Andhra to name new capital as Amaravathi

The Andhra Pradesh government is likely to name the new capital city being built between Vijayawada and Guntur as Amaravathi. An announcement to this effect is likely to be made shortly. CM N Chandrababu Naidu was supposed to make the announcement on Ugadi, the Telugu new year, but refrained from doing so.

The actual Amaravathi town is 35 km away in Guntur district. The government, however, has not made the town a part of AP Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) and it is being developed separately as a heritage town with funds from the Centre. It, instead, procured close to 33,000 acres through land-pooling for the new capital city between Vijayawada and Guntur.

Officials are now working to link the two places if the new capital city is also named Amaravathi.

Famous for Amareswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, the ancient town is also known for its Buddhist sites, including ruins of a Buddhist Stupa, as it was an important Buddhist centre during the 2nd century BC. Dharanikota near Amaravathi was also the capital of Satavahana dynasty from 2nd century.

A 125-feet high statue of ‘Meditating Buddha’ was unveiled in the town recently on the banks of river Krishna.

Amaravathi was short-listed by the Union government for conservation and development as a heritage site along with 11 other places, including Warangal in Telangana.

Source:: Indian Express