Ongole

Ongole
City
Historic Andhra Baptist Mission High School (estd:19th Century) which was upgraded to Junior College
Interactive map
Ongole Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 15°30′22″N80°02′56″E / 15.506°N 80.049°E / 15.506; 80.049
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
District	Prakasam
Incorporated (Municipality)	1876
Incorporated (Corporation)	25 January 2012
Wards	50
Government [1]
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Body	Ongole Municipal Corporation
•  MLAs	Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, YSRCP
•  MP	Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, YSRCP
•  Municipal commissioner	Kanthamaneni Sakunthala
Area [2]
• Total	132.45 km2 (51.14 sq mi)
Population  (2011) [3] [4]
• Total	228,629
• Density	1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
• Households	51,768
	Households [4]
Literacy
• Literates	153,628
• Literacy rate	83.04%
Languages
• Official	Telugu
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	523001, 523002
Area code	+91–8592
Vehicle registration	AP
Website	ongole.cdma.ap.gov.in

Ongole is a city in Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Prakasam district. ^{[5] [6]} It is famous for Ongole cattle, an indigenous breed of oxen. ^[7]

Etymology

Prakasam district is named in honour of Tanguturi Prakasam, freedom fighter and the first chief minister of Andhra state. It was formerly called Ongole district.

History

The city's history dates from 230 BCE with the era of the Mauryas and Satavahanas who ruled most of what is now Andhra Pradesh. A few inscriptions dating to the Satavahana period have been found in China Ganjam, a village near Ongole. According to the historical inscriptions available at Sri Raja Rajeswara Swami Temple complex, the city was founded by Cholas. Ongole is also mentioned in the inscriptions of the Pallava rulers of the third and fourth century A.D. The city was also ruled by Krishna Deva Raya. This place came into the limelight again during the Kakatiya dynasty, when the nearby towns of Motupalli and Vodarevu served as major seaports. The last dynasty to rule the Ongole region before the British was the Mandapati dynasty (zamindars). Kaasi Visweswara Swami temple, Chenna Keswva Swami Temple and Veeranjaneya Swami temple were built in the early 17th century by King Vankayalapati mantri and his chief of army.

Andhra Baptist Mission High School founded in the late 19th century by American Baptist missionaries, is the oldest educational institution in the city.

Ongole district came into existence on February 2, 1970, with the carving out portions of Markapur revenue division from Kurnool, Ongole revenue division from Guntur and Kandukur revenue division from Nellore districts. It was renamed as Prakasam district in 1972 in memory of freedom fighter, later Chief Minister of the composite Madras State and the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State, Tanguturi Prakasam, who was born at Vinodarayunipalem, a hamlet of Kanuparthi village of Naguluppalapadu mandal of this district.

Geography

Ongole is located at 15.5°N 80.05°E. It has an average elevation of 10 m (33 ft) AMSL and is situated on the plains. The city is around 149 kilometres (93 mi) to the south west of Amaravati, the stat capital.

Climate

Summer temperatures reaches as high as 44 °C (111 °F) during March–May. ^{[8] [9]} During the monsoon season, the city receives lot of rain. The annual average rainfall 794.5 mm. The winter season from November to February is pleasant. Winter months are usually dry, with little to no rainfall. The average annual temperature is 24.5 C. Cyclones occur more commonly during October–December bringing rains and heavy winds.

Climate data for Ongole (1981–2010, extremes 1944–2012)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	36.5 (97.7)	38.3 (100.9)	43.3 (109.9)	44.4 (111.9)	47.4 (117.3)	47.2 (117.0)	41.8 (107.2)	40.2 (104.4)	41.0 (105.8)	39.5 (103.1)	36.2 (97.2)	33.9 (93.0)	47.4 (117.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30.6 (87.1)	32.4 (90.3)	34.6 (94.3)	36.6 (97.9)	39.7 (103.5)	38.3 (100.9)	35.8 (96.4)	35.0 (95.0)	34.9 (94.8)	33.0 (91.4)	31.3 (88.3)	30.6 (87.1)	34.4 (93.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	20.2 (68.4)	21.8 (71.2)	24.0 (75.2)	26.3 (79.3)	28.0 (82.4)	28.2 (82.8)	26.9 (80.4)	26.5 (79.7)	26.0 (78.8)	24.8 (76.6)	22.5 (72.5)	20.6 (69.1)	24.7 (76.5)
Record low °C (°F)	14.0 (57.2)	14.4 (57.9)	17.5 (63.5)	19.4 (66.9)	16.1 (61.0)	22.4 (72.3)	21.2 (70.2)	21.3 (70.3)	21.3 (70.3)	18.3 (64.9)	16.7 (62.1)	15.1 (59.2)	14.0 (57.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	18.7 (0.74)	4.1 (0.16)	18.3 (0.72)	12.9 (0.51)	68.5 (2.70)	61.0 (2.40)	108.3 (4.26)	115.5 (4.55)	148.0 (5.83)	247.0 (9.72)	175.1 (6.89)	31.5 (1.24)	1,009 (39.72)
Average rainy days	0.8	0.9	0.5	0.5	2.4	3.6	6.5	7.3	6.8	8.8	5.8	1.8	45.6
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST)	62	59	60	62	54	49	54	56	62	70	69	65	60
Source: India Meteorological Department [10] [11]

Demographics

Based on the 2011 Census of India, the city had a population of 228,629. The sex ratio of 994 females per 1000 males is higher than the national average of 940 per 1000. ^[12] 19,744 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 10,228 are boys and 9,516 are girls&a ratio of 935 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 83.04% with 153,628 literates, significantly higher than the state average of 67.41%. ^{[13] [14]}

Governance

Civic administration and politics

Community Hall, Ongole

It is constituted as a municipality in 1876 and was upgraded to municipal corporation on 25 January 2012. ^[15] The jurisdiction of the corporation is spread over an area of 132.45 km² (51.14 sq mi) with 50 election wards. ^[16] The agglomerated villages that were merged into Ongole corporation are: Cheruvukommupalem, Throvagunta, Muktinuthalapadu, Dasarajupalli, Koppolu, Narasapuram Agraharam, Pellur, Pernamitta, Vengamukkapalem.

The city is part of Ongole assembly constituency and Ongole Lok Sabha constituency. ^[17] Balineni Srinivasa Reddy is the present MLA of the constituency from YSR Congress Party. ^[18] The constituency is a part of Ongole (Lok Sabha constituency) which was won by Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy of YSR Congress Party. ^[19]

Economy

The Ongole Bull (Ongole Gittha)

Agriculture is the primary industry of Ongole, and the city is a major center for tobacco trading in Andhra Pradesh.

Ongole bulls are a breed of oxen that are exported to many countries. The Brahman bull in America is an off-breed of the Ongole. Ongole Island, in Malaysia, holds many Ongole oxen. The population of Ongole off-breed animals in Brazil is said^{[ by whom? ]} to be around several millions. The original breed of Ongole stud bulls are found in a small region around Ongole town between the Gundlakamma and Musi rivers.

Transport

Ongole railway station

National Highway 16, a part of Golden Quadrilateral highway network, bypasses the city. ^[20] National Highway 216 connects the city with Kathipudi. ^[21] The city has a total road length of 738.50 kilometres (458.88 mi). ^[22] Ongole bus station is owned and operated by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. ^{[23] [24]} The station is also equipped with a bus depot. ^[25] The 'Passengers delight project' was implemented at the bus station for improving cleanliness and modernizing it. ^[26] Ongole railway station was established as part of Nellore - Krishna Canal section on 20 December 1898 by Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway System. ^[27] It is categorized as a Non-Suburban Grade-3 (NSG-3) station in the Vijayawada railway division. ^[28]

Education

Education is imparted through government and private institutions. Several aided schools decided to become private schools or close down after transferring the staff to the government, when the government decided to stop giving aid. ^[29] English became the medium of instruction for primary schools in the academic year 2020-21.

Some of the famous educational institutes include Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), QIS College of Engineering and Technology, QIS Institute of Technology, ^[30] RISE Groups of Institutions, ^[31] Indira Priyadarshini Law College, Prakasam Engineering College, ^[32] and the Pace Institute of Technology and Sciences.

The city is the headquarters of Andhra Kesari University, a public university established on 11 January 2022. ^[33]

Sports

The PDCA-CSR Sarma College Ground is one of the home grounds of the Andhra cricket team, with a first-class cricket status and hosts Ranji Trophy matches. ^{[34] [35]} The ground has recorded the first ever triple century by a wicket keeper in Ranji Trophy, achieved by Srikar Bharat of the Andhra cricket team. ^[36] The police parade grounds hosted the first state-level Girl Football Tournament in October 2016. ^[37]

Tourism

Boats near Kothapatnam beach

Kothapatnam beach (approx 17 km away), Valluramma temple at Valluru (about 11 km away), Gundlakamma Reservoir Project at Mallavaram (approx 20 Km away) are few nearby places of tourist interest.

See also

• List of cities in Andhra Pradesh by population
• List of municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh

References

1. "Ongole Municipal Corporation publishes voter classification list". The Hans India. Ongole. 5 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
2. "Municipality Profile". ongole.cdma.ap.gov.in. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
3. "Population statistics". Census of India. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
4. "Statistical Abstract of Andhra Pradesh, 2015" (PDF). Directorate of Economics & Statistics. Government of Andhra Pradesh. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
6. "Part III, District and Sub-District (Mandals)" (PDF). Census of India. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. pp. 157, 178. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
7. India, The Hans (3 December 2017). "Ongole Cattle". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
8. "Fears of severe Rohini karte dispelled". The Hindu. 25 May 2007. Archived from the original on 6 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
9. "Nellore and Ongole record season's highest temperatures". Deccan Chronicle. 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
10. "Station: Ongole Climatological Table 1981–2010" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1981–2010. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 571–572. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
11. "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
12. "Sex Ratio". The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
13. "Census 2011". The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
14. "Literacy of AP (Census 2011)" (PDF). Official Portal of Andhra Pradesh Government. p. 43. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
15. "About Ongole Municipal Corporation". ongole.cdma.ap.gov.in. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
16. "Statistical Information of ULBs and UDAs" (PDF). Directorate of Town and Country Planning. Government of Andhra Pradesh. 27 February 2019. p. 3. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
17. "Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008" (PDF). The Election Commission of India. National Informatics Centre. 17 December 2018. p. 20,30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
18. "MLA". AP State Portal. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
19. "Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008" (PDF). Election Commission of India. pp. 22, 31. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
20. "National Highways Development Project Map". National Highways Authority of India. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
21. "List of National Highways passing through A.P. State". Roads and Buildings Department. Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
22. "DETAILS OF ROADS IN EACH ULB OF ANDHRA PRADESH". Archived from the original on 1 August 2016.
23. "Bus Stations in Districts". Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
24. "Ongole bus station to get five new platforms". The Hindu. Ongole. 3 November 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
25. "Depot Name". APSRTC . Retrieved 15 March 2016.
26. Murali, S (7 January 2016). "RTC on 'passengers' delight' mission". The Hindu. Ongole. Archived from the original on 6 April 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
27. “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 82 (pdf 90) ; Retrieved 24 Dec 2017
28. "Stations – Category-wise (NEW)". South Central Railway. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
29. "Ongole : Future of poor students hangs in balance as govt absorbs aided staff". The Hans India. 28 September 2021.
30. "QIS College of Engineering & Technology :: Ongole". Qiscet.edu.in. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
31. "Welcome to RISE groups of institutions". RISE Group. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
32. "Prakasam Engineering College". Prakasamec.com. 6 April 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
33. "State assembly passes bill to establish two universities". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
34. Shridharan, J. R. (31 October 2014). "Ongole to host Ranji match". The Hindu. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
35. Murali, S. (12 January 2015). "Ongole cricket stadium (Sarma college grounds), a feather in ACA's cap". The Hindu. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
36. "Srikar Bharat – First wicketkeeper to score a triple century in Ranji Trophy". Cricket Country. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
37. "First state-level girl football tournament at Ongole". The Hans India. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.