Chirala (Ksheerapuri), Andhra Pradesh

Chirala is a City in Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Chirala mandal in Ongole revenue division. census of India, it had a population of 87,200 and an urban agglomeration population of 162,471.EtymologyThe city was also known as Kshirapuri, which translates as the sea looks as white as milk. The name got transformed to Chirala, where Chira means Sari.HistoryChirala has earned a unique place in the history of the freedom struggle, which completed its 400 years on April 27, 2004, corresponding with the Telugu calendar `Vaishakha Shuddha Saptami. The foundation for present-day Chirala was laid in 1604 AD by two Yadavas, Minchala Papayya and Minchala Perayya. The town was carved out of Sudhaanagaram, original name of Paata Chirala (Old Chirla), that was granted to Chirala Anantaraju by Goparaju Ramanna, Minister of the Kakatiya king, Ganapati Deva, during Saka 1067 (1145 AD) as mentioned in the records obtained from the Madras Oriental Library. His descendant, Chirala Venkata Krishnudu, leased out the present Chirala area to the Yadavas for raising a new township. Thus, present-day Chirala was born on Vaishakha Shuddha Saptami of Vishwavasu Vatsaram or Vishwavasu Samvatsaram (Year name as per Telugu calendar), corresponding to 1604 AD.In the new township, a Venugopalaswamy temple was constructed in 1619 and that of Malleswaraswamy in 1620, while that of Gangamma was built a little later. As the temples did not have any chariots, Chirala Ramanna Pantulu built two chariots for the two temples towards the middle of the 19th century. Now a lot of temples have come up.