Guntur

Guntur (), natively spelt as Gunturu, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district. The city is part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is located on the Eastern Coastal Plains approximately 14 miles (23 km) south-west of the state capital Amaravati. Guntur is the second largest by area in the state with 159.46 square kilometres (61.57 square miles) of land. According to data from the 2011 Census of India, Guntur had a population of 743,354 in that year, making it the third-most-populous city in the state,. The city is the heartland of the state, located in the center of Andhra Pradesh and making it a central part connecting different regions. The city is home to numerous state government offices and agencies. being part of the district capital and being in close proximity to the state capital Amaravati. The city is about 1100 miles south of the national capital New Delhi. It is classified as a Y-grade city as per the Seventh Central Pay Commission. It is the 24th most densely populated city in the world and 11th in India. Guntur was estimated to have population of around 0.9 million in 2021 and by the year 2026 the city has 1.1 million wider metropolitan urban region population. Guntur serves as a major hub for the export of chilli, cotton and tobacco, and has the largest chilli-market yard in Asia. It is also a major hub for transport, education, medicine and commercial activities in the state. Ancient temples and sites near the city include Kondaveedu Fort, Amareswaraswamy temple, and Undavalli Caves, and Sri Bramarambha Malleswara Swamy Temple at Pedakakani.