After 18 centuries, Amaravati becomes a capital again

Amaravati: The new capital city of Amaravati became a necessity after the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh was last year carved in two, forming the new state of Telangana, after an emotional campaign by locals stretching almost six decades. Hyderabad, an IT hub home to giants Google and Microsoft, will serve as the capital of both states for the next decade until Amaravati is completed.

Amaravati, which translates into “the town that lives forever” in the local language, was earlier a dusty town in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, located on the banks of Krishna river. The recorded history of Amaravati dates to the second century BC, when it was the capital of the Satavahana dynasty which ruled for nearly 450 years from second century BC till the year 220. After the decline of Satavahanas, Andhra Ikshvakus and later Pallava kings ruled Krishna river valley.

Subsequently, Amaravati was a part of the Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani kingdom, the Vijayanagar empire, the Sultanate of Golconda and the Mughal empire, before the founding of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1724. The town was ceded to France in 1750 but was captured by the British in 1759. It was also part of the Madras Presidency during the British colonial period.

Neglected for centuries despite its glorious historical, archaeological and cultural past, the once capital city of the Satavahanas is now all set to regain its place in history.

— Agencies