Named after the river, home of Kuchipudi: the Andhra Pradesh district that keeps Kolleru's edge

Background

Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh gets its name from the holy river Krishna, which the district administration describes as the third largest river that flows in India. The river originates near Mahabaleswar in Maharastra and joins the Bay of Bengal near Hamsaladevi village in the district.

The district is considered the kernel of Telugu culture and is the birth place of the classical dance form Kuchipudi; the dialect of Telugu spoken in Krishna is widely considered to be the standard form of Telugu. Its recorded history dates back to the 2nd century BC, and the area was ruled by the Satavahanas, Pallavas, Chalukyas and later by the Cholas, Kakatiyas and the Reddy dynasty, and subsequently came under the Vijayanagara Empire, the Qutub Shahis and later the Nizams. The rulers from Golconda were the first to patronise European traders at Masulipatnam, now Machilipatnam; the English founded their settlement there in 1611 and kept it as their headquarters until they moved to Madras in 1641. Collectors directly responsible to the Board of Revenue were appointed at Masulipatnam in 1794, making the Krishna collectorate one among the oldest collectorates in the country.

Machilipatnam is the administrative headquarters of the district, while Vijayawada is the biggest city in the district, third in the state, and a commercial centre. The district is spread over 8,727 Sq.kms, is divided into upland and delta area, and consists of 50 Mandals in four Revenue Divisions — Bandar, Vijayawada, Gudivada and Nuzvid. Kolleru Lake, one of India's most ecologically significant wetlands, lies partly within the district. Agriculture is the main occupation. People from the district include Siddhendra Yogi, the architect of Kuchipudi, and Pingali Venkayya, the designer of India's National Flag; its known products include Kondapalli toys, Nuzvid mangoes and Pedana Kalamkari block printed cotton textiles.