Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India

🇮🇳 Ongole is a city in Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Prakasam district and also the mandal headquarters of Ongole mandal in Ongole revenue division. Ongole cattle, an indigenous breed of oxen, derived its name from Ongole.

History The town'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 the village China Ganjam, near Ongole. After the Satavahanas, this place came into the limelight again during the Kakatiya dynasty, when the nearby towns of Motupalli and Voda Revu served as major seaports. 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. The last dynasty to rule the Ongole region before the British was the Mandapati dynasty (zamindars). According to the historical inscriptions available at Sri Raja Rajeswara Swami Temple complex in Ongole City was constructed by Cholas. Kaasi Visweswara Swami temple, Chenna Keswva Swami Temple and Veeranjaneya Swami temple were built in the early 17th century by King Vankayalapati mantri and Army Chief.

Ongole district came into existence on 02-02-1970 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 the eminent freedom fighter, later Chief Minister of the composite Madras State and the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State, late Andhra Kesari Sri Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu, who was born at Vinodarayuni palem, a hamlet of Kanuparthi village of Naguluppala Padu Mandal of this district.

Geography Ongole is located at an average elevation of 10 m (33 ft) AMSL and is situated on the plains. The city is around 15.54 miles (25 km (16 mi)) to the west of the Bay of Bengal on the east coast of India.

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

Economy: Export of oxen 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 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 The city is connected by road to major destinations. National Highway 16, a part of Golden Quadrilateral highway network, bypasses the city. National Highway 216 connects the city with Kathipudi. The city has a total road length of 738.50 km (458.88 mi). Ongole bus station is owned and operated by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. The station is also equipped with a bus depot for storage and maintenance of buses. The 'Passengers delight project' was implemented at the bus station for improving cleanliness and modernizing it. Ongole railway station is categorized as a Non-Suburban Grade-3 (NSG-3) station in the Vijayawada railway division.

Education The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) is a medical college in Ongole. Some of the famous educational institutes include RIMS, QIS College of Engineering and Technology, QIS Institute of Technology, RISE Groups of Institutions, Indira Priyadarshini Law College, Prakasam Engineering College, and the Pace Institute of Technology and Sciences.

Sport 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. 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. The police parade grounds hosted the first state-level Girl Football Tournament in October 2016.