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Guntur (), natively spelt as Gunturu, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district. The city is part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is located on the Eastern Coastal Plains approximately south-west of the state capital Amaravati. According to data from the 2011 Census of India, Guntur had a population of 743,354 in that year, making it the third-most-populous city in the state, and occupies of land. The city is the heartland of the state, located in the center of Andhra Pradesh and making it a central part connecting different regions.
The city is home to numerous state government offices and agencies. being part of the district capital and being in close proximity to the state capital Amaravati. The city is about 1100 miles south of the national capital New Delhi. It is classified as a Y-grade city as per the Seventh Central Pay Commission. It is the 24th most densely populated city in the world and 11th in India. Guntur is estimated to have current population of around 0.9 million.
Guntur serves as a major hub for the export of Chili pepper, cotton and tobacco, and has the largest chilli-market yard in Asia. It is also a major hub for transport, education, medicine and commercial activities in the state. Ancient temples and sites near the city include Kondaveedu Fort, Amararama, and Undavalli Caves, and Sri Bramarambha Malleswara Swamy Temple at Pedakakani.
The region was historically known for Buddhism; the first Kalachakra ceremony was performed by Gautama Buddha. Agastyeshwara temple is one of the oldest temples in the city; according to a local legend, Agastya built it in the Treta Yuga around a swayambhu Lingam. Inscriptions on the side of Naga Muchalinda, a sculpture unearthed in 2018 in the compound of the temple, are in Naga Lipi, an ancient script from the third century Common Era. Based on this discovery, Emani Sivanagi Reddy, archaeologist and Buddhist scholar believes this region served as a Buddhist site contemporary to Nagarjunakonda.
The earliest reference to Guntur is found in inscriptions by Ammaraja I (922–929 CE), the Vengi Chalukya dynasty king. According to an inscription in Sri Narasimha Swami temple at Ramachandra Agraharam, Tirumala Dasa Mahapatra—the local ruler of the Gajapathi king Kapileswara Gajapathi—gave donations to the temple of Mulastha Mallikarjuna Deva in 1485 CE.
Prior to the British Raj, Guntur has been ruled by the Satavahanas, , Vishnukundinas, Pallavas, , Kakatiya dynasty, Reddi Kingdom, Gajapati Empire, and Vijayanagar kings, Nizams of Hyderabad, French India, and the British East India Company. The British East India Company took over the Kondaveedu Fort in 1788 and abandoned it in the early 19th century in favour of Guntur, which was made the headquarters of a district named after it. The district was abolished in 1859 and reconstituted in 1904.
The city rapidly became a major market for agricultural produce from the surrounding countryside due to the opening of the railway link in 1890. The expansion continued post independence as well and was concentrated in what is now called New Guntur, with many urban areas such as Brodipet, Arundelpet and suburban areas like Pattabhipuram, Chandramoulinagar, Sitaramanagar, and Brindavan Gardens. In 2012, the city limits were expanded with the merger of surrounding ten villages, namely Nallapadu, Pedapalakaluru, Ankireddipalem, Adavitakkellapadu, Gorantla, Pothuru, Chowdavaram, Etukuru, Budampadu and Reddypalem.
The High Court was setup in Guntur when Andhra State was formed. It was moved to Hyderabad after the formation of Andhra Pradesh. After the bifurcation of the state a new High Court is set up in the capital region of the residual state near Guntur.
Guntur is the place of discovery of helium; they discovered this in 1869 from observations of the solar eclipse of 18 August 1868 by the French astronomer Pierre Janssen. Allen Olliver Becker's family from Guntur was among the survivors of the Titanic ship disaster.
Guntur has been ranked 11th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.
Based on the 2011 census data prior to the city's expansion in 2012, Telugu language is the most-widely spoken language with native speakers, followed by Urdu speakers. A significant minority speak Hindi, Odia language and Tamil language. Select "Andhra Pradesh" from the download menu. Data for "Guntur (M+OG)" is at row 12602 of the excel file. The religious demographic consists of Hindus (77.91%), Muslims (18.05%), Christians (3.25%), Jainism (0.35%) and (0.82%) did not state any religion. Select "Andhra Pradesh" from the download menu. Data for "Guntur (M+OG)" is at row 2682 of the excel file. One of the supposedly lost tribes of Israel called Bene Ephraim has a presence in Guntur; there is a Jews synagogue at Kothareddypalem near Chebrolu.
Guntur is one of thirty-one cities in the state to be a part of water-supply-and-sewerage-services mission known as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The city was certified as open defecation free as part of Swachh Bharat Mission. In the 2023 Swachh Survekshan rankings, Guntur was ranked fourth in India, rising from its ranking of 129th in 2018.
Guntur is the headquarters of Guntur East and Guntur West mandals in Guntur revenue division. The city is a major part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority. It is represented in the federal government by Guntur Lok Sabha constituency, and at state level by Guntur East and Guntur West assembly constituencies.
The city's main source of drinking water is Guntur Channel, which draws water from the Krishna River. An extension of this channel is being planned to increase coverage of the city and the capital region. Summer storage tanks are located in Sangam Jagarlamudi, and Vengalayapalem reservoir is the other source of water to the city. The city's electricity is provided by Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL).
Guntur police uses surveillance and central monitoring control systems with high-resolution cameras at important traffic junctions.
Guntur forms a part of the East Coast Economic Corridor. Due to its status as the district capital and part of the state capital region, Guntur houses many state offices and agencies, including the headquarters of the Agricultural Marketing Department, the Tobacco Board and the Spices Board.
India is the world's biggest exporter of chillies and much of this is grown around Guntur. The city's Agriculture Market Committee Market Yard in Guntur is the largest Chili pepper yard in Asia; in 2023, its sales exceeded sales during that year's trading season. There are also several spinning mills on the outskirts of the city.
Jinnah Tower on Mahatma Gandhi Road is a rare monument related to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, in India. Guntur has 17 parks, some of which are maintained by the municipal corporation. Nagaravanam, a part of Perecherla Reserve Forest, was developed on the outskirts of the city as a park.
Tourist attractions in Guntur include the Sri Ganga Parvathi Sametha Agastheswara Temple. In the old city, notable sites include Gandhi Park, the Baudhasree architectural museum, Nagaravanam, and NTR Manasa Sarovaram. Nearby ancient temples and heritage sites include the Amararama, Undavalli Caves, Sri Bramarambha Malleswara Swamy Temple at Pedakakani, and Kondaveedu Fort. The Uppalapadu Bird Sanctuary is located from the city, while Suryalanka Beach is approximately away.
Agastheswara Sivalayam, situated in Guntur’s old city, is a temple devoted to Lord Shiva. It holds historical significance with inscriptions in the ancient "Naga Lipi" script, dating back to 1100 AD. The temple is among the most well-known in the region. According to local legends, the sage Agastya constructed the temple during the Treta Yuga, centered around a naturally occurring Swayambhu Linga, which led to the temple's name. Constructed in the early 20th century, Jinnah Tower is a notable monument in Guntur dedicated to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. This impressive heritage structure features six pillars and an open dome, showcasing typical architectural styles of Muslim design from that era. Strategically located on Mahatma Gandhi Road, one of the city's main arterial road, the tower serves as a symbol of peace and harmony, reflecting the secular values embraced by the local community.
The GMC started using electric vehicles for domestic garbage collection in 2021. E-auto rickshaws were introduced in the city to reduce air and noise pollution; many electric charging stations have been set up across the city for this purpose. Efforts to reduce plastic use in the city and replace it with environment-friendly materials like jute, paper and cloth have been made.
In 2021, United Nations Human Settlement Program planners recommended implementation of larger parks, mass transit with metro trains and electric bus systems, and improvements to city expansion plans.
National highways (NH), state highways (SH) and major district roads pass through Guntur. NH16, part of Asian Highway 45 and Golden Quadrilateral with Guntur Bypass connects to Chennai and Kolkata on the east coast of India. NH167A and SH2 connect Guntur with Macherla and Hyderabad. NH544D connects Guntur with Anantapur and towards Bangalore on NH44. SH48 connects Guntur with the coast through Bapatla and Chirala. Major district roads link Guntur with Amaravati, Nandivelugu, Tenali, Mangalagiri, and Parchur.
The public library system in Guntur is supported by the government and the district central library is located at Arundalpet. Annamayya library was set up with 1 lakh books that were donated by bibliophile Lanka Suryanarayana.
Hindu College and Andhra Christian College were established during the British Raj for higher education. Jagarlamudi Kuppuswamy Chowdary College, RVR & JC College of Engineering, Tellakula Jalayya Polisetty Somasundaram College (TJPS College), Government College for Women and St. Joseph's College of Education for Women are autonomous colleges.
Guntur Medical College is one of the oldest medical colleges in the state. Several higher education institutes such as Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology & Research, Katuri Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalagiri, Acharya Nagarjuna University and Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University have campuses near the city.
A regional Agmark laboratory, and a regional station of the Central Tobacco Research Institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research are located in Guntur. The city hosts many national, and state-level conferences and expos on the economy, agriculture and technology.
Guntur has hosted sporting events such as the All India Senior Tennis Association, the All India Sub Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament, the All India Invitation Volleyball Tournament, the Ganta Sanjeeva Reddy Memorial Trophy and the Inter-district Master Aquatic Championship. The city was also a host for the Khelo India programme for junior-level national sports in 2016. The city hosts mini-marathons and walks. International sports personalities from Guntur include cricketer Ambati Rayudu and badminton player Srikanth Kidambi.
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