Marking a historic day for the state on the day of Dussehra, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a new, futuristic state capital Amaravati in Guntur district on the banks of Krishna river.
Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu said that he wants to make the new capital as a ‘people’s capital’. The purpose of making Amravati the new capital is the hope that it would acquire the name, fame and glory it has been associated with for long.
The government had made the master plan for the agricultural lands and roadways of the state. The government had also planned on building a couple of airports, connecting highways and developing industrial sectors.
Amaravati is a Pali word which means ‘Abode of the Deathless’ referring to nirvana. The city was formerly known as Andhra Nagari. The ancient name of Amaravati is Udumbravati which was known for many centuries.
The history of Amaravati dates back to Second century BC, when it was the capital of Satavanhanas from 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE. Amravati is famous for its temple dedicated to God Shiva and Ambadevi
Bifurcated in 2014, Andhra Pradesh was left over with only 13 districts and the previous capital Hyderabad went to Telangana. Hyderabad was the former capital of Andhra Pradesh. But after, Telangana became a separate state, Hyderabad became the capital of Telangana.
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Amravati is one of the Heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana. The city’s art is regarded as one of the three major styles of ancient Indian art.
Amaravati has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY – Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.
