HYDERABAD: It is official. The new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, coming up at Tullur between Vijayawada and Guntur on the banks of river Krishna, will be called Amaravathi.
The State Cabinet, at a marathon seven-hour meeting here Wednesday, unanimously approved Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to name the new capital as Amaravathi - which was once the capital of the mighty Satavahana empire - to restore the ‘pride and glory’ of Telugus.
Later, addressing a press conference, Naidu announced, “By naming the new capital after the Satavahana empire’s birthplace, my government wants to keep the colourful history and rich heritage of Telugus fresh in public mind.”
Amaravathi means the ‘City of Gods’ or in other words, an immortal city, he explained. “As per our Puranas, it is was ruled by Lord Indra. Satavahanas, who ruled the country way back in 230 BCE, made it their capital. Not only Saivism and Vaishnavism, but also Buddhism and Jainism flourished here long back. In order to establish a connect with the rich history of Telugus with their ultra-modern capital, our government has decided to name it Amaravathi,” he said. Pointing out that Amaravathi is one of the 12 heritage cities/towns across the country chosen by the Union government for development, Naidu said though he gave ancient name to the new capital, he would build it in such a manner that it can compete with any other modern city across the globe.
“The new capital city of AP, Amaravathi, will be a world-class city. It will be a modern, vibrant, sustainable and smart city with a strong economy, excellent social amenities and efficient transport and logistics networks,” he promised. He further explained that the capital will be designed to attract investments from across the world and be an economic powerhouse for the State.