Bapatla

Bapatla once known as Bhavapuri is one of the historical towns and mandals of Guntur District (Andhra Pradesh) located 40 miles south of Guntur City on the East Coast of India. It is traditionally known to be the hub of education in the district. The Vedapathasala associated with SankaraMath has a very long history. Bapatla is also a haven for retired people who want peaceful climate. The town is about 9 km away from Bay of Bengal and has a potential tourist spot at Suryalanka.

The town has historical Bhavanarayanaswamy temple (1400 year old built by Chola kings), famous Anjaneyaswamy temple, besides a historical Satyanarayanaswamy temple. The Bapatla Agricultural college (1945), Bapatla Arts and Sciences college, Bapatla Engineering College (1981) besides other degree and Junior colleges make Bapatla a desirable education centre in Guntur district.

The villages like Immadisettivaripalem, Maruproluvaripalem, Maddiboyinavaripalem, Chinthavari Malapalli, Muththayapalem, Besthavaripalem, Munnavaripalem are with beautiful flora. The villages Cheruvu Jammulapalem,Kankatapalem,Appikatla and Narasayapalem are famous popular villages in guntur District for paddy cultivation.The Bapatla Agriculture and research college has identified BPT Rice,which is now popular in all over the Country.

Geography

Bapatla is located at 15.9°N 80.47°E / 15.9; 80.47. It has an average elevation of 5 metres (16 feet). The Bapatla Agriculture College was planned to be located in the erstwhile Madras presidency, the efforts of late Sri Kona Prabhakara Rao was instrumental in bringing this college to Bapatla to benefit the farmers and agriculture labour in Guntur District.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Bapatla had a population of 68,103. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Bapatla has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Assembly Constituency

Bapatla is an assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh.

List of Elected Members:

• 1951 - Vemmulapalli Srikrishna
• 1955 - Manthena Venkata Raju
• 1962 - Kommineni Venkateswara Rao
• 1967, 1972 and 1978 - Kona Prabhakara Rao
• 1983 - C.V.Ramaraju
• 1985 - Ummareddy Venkateswarlu
• 1989 - Chirala Govardhana Reddy
• 1994 - Muppalaneni Seshagiri Rao
• 1999 - Manthena Anantha Varma
• 2004 - Gade Venkata Reddy
• 2009 - Gade venkata Reddy

Famous Places in Bapatla

• Old Sivalayam & Old Bhavanarayanaswamy temple, these are around 1500 years old temples
• Suryalanka Beach
• College of Agricultural Engineering (estd. 1984)- First & the only college in the state of Andhra Pradesh to offer Under Graduate & Post Graduate Programs in the field of Agricultural Engineering. The College is located on the old Guntur - Bapatla Road (Karlapalem Road) with its sprawling 25 acre campus and state of art facilities for teaching & advanced research in the areas of Farm Power & Machinery, Food Engineering, Bio Processing and Soil & Water Conservation Engineering.

Famous People From Bapatla

• Madhava Peddi Kalidas (1890 to 1953)- one of the greatest genius and very famous lawyer born in the state of Andhra and Guntur district. He brought great colours to the small town of Bapatla through his profession, social service, and freedom struggle and to his historic family of MADHAVA PEDDIS. Virtually there exisisted no pious agitaions, movements or social activities withiout the planning ,involvement and financial assistance of this legend in Bapatla and Guntur district for almost 3 decades. He was a great asset to the INDIAN FREEDOM Movement, through the Indian national congess party in Guntur district. ANDHRA KESARI prakasam pantulu was a VERY close associate and friend of kalidasu garu in seeking regular intellectual , financial help and service for the freedom struggle especially in Guntur-Ongole districts. PANDIT JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU visited and stayed at the vast and holy residence PUNYA NILAYAM of Kalidasu garu at Bapatla in 1939 along with the all the prominent leaders of then congress party during the campaign mission for Madras region QUIT INDIA Moovement seeking full fledged support and Involvement from Sri KALIDAS garu in the guntur district. Sri kalidas garu along with his wife punyavatamma has vested his enormous earnings through his law profession for the help and donations to the approachers, poor and social activities on a daily basis, and offering hospitality to almost every famous visitor to Bapatla, for 30 years at their residence in Bapatla. sri Kalidasu garu's residence was a great hub centre for the social activities, law profession , spiritual programmes. Due to the close association with the famous late spiritual leader sri BV Narasimha swami ( founder of All India sai samaj - Mylapore- madras ) , almost the Early seeds of devotion and first pooja of Lord shirdi saibaba in Andhra pradesh took place at the residence of sri kalidas garu in Bapatla in 1941 . He along with the famous lawyer , Educationalist and his cousin brother Late Madhava peddi Hanumantha rao of Guntur town , Famous Social activist Maddi sudarsanam of Guntur town , His co- professionalist- another famous lawyer of Bapatla sri Velagapudi subbarao and others has contributed a lot for the educational growth by establishing and funding many schools in the villages of guntur district in 1940's. No wonder these kind of efforts are today's foundations for the educational revolution in modern era of Guntur district.Sri Kalidas garu was instrumental in establishing the Agricultural college at Bapatla in 1945, and high court at Guntur in VISALAANDHRA state . Even to day after his demise in 1953, sri MADHAVA PEDDI KALIDAS garu's name is remembered among the natives of Bapatla and Guntur district in most of the contexts *
• Nori Gopala Krishna Murthy - Padma Bhushan - 1972
• Cheruvu Siva Rama Sastry - (1903-1974), Stage and Silent-Film Actor (disciple of Bellamkonda Subba Rao),freedom-fighter and Secretary of Bapatla Town Congress Party from 1948-1974
• Mathrusri Anasuya Devi (1923–1985), an Indian spiritual leader, known as Amma, who lived in Jillellamudi village 8 km from Bapatla.
• Kona Prabhakara Rao - Freedom fighter, MLA, AP Cabinet Minister, Speaker, Governor of Maharashtra, Sikkim, and Pondicherri.
• Dr.korrapati gangadhara rao - playlet, novelist writer and cine dialogue writer.
• Pulipaka Sitarama Sarma (1925-2002) - Freedom Fighter, lawyer in his time , social worker, held many positions in various organizations in Bapatla - Bapatla Education Society etc.
• Manthena Venkata Raju - Freedom fighter, MLA, Minister in State Govt.
• Achanta Ranganayakulu - Freedom Fighter and Advocate.
• Dr. Sheshacharyulu - Doctor from KankataPalem. He was the only doctor that was serving 10 villages around bapatla in 1960s.
• Velagapudi Subbarao Pantulu - Lawyer of his time, First Municipal Chairman, First Chairman for Bapatla Co-Op Urban Bank

• Kompalli Adinarayana - teacher in 40's and 50's and Correspondent for "The Hindu" up to 1969
• Avvari Vasudeva Sastry - telugu teacher and founding member of Sanathana Dharmika Sangham.
• Kompalli Sesha Talpa Sai - Stage Artist/Cine Artist and writer, son of Kompalli Adinarayana.
• Sthanam Narasimha Rao - Stage Artist famous for playing many female characters.
• Annavarapu Pundari Kakshaiah - founder of AVV (Annavarupuvaari VidhyabhiVardhani) School and advaocate for Guntur Dist.
• Penumetcha Naga raju - vice president(satyam computers)
• Utukuri Laxmikantamma - poet and social worker
• Thota Sankara Rao- Kabaddi Player and Madras Olympic Gold Medalist in their era
• Eelapata RaghuRamaiah - Artist and Singer of Ghantasala era
• Aayani Subba Rao - Poet and Writer (Bhagya nagara kOkila, vishaad'a mOhanam ..)
• P.L.Narayana - Film and Stage Actor
• Muppaalla ChandraSekhara Rao - school teacher and social servant
• Dr.K.S.R.K.Murthy,Retd.Associate Professor in Entomology, A.P.Agric.University, President, Plant Prptection Association of India (for 2007-2009). Farmer friend & social worker
• [ Immadisetti Koteswara Rao] - Editor(Bhakthi), writer, Artist
• Velidndala Tirumala Rao, Unique Professor & Head, Department of Entomology, State Entomologist and Plant Pathologist of the earst while combined state of Andhra & Tamil Nadu.
• Dr C V Rama rao - Scientist in ANGRAU staying in vijayalakshmipuram, Bapatla
• Dr. K. Durga Rao - Scientist (Nuclear Engg), PSI, Switzerland & Ex-Scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India.
• Dr.Desiraju Subrahmanyam - Scientist Directorate of Rice Research (ICAR)
• Dr.Yarlagadda Sri Krishna Murthy - One of the first Medical Doctors, Founder of The Bapatla Educational Society (1963).
• K.S.R. Anjaneyulu - advocate, Drama Artist
• Bapatla Venkata Subbarao, Village head (Karanam East Bapatla)
• sudheer kumar.Paknati - A famous Person

References

Famous sites about Bapatla