Kadapa

Kadapa is a city in the Rayalseema region of the south-central part of the Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the district headquarters of Kadapa district. As of 2011 Census of India, the city had a population of 344,078. It is located 8km south of the Penna River. The city is surrounded on three sides by the Nallamala and Palkonda Hills lying on the tectonic landscape between the Eastern and Western ghats. Black and Red ferrous soils occupy the region. The city is nicknamed "Gadapa" since it is the gateway from the west to the sacred hills of Tirumala.Kadapa has been under different rulers in its history, including the Nizams and Cholas, the Vijayanagara Empire and Kingdom of Mysore. It is also well known for its spicy and culinary food.EtymologyThe city's name originated from the Telugu word "Gadapa" meaning threshold or gate. It acquired this name with its relation to the Tirumala Hills; one had to pass through Cuddapah in olden days to reach Tirumala Hills. In old Telugu the word Kadapa meant a threshold which in modern standard Telugu is evolved to gadapa while the city's name retained the old flavour. It was spelled "Cuddapah" but was changed to "Kadapa" on 19 August 2005 to reflect the local pronunciation of the name.