Kantamraju Konduru

Kantamraju Konduru
Village
Dynamic map
Kantamraju Konduru Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 16°20′56″N80°36′05″E / 16.348804°N 80.601467°E / 16.348804; 80.601467
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
District	Guntur
Mandal	Duggirala
Government [1]
• Type	Panchayati raj
• Body	Kantamraju Konduru gram panchayat
Area [2]
• Total	1,004 ha (2,481 acres)
Population  (2011) [3]
• Total	3,218
• Density	320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Telugu
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	522330
Area code	+91–8644
Vehicle registration	AP

Kantamraju Kounduru is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Duggirala mandal of Tenali revenue division. It falls under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. The village is known for its historical association with the Indian independence movement, particularly through the establishment of Vinayashram, a Gandhian institution founded in 1933. Mahatma Gandhi visited the ashram during its early years, and it later became a center for rural development and training freedom fighter. The village also hosts educational institutions and is home to a Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) named after N. G. Ranga.

History

Vinayashram was established on 23 December 1933 in Kantamraju Kounduru by Tummala Basavaiah and Smt. Durgamba, the followers of Mahatma Gandhi. It was setup was in response to Gandhi’s call for rural development and self-reliance. Mahatma Gandhi visited the ashram, and the site where he stayed is now known as Gandhi Kuteer. The ashram was later developed by Congress leader and freedom fighter Gollapudi Sita Ram Sastri into a training center for freedom activists. ^[4]

Geography

Penumuli is situated to the northwest of the mandal headquarters tenali town in guntur district, Duggirala, ^[5] at 16°20′56″N80°36′05″E / 16.348804°N 80.601467°E / 16.348804; 80.601467 . It is spread over an area of 1,004 ha (2,480 acres). ^[2]

Governance

Kantamraju Konduru gram panchayat is the local self-government of the village. ^[1] It is divided into wards and each ward is represented by a ward member. ^[6] The village forms a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is under the jurisdiction of APCRDA. ^[7]

Culture

Vinayashram has long served as a center for Gandhian ideals and rural reconstruction. It has supported activities such as village sanitation, adult education, khadi and village industries, and daily community meals (nitya annadanam). The ashram is also known for translating the Vedas into Telugu for wider public access and for operating an Ayurvedic hospital that provides free treatment and lodging to underprivileged patients. Eminent leaders including Vinoba Bhave, Rajendra Prasad, Jayaprakash Narayan, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu, and N.G. Ranga have visited the site. A Bodhi tree planted by Gandhi in 1933 and other commemorative plantings remain part of the ashram’s legacy. Since 1992, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) named after Prof. N. G. Ranga also functions from the site. ^[8]

Education

As per the school information report for the academic year 2018–19, the village has a total of 5 schools. These schools include 2 private, 3 MPP schools. ^[9]

See also

• List of villages in Guntur district

References

1. "Gram Panchayat Identification Codes" (PDF). Saakshar Bharat Mission. National Informatics Centre. p. 101. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
2. "District Census Hand Book : Guntur (Part B)" (PDF). Census of India . Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. 2011. pp. 14, 396. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
3. "Population". Census of India . Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India . Retrieved 9 May 2019.
4. Rao, Dr. P. Purnachandra (2023). Chronicle of Guntur District Tourism (1 ed.). Guntur: Acharya Nagarjuna University. p. 46.
5. "District Census Handbook : Guntur (Part A)" (PDF). Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. 2011. pp. 5, 626–627. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
6. Seetharam, Mukkavilli (1 January 1990). Citizen Participation in Rural Development. Mittal Publications. p. 34. ISBN   9788170992271.
7. "Declaration of A.P. Capital Region" (PDF). Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority . Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, Andhra Pradesh. 30 December 2014. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
8. Rao, Dr. P. Purnachandra (2023). Chronicle of Guntur District Tourism (1 ed.). Guntur: Acharya Nagarjuna University. p. 47.
9. "School Information". Commissionerate of School Education. Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.