Hindupur

Known sometimes as Hindupuram, Hindupur is a town in India’s Anantapur district, in Andhra Pradesh. Among the numerous towns and cities in the Indian subcontinent, several have made tremendous leaps and bounds in terms of progress and development and Hindupur is counted as one of them. It is known historically because of several famous goods, chief among them being silk, jaggery, and red, dry chillies. The town is also considered a municipality of the district.

The town is located at a distance of about 100 kilometers from the garden city of Bangalore and 130 kilometers south of Anantapur, the district administrative headquarters. It has an average elevation of 621 meters above mean sea level, or roughly 2,037 feet. The 2001 Indian census puts Hindupur’s population at 125,056, with the males edging the females slightly in the demographics. The town’s literacy rate is higher than the 59.5% national average, standing at 62%. Aside from Telugu, Kannada, one of India’s major Dravidian languages and one of the country’s official languages, is widely spoken. This doesn’t come as a surprise as Hindupur borders the state of Karnataka, of which Kannada is predominantly spoken.

Historically, Hindupur received its name from a Maratha Chieftain, Murari Rao. It is widely believed by scholars and historians that the name itself was taken from the chieftain’s father, Hindoji Rao. Murari Rao gave it to the town in remembrance.

Because the town is centrally located to all the administrative subdivisions in the district such as Gornatla, Penukonda, Pavagada and Madhugiri, Hindupur has evolved into a major health center in the region in the past two decades. Patients from all over the district congregate there in order to avail of the modern medical facilities. The major hospitals include the Government District Hospital, SAI Krishna Jinka Eye Hospital, and the Balaji Orthopaedic Hospital.

Education is also an important factor amongst the citizens of Hindupur, with the town known as among one of the better educational centers in Andhra Pradeh’s Rayalaseema region. Several universities and colleges have been erected to meet the educational demands of the populace. Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Balayesu Junior and Degree College, and the Birla Institue of Technology (BIT) are examples of the institutions of higher learning in town. Famous schools include the Renowned EM High School, Sri Balaji Vidya Vihar and the Alhilal English Medium School.

The majority of the people in Hindupur are engaged in trading and selling, with silk, jaggery and tamarind being the prime materials. Vehicular services such as huge trucks, iron works and automotive body construction also exist. Another reason why trade and commerce is thriving in Hindupur is that the town is well-connected with the other places in the region, owing to the good transportation infrastructure it has. Hindupur has one of the busiest bus stations in all of Andhra Pradesh, with the APSRTC having a division headquarters there. The town is also well-connected via railways and by air, with the nearest airport, the Bengaluru International Airport, located some 60 kilometers away.