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Ongole is the headquarters for Prakasam
district in Andhra Pradesh. It is situated
on the Chennai
-Howrah Grand Trunk Road 109-km away from
Guntur. The town was originally
called 'Vangalaprolu', 'Vangavolu' and 'Vangolu' after the astrologer
bearing the surname 'Vangolu' in the court of the Addanki kings. The
earliest reference to this place is found in the inscriptions of the
Pallava rulers, Vijayaskandavarma and Simhavarman, whose period of rule
was assigned to the last quarter of the 3rd and the first quarter of the
4th centuries AD.
A Business Centre
Ongole is a good business centre. Food and other items like Butter, Ghee,
Cigar, Cereals, Pulses, Groundnut, Pepper etc are being exported from here
to different parts of the country. Bullocks from Ongole known as "Ongole
Gitta" are renowned in the state. It is a prestige to have Ongole
Bullocks in one's flock of cattle.
Among the
temples dedicated to 'Chennakesavaswami',
'Kasivisweswaraswami', 'Venugopalaswami', 'Veeranjaneyaswami',
'Prasannajaneyaswami', 'Annantasitaramaswami', 'Rajarajeswaraswami',
'Kanyaka Parameswari', the first two are presumed to relate to the 18th
century AD.
The main idol of Chennkesavaswami with his consort Lakshmi is beautifully
sculptured and quite inspiring. The shrine of Kasivisweswaraswami, which
is situated by the side of the Chennakesavaswamy temple on the same hill,
is famous for its "Addala Mandapam" constructed in 1945 by a
local philanthropist.
The Muslims have a number of mosques
and Dargas at the place for their religious congregation and the festivals
like Muharram, Bakrid
and Ramzan are celebrated on grand scale.
Rail:
Ongole has a railway station and is well connected by rail with all the
important places within the state.
Road:
Private and State run buses connect Ongole to all the important places of
the state.
Hotel Bathina
The annual Kalyanotsavam celebrated in the temples of Rajarajeswaraswamy and Sitaramaswami during the month of 'Jyeshtha' (May-June) attracts a sizeable congregation.
Climate: Tropical
Temperature Range (deg C):
Summer- Max 40, Min 28
Winter- Max 29, Min 19
Rainfall: 1753 m.m
Clothing: Light Cottons
STD Code: 08592
Guntur: 109-km
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