Machilipatnam is a city and a special grade municipality in the Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The town has existed since the 3rd century BCE (Satavahana period) when, according to Ptolemy, it was known as Maisolos. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea calls it Masalia in the 1st century CE.The port is located on the southeastern, or Coromandel Coast, of India. Situated in the mouth of the River Krishna on the Bay of Bengal, the Masula port saw flourishing sea trade. It was a 17th century port for French, British and Dutch trade, when it was known as Masulipatam. The port has a medium-size fishing harbour which can accommodate 350 fishing vessels and an active carpet-weaving industry. The other products from the town include rice, oilseeds and scientific instruments. This town is a railway terminus and an important educational centre. The area is vulnerable to storm surges caused by the frequent cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. The 2004 Tsunami affected many fishing villages around Machilipatnam. The Government and NGOs are involved in rebuilding and reconstructing devastated villages.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 Politics and administration 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Culture 6.1 Kuchipudi 6.2 Arts and crafts 7 Tourism 7.1 Temples 7.2 Beaches 8 Transport 8.1 Road transport 8.2 Rail transport 8.3 Sea transport 8.4 Air transport 9 Media 10 Education 10.1 Schools

History

Machilipatnam was a flourishing seaport on the east coast during the time of the Satavahanas. It was mentioned in the Periplus that a great quantity of muslins are made in Masalia. The word 'muslin' originated from the name 'Masalia'.Later, the town was important as the major port of Golkonda kingdom. In the 17th century CE, the port was a centre of French, British and Dutch trade. It is one of the earliest known British settlements in the Indian subcontinent and the British East India Company's first trading post on the Coromandel coast. An agency was established there in 1611 CE. During the Carnatic Wars, the English were temporarily expelled from the town, which was held by the French for some years. In 1759, the town and fort were captured by Colonel Forde, an achievement followed by the acquisition of the Northern Circars. In 1864 a great storm-wave swept over the entire town and is said to have destroyed 30,000 lives. A monument was erected by the then District collector of Masulipatam, Mr Thornhill, almost 3km away from the unindated town in Robertson Square (nowadays familiar as Koneru centre). The port is only a roadstead, where vessels anchor 5 m. out. A branch line from Vijayawada on the Southern Mahratta railway was opened in 1908. The port of Machilipatnam today is in need of modernization. It has not seen any ships in the last decade. In its heyday, the port used to handle exports of items weighing more than 2.7 lakh tonnes and imports of 37,000 tonnes. It used to export Iron Ore to Japan. In January 2006, the Government of Andhra Pradesh revealed plans to revive the Machilipatnam port at a cost of Rs. 1200 crores. It has allocated 6000 acres (24 km²) of land for the project.

Geography

Machilipatnam is located at 16°10'N 81°08'E? / ?16.17°N 81.13°E? / 16.17; 81.13 on the southeast coast of India and in the east corner of Andhra Pradesh. The city has an average elevation of 14 meters (45 feet).

Climate

Machilipatnam gets annual rainfall due to the southwest monsoon. The climate is tropical in nature with hot summers and moderate winters. The hottest months are between April and June. The average normal rainfall in the district is 102 cm. Machilipatnam was frequently hit by cyclones due to low pressure created by the southwest monsoon. On 8 December 2004, a high capacity S-Band Doppler radar meant for cyclone warning was installed, commissioned and made operational at the city. It was purchased from a German manufacturer, Gematronik. The Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Machilipatnam is vulnerable to high surges of the sea due to cyclones. The Andhra Cyclone of 14-20 November, 1977 crossed the coast near Nizampatnam and took approximately 10,000 lives. As the storm approached the coast, gale winds reaching 200 km/h lashed Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari and West Godavari districts. A storm surge, 5 meters high, inundated Krishna estuary and the coast south of Machilipatnam. With the installation of the radar, the state will be better equipped to track down cyclones by the onset of monsoon, according to an official from the State Met Office talking to the The Hindu newspaper. This facility will monitor 960 km long coastline of the state.The radar's information is posted real-time on the Indian Meteorological Department website. Similar radars were installed in other coastal cities forming an S-Band Cyclone Detection Radar Network.

Politics and administration

For administrative purposes, Machilipatnam falls into the Bandar revenue division of the Krishna District. It is a special grade municipality with 36 panchayats and 28 villages. The city area covers an area of 28 kilometres (10 miles). Machilipatnam is an assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh. It is governed by the Collector and the District Magistrate of the Krishna district.

Economy

Machilipatnam has many small scale industries. Fashion Gold (also called rolled gold or gold covering) ornaments are made in the town. Yasasri gold, National gold, Uma gold, Hema Sri Gold Covering Works, Raja gold, Fancy gold, Mohan gold, and USHA GOLD are among the leading manufacturers of fashion gold in Machilipatnam. Agriculture is the most important occupation, paddy being the main food crop produced. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a unit of the Union Defence Ministry, of the Government of India, operates a manufacturing unit in Machilipatnam.BEL is involved in design, development and manufacture of state-of-the art electronic equipment that are used by the Indian Defence Services and para military organisations.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,Machilipatnam had a population of 183,370.Present population(2008) rose to 250,043. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Machilipatnam has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 65%. In Machilipatnam, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Culture

People in Machilipatnam practice Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Hindus and Christians speak Telugu and the Muslims tend to speak Urdu. Women of all cultures and faiths typically wear the traditional Indian dress, the sari - sometimes Shalwar Qamis. It used to be that a movie was designated a hit or flop based on the first show at Machilipatnam. There are many theatres in the city. The city is well-known for a sweet dish called Bandar Laddu

Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi, a popular Indian Classical Dance form originated at Kuchipudi, 25 kilometres from Machilipatnam. The dance form is in practice in Machilipatnam.

Arts and crafts

The Kalamkari fabrics of Machilipatnam and Kalahasti, with their intricate designs, are used in clothing and wall hangings. Kalamkari refers to dye-painted cloths and the technique used to create them. Their name derives from kalam, for a pen-like tool used to draw outlines on the cloth, and kari (work). Fabrics are outlined with a cotton-tipped bamboo stick and dyed in vegetable or mineral colours. The process involves washing, rinsing, soaking and bleaching muslin, and applying mordants and dyes using natural substances like indigo for blue, madder for red, mango bark and dried myrobalan fruit for yellow, palm sugar and rusted iron for black. The dyeing process is very elaborate and can take several days to complete. While some pieces are hand-drawn, large canvas and sheets are block-printed. The work done in Machilipatnam, often using block printing in conjunction with hand painting, features decorative floral and vegetable designs that appealed to local kingdoms and to export trade. This culminated in European demand for Machilipatnam chintz, which derives its name from the Hindi word chint (spotted). Machilipatnam is a city with a rich history of foreign conquests, business and trade. The relics of Bandar Kota (Machilipatnam Fort) can be visited. The old light house is still standing.

Temples

Dattashram is a pilgrimage site on the coast. Dattashram has an ancient Shiva temple and a recently built Datta temple. Manginapudi is popularly known as "Datta Rameswaram" due to the consecration of 12 wells for bathing (recalling those at Rameswaram). Panduranga Swamy temple at Chilakalapudi near the city, is a famous piligrimage site. It is a temple of Lord Vishnu, said to be similar to the temple at Pandaripur. Sivaganga Temple is a historical temple maintained by Challapalli jameendars rather than the Government. It is one of the oldest temples in the area. Located on the Avanigadda road, it attracts tourists and devotees all through the year. On Shivaratri major celebrations are carried out by the temple trustees. Anjaneya Swami Temple, in Paraspet, was built by Samarth Ramdas, the guru of Chatrapathi Sivaji. Ghantasala, 21 km from Machilipatnam, has the remains of an old Buddhist stupa. Agastheeswara Temple, 36 km from Machilipatnam, is a temple of Lord Shiva and piligrimage site. At this temple Lord Shiva is called by the name Ekaratri Mallikarjunaswamy. An annual festival is celebrated here and the deities are taken out in procession. At Gudivada, North west of Machilipatnam, visitors are attracted by the old ruins of the stupas. Further up the coast of Machilipatnam there are five temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. These ancient temples are located at Amravati, Samalkot, Bhimavaram, Draksharama and Chebrolu.

Beaches

The beaches in Machilipatnam are long, broad, pristine, with pale blonde sands. Manginapudi Beach, a beach side fishing hamlet 11 km from Machilipatnam, is well known for its scenic beauty and also as a historic port city. During its heyday this port served as a gateway to India. The beach has a natural bay with shallow waters. The unique feature of this beach is that instead of sand it contains black soil. Thousands of pilgrims take a holy dip in the sea during an annual Hindu festival called Khartika poornima. A dance school at the beach offers courses in the Kuchipudi, a popular dance form.

Transport

Road transport

The national highway from Hyderabad to Vijayawada is being extended to Bandar Kota through Machilipatnam. A coastal highway running through Machiipatnam has been sanctioned recently.

Rail transport

Machilipatnam is connected to Vijayawada, south central railway's important railway station and junction. There are eleven passenger trains to Vijayawada, one fast passenger to Visakhapatnam and two express trains to Secunderabad and Tirupathi. One thrice a week express train goes to Bangalore.

Sea transport

As of 2008 there is no transport by the sea. However, Machilipatnam Deep Water Seaport is under development by Vajra Seaports Pvt. Ltd, a consortium led by Maytas Infra Limited.

Air transport

The nearest airport is Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada, about 70 km away.

Media

The city receives television and radio transmissions from Hyderabad and the rest of country. All major print media are in circulation. The major Telugu dailies include the Eenadu, Saakshi, Surya, Vaartha, Andhra Jyoti, Andhra Bhoomi and Andhra Prabha. The major English dailies are The Deccan Chronicle, Business Standard, The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Economic Times.

Education

Machilipatnam is an educational center, offering all the academic courses except Medicine. It has public (state-run) and private-run schools. The local Hindu college and allied institutions offer KG to PG level of education. There are several Telugu language and English language schools. Daita Madhusudhana Sastry, the former secretary and correspondent of the Hindu college and allied institutions was instrumental in the establishment and expansion of most of the educational institutions in Machilipatnam.

Schools

• Saint Francis High School, Paraspet, is both Telugu & English Medium School both State Syllabus and ICSE Syllabus
• SDA Mission High School, Edepalli, founded by Esther Rani Saggurthi, offers education from kindergarten to 12th standard.
• HYNY High School and Elementary School are aided schools run by missionaries from Finland. Miss A.E. Hyny founded the school.
• Sri Venkateswara Public School, affiliated with the Hindu College, Machilipatnam, was the only Central Board of Secondary Education following school in the city before the Kendriya Vidyalaya was instituted. The school follows the NCERT (central) syllabus.
• Sharon High School provides education from kindergarten to the higher secondary level, Mrs Indira Deenabandu founded the school.
• Nirmala High School, a Christian missionary run school provides education from kindergarten to the higher secondary level.
• Jaihind Hind High school, founded in 1947 is situated near Inugudurupet with two campuses.
• JaiHind Montessori English Medium School, Is run by JaiHind High School.
• St. Mary's Adi Andhra Madana Mohana High school (also known as Ratna High School) is one of the oldest schools. It is located in the Machavaram area.
• Gandhi Vidyalaya school is situated in Balaramunipet and is a government aided public school.

Some Informations has been taken from Wikipedia