Kadapa (also spelt Cuddapah, the official name until 2005) is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of the YSR Kadapa district and is one of the principal urban centres of the Rayalaseema region. The city lies on the banks of the Bugga and Penna rivers and is surrounded by the Nallamala and Palkonda hill ranges.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| Region | Rayalaseema |
| District | YSR Kadapa |
| Former name | Cuddapah (renamed 2005) |
| Civic body | Kadapa Municipal Corporation |
| Languages | Telugu, Urdu |
The name Kadapa is derived from the Telugu word gadapa, meaning "threshold" or "doorway". The town historically served as the gateway to the sacred hill shrine of Tirumala, located to its south-east. The anglicised form "Cuddapah" was used during the colonial period and continued in official records until the state government reverted to the Telugu spelling in 2005.
Kadapa is situated in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, in a valley flanked by hills. The Penna river and its tributary the Bugga flow near the city. The region forms part of the Cuddapah Basin, a Proterozoic sedimentary basin known for its mineral wealth, including barytes, limestone, asbestos and the famed Cuddapah slabs (a black limestone used widely in flooring across India).
The climate is semi-arid, with hot summers, mild winters and rainfall received primarily from the south-west and north-east monsoons.
The area around Kadapa has a long history of habitation, with megalithic remains pointing to early settlement. Through the medieval period the region was successively under the Cholas, the Kakatiyas, and the Vijayanagara Empire, during which it formed part of the larger Rayalaseema territory.
After the decline of Vijayanagara following the Battle of Talikota (1565), control passed to local Nayaka chiefs and later to the Qutb Shahis of Golconda. In the late 17th century the region was incorporated into the Mughal Empire, and a Nawabate of Cuddapah was established under Mir Jumla's lieutenants. The Nawabs of Cuddapah, who built several mosques and dargahs in the city, are an important part of its Indo-Islamic heritage.
In the 18th century the area came under the dominion of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, before being ceded to the British East India Company in 1800 as part of the Ceded Districts following the Treaty between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Company. Cuddapah district was thereafter administered as part of the Madras Presidency.
After Indian independence in 1947, Cuddapah became part of Madras State, and in 1953 it was incorporated into the new Andhra State, which became Andhra Pradesh in 1956. In 2005 the district and city were officially renamed Kadapa, and in 2010 the district was further renamed YSR district in honour of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who hailed from the area.
The city is governed by the Kadapa Municipal Corporation. It is also the headquarters of the YSR Kadapa district administration, hosting the offices of the District Collector and Superintendent of Police. Kadapa is part of the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and contains the Kadapa Assembly constituency.
Kadapa's economy is based on agriculture, mining, and small-scale industry. The surrounding district is a leading producer of barytes, with the Mangampeta deposits being among the largest in the world. Cement manufacturing, drawing on local limestone, is a significant industrial activity in the broader region. Cotton, groundnut, paddy and horticultural crops such as banana and citrus are grown in irrigated tracts. A steel plant project at Sunnapuralapalli/Kopparthy has been a long-standing demand and policy initiative for the district.
Kadapa is connected by rail through Kadapa railway station, on the Guntakal–Renigunta line of the South Central Railway. National Highway 40 (formerly NH 18) passes through the city, linking it with Kurnool, Tirupati and Chittoor. Kadapa Airport, located at Kadapa, operates domestic flights and is one of the smaller commercial airports in Andhra Pradesh.
The city hosts Yogi Vemana