Vajrayana sculptures. The Vihara was functional for around a millennium and saw the development of not only the Theravada form of Buddhism but also Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Later, Anakapalli went to the estate of Vavilavalasa Inuganty kings and ruled a long time.

Freedom struggle

Before the Sepoy Mutiny, the French were attacked in Anakapalli in 1753. Bassi Dora was arrested at Kasimkota. Many freedom leaders visited Anakapalli, including Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, who started the movement to boycott foreign goods in Anakapalli. Gandhi started his speech at Bellam Market in Anakapalli. The farmers requested that Gandhi name the jaggery market as Gandhi Market. He accepted the request. Other leaders visited, including N. G. Ranga and CPI's Jaya Prakash Narayan. One year later, Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose also gave speeches at Anakapalli.

During 1944–45, Sri Koribilli Jogarao (Teacher) and Jakkanahalli Sri Ramamurthy (Compounder) participated in the freedom struggle and spoke against the movement and were sent to Rai Vellore Jail.

Town main divisions

Gavarapalem
Lakshmi Narayana Nagar
Vijayaramaraju peta
Laxmi Devi peta
Gandhi Nagar
Narasinga Rao peta

Geography

Anakapalli is located at , on the banks of River Sarada and at an altitude of 29 m. It is spread over an area of 23.28 km2.

Demographics

According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Anakapalli had an area of 297 sqmi, containing 143 villages.

As of the 2001 Indian census, Anakapalli had a population of 84,523. Males constituted 50% of the population and females 50%. Anakapalli had an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with 54% of the males and 46% of females literate. 10% of the population were under 6 years old.

Governance

Anakapalli Municipality dates back to 1877. Anakapalli became a municipality using the Madras City Development Act. According to the Madras District Municipality Act of 1884, they were decided to have 13 members. The municipality had a directly elected municipal chairman in 1885 and 1897. It became a first grade municipality in 1956, consisting of 32 wards. This municipality earns an annual revenue of around 1 crore. Later, this was merged into G.V.M.C in 2015 of zone-07.

Economy

Agriculture production in the region mainly consists of rice, corn, sugarcane, and vegetables. The chief crop cultivated in this region is sugarcane. Anakapalli is well known for its jaggery market, which is the second-largest in India. Velagapudi Steels own a steel mill near Anakapalli.

Notable temples

Bojjannakondaancient Buddhist site
Nookambika Temple

Social welfare and clubs

Local social welfare groups include Anakapalli Merchant Association Sri Gauri Granthalayam and Sharada Granthalayam Anakapalli Rotary Club (1953), Lions Club (1966), Premasamajam (1943), Gouri Yuvajana Seva Gangam (1966), and Gouri Seva Sangam (1970). There are clubs like N.T.R. Stadium and Rao Gopal Rao Kala Kshetra, and an indoor stadium.

Theatres

The theaters in this town include Shri Satya Theatre, Satyanarayana Theatre, Venkateswara Theatre, Raja Theatre, Ramachandra Theatre, Parthi Sai Theatre, and Shiridi Sai Theatre.

Transport

National Highway 16, a part of the Golden Quadrilateral highway network, bypasses the town. Anakapalle railway station is on the Howrah–Chennai main line. It is under the Vijayawada division of the South Central Railway zone. APSRTC runs the buses all over the state. Vizag city buses run from Maddilapalem, Dwaraka Bus Station, Gajuwaka, Yelamanchili, etc. Anakapalle railway station received funds of nearly 27 crores under Amrit Bharat Scheme in 2023. Anakapalle Lok Sabha Constituency MP Dr. Beesetti Venkata Satyavathi of YSRCP laid the stone while Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it and virtually attended.

Notable people

References

"District Census Handbook – Visakhapatnam".
"Maps, Weather, and Airports for Anakapalli, India". fallingrain.com.
"Census 2011". The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
(31 January 2019). "New 'AP 39' code to register vehicles in Andhra Pradesh launched". The New Indian Express.
Staff Reporter. "CM okays merger of Anakapalle and Bhimili with GVMC". The Hindu.
(30 March 2015). "Anakapalli jaggery market stares at bitter future – Times of India". The Times of India.
Hunter, William Wilson. (1885). "The imperial gazetteer of India". London, Trübner & co..
కడలి అన్నపూర్ణ. (2000). "అనకాపల్లి గ్రామదేవతలు-ఒక పరిశీలనము".
"Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 5, page 334 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library".
"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India.
(2013-06-29). "Post merger, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation to revise Visakhapatnam plan". The Times of India.
"Re-rolling steel mill inaugurated". The Hindu Business Line.
"National Highways Development Project Map".
(6 August 2023). "Andhra Pradesh Guv Attends Upgradation of Railway Stations Ceremony".

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