Adikavi Nannaya University is a state public university located in Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry) in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The university is named after Nannaya Bhattaraka, the 11th-century Telugu poet widely regarded as the Adikavi ("first poet") of Telugu literature, who is traditionally associated with the region for his early translation of portions of the Mahabharata into Telugu.
| Name | Adikavi Nannaya University |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Location | Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Named after | Nannaya, the Adikavi of Telugu literature |
| Country | India |
| Language of instruction | English and Telugu |
The university was established by the Government of Andhra Pradesh as an affiliating and teaching state university to serve the higher education needs of the Godavari region. Prior to its creation, colleges in the area were affiliated to Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. The new university was set up to decentralise higher education and to provide focused academic administration for the East and West Godavari districts.
The choice of name reflects the cultural heritage of Rajamahendravaram, historically the seat of Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra, in whose court Nannaya composed the earliest extant Telugu literary work. The naming positions the institution as a custodian of the literary and linguistic legacy of the region.
The university functions both as a teaching institution on its own campus and as an affiliating body for degree colleges across its jurisdiction. Academic activity is organised through schools and departments covering the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, commerce, management, and professional studies. Postgraduate programmes, research degrees (M.Phil. and Ph.D.), and undergraduate courses through affiliated colleges form the core of its academic offerings.
Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and subsequent administrative changes, the university's affiliating jurisdiction has been aligned with the reorganised districts in the Godavari region.
The main campus is situated in Rajamahendravaram, a historic city on the banks of the Godavari river. The city has long been an important centre of Telugu culture, education, and printing, and serves as a regional hub for administration and commerce in coastal Andhra Pradesh.
As the principal state university in the Godavari belt, Adikavi Nannaya University plays a central role in regulating undergraduate education in its affiliated colleges, conducting examinations, and promoting research. Its dedication to a foundational figure of Telugu literature also gives it a symbolic role in advancing studies related to Telugu language, classical literature, and regional history.