Proddatur

Proddatur, natively known as Proddaturu, is a city in the YSR Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh, located on the banks of the Penna River. The city is a municipality, and also the mandal headquarters of Proddatur mandal. It is the second-largest town in former Kadapa District. It is the oldest municipality which formed before Independence.

Proddatur got its name from the history of Ramayana, where Lord Rama resided. Many old temples are located in the city. The temple where Lord Rama resided is located on the banks of Penna River, known as Rameshwaram. It is known as Second Bombay for Gold business. Thousands of gold and clothing shops are located in Proddutur. It is also known as the Second Mysore for its grandeur in Dussehra celebrations. It is 13th largest urban agglomeration in Andhrapradesh. It became a municipality in 1915, later it was upgraded from 3rd, to 2nd, to 1st. In 1998, it became a Special Grade Municipality. Proddatur–to–Cumbum railway section was sanctioned in 2010 which is strategically important for the town. National Highway 67 passes through this town. Multiple schools, colleges and a wide range of hospitals are located here along with a 350 bed government hospital. The town is near the centre for small towns like Jammalamadugu, Mydukur, Chagalamarri, Yerraguntla and a major center nearby other small towns in the Kadapa District. A large number of people from these small towns commute to Proddatur for their livelihoods.