Vijayawada Bezawada Bejawada
The City on Fast-Track
—  city  —
Famous attractions in Vijayawada
Vijayawada Location of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh
Coordinates	16°31′8.50″N 80°37′17.38″E / 16.519028°N 80.6214944°E / 16.519028; 80.6214944Coordinates: 16°31′8.50″N 80°37′17.38″E / 16.519028°N 80.6214944°E / 16.519028; 80.6214944
Country	India
Region	Andhra
State	Andhra Pradesh
District(s)	Krishna
Mayor
Population	1,491,202 (2,011) (2011[update])
Official languages	Telugu
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation • Coastline	• 536 metres (1,759 ft) • 0 kilometres (0 mi)
Climate • Precipitation Temperature • Summer • Winter	Aw (Köppen) •      603 mm (23.7 in) •      26.0 °C (78.8 °F) •      35.9 °C (96.6 °F) •      2 °C (36 °F)

Vijayawada ( pronunciation (help·info)) is the biggest city of the Krishna District and the third largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, after Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, with an area of 61.88 km². The city has a population of 1,048,240 (2011 Census),^[1] while the population of the metropolitan area is 1,491,202.^[2] The name Vijayawada, meaning "Land of Victory" is derived from the presiding deity, Kanaka Durga, also called Vijaya. The city is also popularly known by its historic name Bezawada, which is also used by the Indian Railways in assigning its railway station code "BZA".

The city originated along the southern bank of the river Krishna, with hills on its northern bank. By 1855 AD, it took shape as small settlement on the eastern side of the Indrakiladri hills.^[3] The city has been ruled by different dynasties from time to time, including the Chalukyas of Kalyan and the great ruler Krishna Deva Raya.

The city experienced modest socio-economic growth in pre-independence India. As the commercial capital of Andhra Pradesh,^[2] the city is politically active, sociologically dominant, agriculturally rich, and is an industrial transportation hub.

Today, the city is home to many of the most well-recognized educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected to other regions by road, air and rail, and has the second biggest railway junction in India.^[4]

Name[link]

There are many tales behind the origin of the name of the city. Legends have it that this was the place where Arjuna was blessed by Shiva, on Indrakiladri Hill. In another legend it is stated that Goddesses Durga killed the demon and relaxed in this place for some time. As she was victorious (Vijaya), the place got the name as Vijayawada (Vijaya- Victory and Wada- city/place/location) which literally means "City of Victory". The Epic of Mahabharata refers to Indrakiladri hills as the place where Arjuna secured “Pasupathastra” from Lord Siva.^[5]

In some legends, Vijayawada was also referred to as Vijayavata and Rajendracholapura.^[6]

A tale behind its acquiring the name "Bezawada" is that Goddesses Krishnaveni (River Krishna) requested Arjuna to make a passage for her to merge into the Bay of Bengal. Hence Arjuna made a bejjam (hole) through the mountains and the place came to be known as Bejjamwada which later changed to Bezawada.

Vijayawada is used call as Blaze-wada(city of lights)at the time of brtishers later it was known as bezawada

Geography and climate[link]

Vijayawada is surrounded by the Krishna river on the east and west and the Budameru River on the north. The northern, north-western, and nouth-western parts of the city are covered by a low range of hills, while the Central, south-western and north-western parts are covered by rich and fertile agriculture lands with three major irrigation canals. The topography of Vijayawada is flat, with a few small to medium sized hills. The Krishna River runs through the city. These hills are part of the Eastern Ghats cut through by the Krishna river. They have very low elevation compared to the average elevation of the ghats. Three canals originating from the north side of the Prakasham barrage reservoir, Eluru, Bandar and Ryves, run through the city. Buckingham Canal originates from the south side of the reservoir formed by Prakasam Barrage. Due to the presence of the Krishna river the soil around here is very fertile and cultivated intensively.

The climate is tropical, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate, with hot summers and moderate winters. The peak temperature reaches 47 °C (117 °F) in May–June, while the winter temperature is 20-27 C. The average humidity is 78% and the average annual rainfall is 103 cm. Vijayawada gets its rainfall from both the south-west monsoon and north-east monsoon. It's nicknamed "Blaze-wada" for its scorching summer heat by Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy.

Kondapalli Forest[link]

About the western outskirts of Vijayawada lies the Kondapalli reserve forest, spread over 121.5 square kilometres (30,000 acres). The forest provides Vijayawada with a "green lung". This pristine forest is home to leopards, wild dogs, jackals, wild boar, wolves etc.^[9] The hills produce a soft wood which is used in the manufacture of Kondapalli Toys.

Civic administration[link]

The city of Vijayawada is run by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.^[10] The Municipality of Vijayawada was constituted on 1st APR, 1888 and was upgraded as a selection grade municipality in the year 1960. The municipality was upgraded to a corporation in 1981. With the merger of Gunadala, Patamata and Bhavanipuram village panchayats and two villages payakapuram and Kundavari kandrika in the corporation in 1985. More than 200,000 people in metro reside outside corporation limits. Many areas on outskirts or yet to be merged into corporation limits. The total area of the corporation is 61.8 square kilometres (23.9 sq mi) and the population of the whole city (along with Vijayawada Sub-Urban and Vijayawada Rural) is more than 2.5 Million.

The city is divided into 59 political wards. Each ward of the Municipal Corporation is represented by an area corporator. An elected body headed by the Mayor performs the Administration of the Corporation. The Commissioner acts as the executive head, and oversees the day to day functioning of the local body. The commissioner is a (IAS) officer of Joint collector rank appointed by the state government. It has a dedicated Sub-Collector's office for Administration of State and Central Government Programmes. The staff strength of the corporation is just over 5,000. Vijayawada is one of the three cities in andhra pradesh to be provided with its own police commissionerate. The Vijayawada City Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of DIG rank.

Economy[link]

The region around the city has fertile soil and irrigation is supported by the river Krishna and its canals. Major crops include sugarcane, Rice and Mango. Vijayawada is famous for automobile body building, garment, iron and hardware small scale industries. The Jawahar Lal Nehru Auto Nagar Industrial Estate in Vijayawada is one of the largest hubs of automobile industry of Asia.^[11] There are about 1500 automobile accessory units in the city and near about 1,00,000 workers are employed in these industries. Apart from workers of the city, people from other parts of the state also come to work in the industrial estate. The main markets are situated in the old city (popularly known as One Town) and near Besant Road. It is estimated that nearly INR 10 crores of garment business takes place in the Vastralatha building alone in One Town daily. Garments are mainly sold in Besant Road and Governor Pet, but most upmarket stores have shifted their shops to Bandar Road. The city has many wholesale businesses. They include garments, iron market, pulses, cereals, and other edible products, fancy markets, fertilizers, mango exports, pharmacy and metal.

The total urban market size of Vijayawada for the year 2008 is estimated at Rs 5526 crores^[12]

The industrial estate in Kondapalli, an industrial suburb of Vijayawada, is spread over 450 acres (1.8 km²) and is base to more than 800 industries.^[13] In addition a 1800MW Vijayawada Thermal power project(VTPS) and 368.144 MW gas based LANCO power plant which is under expansion to 768.144 MW are located here.^[14] In March 2011 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) announced that it signed an agreement with APGENCO for setting up a 182 MW plant at Vijayawada as a technology demonstration project.^[15] Kondapalli suburb also houses Andhra Pradesh Heavy Machinery & Engineering Limited (APHMEL) factory besides being a hub for storage, bottling and transportation of petroleum products.

The fact that Vijayawada is well connected through rail and road makes it one of the main hubs of commercial activities. The second largest wagon workshop of Indian railways is at Rayanapadu near Vijayawada.^[16]

Retail[link]

Vijayawada in recent times has become one of the largest retail destinations in Andhra Pradesh. Vijayawada has plenty of Jewellery retail and Apparel retail stores. It is heard that Ripples mall & BVR mall is coming up in Vijayawada. Vijayawada has premium retailers viz. Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, H&A, Levis, Lee, UCB,Spar,Big Bazaar, Planet Fashion in the city.

H&A, from Alok Industries Limited, Largest apparel exporter in India, is opened recently in Heart of Besant road is considered to be the best family apparel stores who sell premium apparel at reasonable prices.

Shoppers stop & Lifestyle in Vijayawada has introduced various international brands under its roof. Shoppers stop is premium retailer from Raheja Group in Mumbai.

In this cut throat competition many brands are not able to pay high rentals which recently increased in Vijayawada. So there is a need of Property Rental correction or else major brands are paying off their profits as rents.

Transport[link]

Vijayawada is an important link connecting the three regions of Andhra Pradesh and is a major transit point. Two National Highways, the NH-5 from Chennai to Kolkata and the NH-9 from Machilipatnam to Mumbai pass through the city connecting it to other parts of the country. Another National highway 221 connects the city to Jagdalpur in Madhya Pradesh state. It is connected to other areas of the state, by state highways and district roads. Pandit nehru bus station is Second largest bus station in Asia next to Chennai^{[citation needed]} .The APSRTC run city buses (Metro Express, City Sheetal(A/C Buses) and Ordinary) and auto rickshaws are the main mode of public transport. A BRTS project is under construction as well.

Air[link]

Vijayawada City is well connected by air. The domestic airport located at Gannavaram, about 90 km from the city, connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai,mumbai, Delhi, Vijayawada Airport is currently being served by Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, spicejet and Air India. Annually, About, 1,80,000 number of passengers are using this airport.

Rail[link]

Railway Junction, Vijayawada

It is biggest and busiest railway station contributing highest revenues in the South Central Railway region. Situated along the Chennai - Howrah and Chennai - Delhi rail route, Vijayawada Junction is the largest railway junction on the South Central Railway network. Vijayawada junction had been given A-1 status by the central government.^[17] Madhuranagar, Gunadala, Rayanapadu, Kondapalli, Nidamanuru, Krishna canal junction and Ramavarappadu are the other railway stations in the city. Vijayawada is one of the busiest railway junctions in India. The railway station has ten platforms for passenger trains and is the only station to have five entrance gates with booking counters in India.

Vijaywada railway station on of biggest railway hub in andhra pradesh near to vijaywada around 10 km it has railway wagon work shop guntupalli ,diesel loco shed vijaywada, electrical loco shed.

Road[link]

Vijayawada is well connected to the rest of the country by National Highways: NH-5, NH-9 and NH-221.^[18] Transport by road from Vijayawada to all the places of interest is available in the form of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses. Private bus operators also provide transport services to various parts of the country.

All major streets are connected with the Local Public Bus Transit (City Buses) operated by APSRTC. It is the first city in the south to introduce CNG buses in its fleet. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is planning to launch Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with dedicated bus corridors.^[19] The initiative, however, is mired in procedural delays and is expected to be launched by mid 2010.^[20] Motor driven (auto) rickshaws and manual driven (cycle) rickshaws are the other alternative means of transport within Vijayawada. Private lorries, cars and two-wheeled vehicles are common.

Vijayawada also has the second biggest & busiest bus terminal in the Asia,^[21] next to Chennai(CMBT). It was inaugurated on 23 September 1990 and is officially named as Telugu Satavahana Prayana Pranganam.

Education[link]

Vijayawada, also called "Vidyala wada" (Place of Education), occupies a large amount of the education infrastructure of Andhra Pradesh. The city was named "The Educational Sahara" by a foreign ambassador.^[who?] Education in the city is implemented by the government and private institutions. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation takes care of the government educational institutions.

Government schools in the city are:^[22]

• High schools: 28 (including 1 Urdu medium, 2 schools English/Telugu medium, 1 Tamil medium), 1 Bengali medium)
• Upper primary schools: 15 (including 3 Urdu medium, 1 Tamil medium & 1 Bengali medium)
• Elementary schools: 65+10 = 75 (10 Urdu medium, 2 English)
• Students: 28,450 (as of 30 June 2009)
• Teachers: 622

There are also “aided” schools in Vijayawada, meaning schools funded by government and private partnerships, such as the Gollapudi High School. Government schools are located in areas such as the Jammichettu center, the Patamata high school and Suryarao Peta. Private schools are scattered all over the city. A majority of them implement the Andhra Pradesh State Syllabus for their students. The students, after studying their 10th class, take the Public Examination, which is equivalent of the school-leaving certificate. There are only a few schools accredited to the Central Board of Secondary Education in the city, meaning their class 10 students have to take the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE) for their school-leaving certificate.

NTR University of Health Sciences

The first college built in Vijayawada was SRR & CVR Government College. Andhra Loyola College was established in the year 1953 with Rev. Francis Theo Mathias, SJ as its first principal. KBN College is another popular college in Vijayawada. The first private engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, V R Siddhartha Engineering College, is here.The branch of the premier centre of excellence under the central government, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA, V) has been allocated to Vijayawada and commenced its courses in 2008.

The NTR University of Health Sciences is the first medical university in India.^{[citation needed][23]} It is a public university in the city of Vijayawada. It started functioning 1 November 1986.

In 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India established School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada as an autonomous institution. SPAV is a premier centrally funded technical institution (CFTI) under the MHRD, for excellence in the fields of planning and architecture.

Sports[link]

Cricket is the most popular sport, with National level cricket matches played at Indira Gandhi Stadium.^[24] A new international stadium is being built in a 20-acre (81,000 m²) site in Mangalagiri which will replace the local stadium as the venue for international and Ranji matches.^[25] Only One International Cricket match was played between India and West Indies on 24 November 2002 at Indira Gandhi stadium. It was won by West Indies.On 12 December 1997 Women's Cricket Worldcup only a Group match was played between England Women's Cricket Team and Pakistan Women's Cricket team and it was won by England Women's Cricket team.

Badminton, Volleyball and Chess are also popular.

Famous sports personalities from Vijayawada include:

• Weightlifting - Dandamudi Rajagopal - Participated in 1948 and 1956 Olympics, Played Bhima role in various hit movies like Narthanasala.
• Chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, Harikrishna
• Badminton -Chetan Anand
• Volleyball-Guttikonda Pradeep
• Indian Archer -Cherukuri Lenin

Attractions[link]

The city includes many tourist attractions. Some famous landmarks and places to visit in Vijayawada are:

Krishna River

• Prakasham Barrage: Built across the river Krishna connecting Guntur District, Prakasham Barrage has created a panoramic lake. Its three canals that run through the city give Vijayawada a Venetian (Venice) look.

Kanaka Durga Temple

• Kanaka Durga Temple: One of the most popular temples in Andhra Pradesh, it is located on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the city as well as the River Krishna. It was built after 12th century by Maharaja Poosapati Madhava Varma, the ancestor of Vijayanagaram Poosapati Kings, according to History. He is the builder of Modern Vijayawada kingdom.

Vijayawada river view from Padmavati ghat

• Gandhi Hill: The first Gandhi Memorial with seven stupas in the country was constructed on this hill at a height of 500 ft (150 m). The 52 ft (16 m) stupa was unveiled on 6 October 1968 by Dr. Zakir Hussain, the President of India. Gandhi Memorial Library, a Sound and Light Show on Mahatma Gandhi's life and a planetarium are the other attractions.

Undavalli Caves

• Mogalarajapuram Caves: These caves are said to be excavated in 5th century A.D. The caves are reputed to be the first of their kind in South India. The idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka & Arthanareeswara are carved here, but none of the statue are available here.
• Victoria Museum: A place for archaeology lovers, Victoria Museum has a carefully preserved collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, and inscriptions.

Vijayawada view from hill

• Hazarat Bal Mosque: A holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed is kept here which is displayed once a year. A large number of non-Muslims too join the celebrations.
• Rajiv Gandhi Park: Created by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation with great care, this park welcomes the tourists at the entrance of the city with its impressive horticultural network. A mini zoo and a musical water fountain are added to it.

Kondapalli Toys

• Gunadala Matha Shrine: In 1925, Rf. Arlati, the Rector of St. Joseph's Orphanage at Gunadala, installed a statue of Our Lady and later a church was built and consecrated in 1971, now popularly known as St. Mary's church. Since then the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became an annual event here, attended by hundreds of people. The church is situated on a hillock on the eastern side of the city.

Kondapalli Quilla

• Bhavani Island: Perhaps one of the largest islands on a river, Bhavani Island is located on Krishna River close to the city. AP Tourism is converting this 133-acre (54 hectare) island into an attractive tourist spot and a River Front Resort. The island currently has some cottages to stay in and some good adventure and fun sports. Journey to the island by boat is very pleasant.
• Mangalagiri:mangalagiri is a near by town which is a famous pilgrim centre,for its panakala lakshmi narasimha swami temple which is one among the tallest temple towers of the India. mangalagiri is also famous for its traditional textiles.
• Namburu: Namburu is a suburban of Guntur and Vijayawada cities. though a village gives an ornate urban living because of well established townships.Nambur is also famous for spiritual centers namely kaligardens,Hreenkar theerth(jain temple)which is one of the master piece for its architecture.Acharya nagarjuna university is situated in Nambur

Vijayawada is well connected to nearby tourist attractions like Amaravati, Namburu, Kuchipudi, Kondapalli, Gudivada, Chodavaram, Krishna district, Undavalli caves and Machilipatnam.

Vijayawada at Nighttime from Kanaka Durga Temple

Sister cities[link]

Vijayawada has one sister city

• Modesto, California^[26]

Notable residents[link]

This article's list of people may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources cited within this article showing they are notable and members of this list or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (April 2012)

• A. G. K. Gokhale
• Goparaju Ramachandra Rao
• Harindranath Chattopadhyay
• Kallam Anji Reddy, scientist, founder, Dr.Reddy's Laboratories
• Jandhyala Subramanya Sastry
• M. Balamuralikrishna
• Jayaprakash Narayan
• Kanuri Lakshmana Rao
• Koneru Humpy
• [[Laya (actress)|Laya]

Gallery[link]

• 

  Benz circle Vijayawada

• 

  Kondapalli Quilla

• 

  Undavalli Caves

• 

  Kanaka Durga Temple

• 

  Prakasam Barrage view from Padmavati ghat

• 

  Vijayawada view from hill

• 

  A canal of river Krishna in Vijayawda

References[link]

1. ^ "Cities having population 1 lakh and above, Census 2011". censusindia.gov.in. http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_2_PR_Cities_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Isher Judge Ahluwalia. "Vijayawada’s inclusive expansion". Indian Express. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/vijayawadas-inclusive-expansion/852741/4. Retrieved 28 September 2011. 
3. ^ "About Vijayawada". VGTM Urban Development Authority. http://www.vgtmuda.gov.in/Innerpages/AboutVGTM.aspx. 
4. ^ "‘India will be third largest economy by 2025'". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/13/stories/2011011363270300.htm. Retrieved 13 January 2011. 
5. ^ "About VGTM". Vgtmuda.gov.in. http://www.vgtmuda.gov.in/Innerpages/AboutVGTM.aspx. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
6. ^ http://www.baatasaari.com/english/city-guides/vijayawada.aspx
7. ^ http://www.imd.gov.in/section/climate/vijayawada2.htm
8. ^ http://www.imd.gov.in/section/climate/vijaywada2.htm
9. ^ "Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News: Presence of leopards, wild dogs detected in Krishna forests". The Hindu. 25 May 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/25/stories/2006052503630200.htm. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
10. ^ "VMC". Ourvmc.org. http://www.ourvmc.org/. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
11. ^ "Auto Mobile Industries in Vijayawada". Mapsofindia.com. http://www.mapsofindia.com/vijayawada/economy/auto-mobile-industries.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
12. ^ "The rapidly growing, stable markets of southern India - Economy and Politics". livemint.com. 7 September 2009. http://www.livemint.com/2009/09/07215125/The-rapidly-growing-stable-ma.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
13. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
14. ^ Posted: Monday, 31 March 2008 at 2350 hrs IST (31 March 2008). "‘It is always better to spread your wings’". Financialexpress.com. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/It-is-always-better-to-spread-your-wings/290370/. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
15. ^ V. Sajeev Kumar. "Business Line: Companies News: BHEL Tiruchi to invest Rs 600 cr over two years". Thehindubusinessline.com. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article1520144.ece. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
16. ^ [2]^{[dead link]}
17. ^ "Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News: Plans to develop railway station". The Hindu. 24 March 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/24/stories/2008032458100300.htm. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
18. ^ "List of National Highways in India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Highways_in_India. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
19. ^ http://www.ourvmc.org/jnnurm/brts_dtls.htm
20. ^ "Vijayawada BRTS faces IAS hurdle - Times Of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 22 November 2009. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Vijayawada-BRTS-faces-IAS-hurdle/articleshow/5256120.cms. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
21. ^ "[LIS-Forum] APLA National Conference, Vijayawada, 18–20 August 2007". Ncsi.iisc.ernet.in. 20 August 2007. http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/pipermail/lis-forum/2007-June/005860.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
22. ^ "Vijayawada City Municipal Corporation –Education". Ourvmc.org. 30 June 2009. http://www.ourvmc.org/general/edu.htm. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
23. ^ http://59.163.116.210/uhssite/introduction.htm
24. ^ "Vijayawada cricket stadium". Content-ind.cricinfo.com. http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ci/content/ground/58537.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
25. ^ "Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News: Keeping home turf in top shape". The Hindu. 4 February 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/04/stories/2007020403120200.htm. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
26. ^ Modesto Sister Cities

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vijayawada

• Vijayawada
• Vijayawada Municipal Corporation website
• Vijayawada Kanakadurgamma temple official website

v t e State of Andhra Pradesh Capital: Hyderabad Topics History Politics Telugu people Districts Adilabad Anantapur Chittoor East Godavari Guntur Hyderabad Karimnagar Khammam Krishna Kurnool Mahabubnagar Medak Nalgonda Nellore Nizamabad Prakasam Ranga Reddy Srikakulam Visakhapatnam Vizianagaram Warangal West Godavari YSR Major cities Hyderabad Visakhapatnam Vijayawada Tirupati Warangal Hanamakonda Guntur Rajahmundry Kakinada Nellore Kurnool Anantapur Ramagundam Eluru Machilipatnam Bhimavaram Karimnagar Mancherial Kadapa Khammam Bhadrachalam Nizamabad Portal: Andhra Pradesh

Mahesh Babu
Mahesh Babu at the Univercell store in - 2010.
Born	Mahesh Babu Ghattamaneni (1975-08-09) August 9, 1975 (age 36)[1] Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Residence	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1979–1991 1999–present
Spouse	Namrata Shirodkar (2005 - Present)
Children	Gautam Krishna Ghattamaneni
Parents	Siva Rama Krishna Ghattamaneni Indira Devi

Mahesh Babu (born Mahesh Babu Ghattamaneni on 9 August 1975) is an Indian film actor best known for his work in Telugu cinema. Born to actor Krishna, Mahesh Babu faced the camera at the age of four as a child artist in 1979's Needa. His first leading role was in the film Rajakumarudu, which was released in August 1999.^[2]

After playing the role of a young Kabaddi player in the 2003 blockbuster film Okkadu, Mahesh continued in this vein, gaining mass appeal and appearing in many successful films such as Murari (2001), Athadu (2005), Pokiri (2006), Dookudu (2011) and Business Man (2012).^[3] These accomplishments, have established him as one of the most sought after actors in Telugu Cinema.^[4] He was listed at 5th position among Times 50 Most Desirable Men for the year 2011 and at 12th place the year before.^[5][6]

Mahesh Babu has worked in nine films as a child artist and in seventeen films as a lead actor till date. He has won six Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards, two Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Awards and two CineMAA Awards. In addition to the films, he also endorses several brands such as Thums Up, Navratna Oil, Univercell, Amrutanjan,^[7] Provogue,^[8] Idea, Vivel, Jos Alukkas^[9] and Santoor Soap in Andhra Pradesh.^[7][10]

Early life[link]

Mahesh Babu was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to prominent Telugu Cinema Actor Ghatamaneni Siva Rama Krishna and Smt. Indira Devi on August 9, 1975.^[11] He is the younger brother of actor turned producer Ramesh Babu Ghattamaneni.^[12] He also has two elder sisters, Padmavathi and actress-producer Manjula Ghattamaneni and one younger sister Priyadarshini.^[13] All siblings have the rare honor of having acted in films as child artistes. Mahesh’s childhood was spent mostly in Madras under the care of his paternal grandmother Smt. Durgamma and the rest of his family.^[14] His father made sure all the children spent sufficient time with him on location and on his sets, especially during holidays. Mahesh many times said that this was where his interest for acting began.^[15] The film sets were a second playground and he did not hesitate to face the camera when asked to do a small role in his brother Ramesh Babu‘s debut film, Needa at the age of 4.^[15] Mahesh studied at St. Bede‘s School in Chennai while continuing to attend his dad’s filming during holidays.^[16] Few of his schoolmates at St.Bede's were Surya (Tamil film actor) and Vishnuvardhan (Tamil film director).^[17] Mahesh obtained an Honours Degree in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai.^[18] Mahesh Babu acted in seven of his father's films as a child actor.

Personal life[link]

Mahesh dated Bollywood actress and former Femina Miss India Namrata Shirodkar for five years.^[19] She was his co-star in the movie Vamsi. They got married on February 10, 2005 in Mumbai.^[20] They have a son named Gautam Krishna (b. 31 August 2006).^[21]

Career[link]

Early career (1979-1990)[link]

He started his acting career by playing a small role in his brother Ramesh Babu‘s debut film, Needa under Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao's direction in 1979, at the age of 4.^[22] In 1983, at the age of 8, director Kodi Ramakrishna requested him to play a role in the film Poratam since they were having difficulty casting for the role of Krishna’s sibling. This was his first full length feature film.^[23] Producer / Director Dhoondy, one of the early backers of Krishna in his struggling days, watched a preview of the movie and was stunned to find out he was Krishna’s own son and remarked that there was a spark in him and he would become an excellent artist.^[24] True to that prognostication, Mahesh went on to win the hearts of many Telugu film lovers as a child artist through varied roles. In Sankharavam (1987) he faced the cameras with his father directing him for the first time.^[25] Veteran director A. Kodandarami Reddy directed him and his brother Ramesh for Bazaar Rowdy (1988), where he won accolades for his acting.^[26] Mugguru Kodukulu (1988) saw him again team up with his brother and father, the father directing them all this time.^[27] Gudachari 117 (1989) reunited Mahesh with his first film director Kodi Ramakrishna in a James Bond type of flick for which his dad, the lead in the movie, was famous.^[28] Koduku Diddina Kapuram (1989), directed by Krishna again, had Mahesh in a dual role.^[29] Balachandrudu and Anna Tammudu (1990) saw the teenaged Mahesh Babu completing his first innings on celluloid after which he concentrated on his studies and went out of the public eye while letting nature take its course through the awkward adolescent years.^[30]

1999-2004[link]

In 1999, Mahesh was re-introduced as a full-fledged hero with the movie Raja Kumarudu (The Prince).^[31] Directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and co-starring Priety Zinta, this movie was a debonair start for his career earning him Nandi Award for Best Male Debutant.^[32] After the movie was released, both fans and the media started fondly calling him Prince Mahesh.^[33] His next release Yuvaraju followed in the year 2000.^[34] Directed by Y.V.S Chowdary, the movie did moderately well at the box office completing 100 days in 19 centers all over AP.^[35] In the same year, another movie Vamsi under the direction of B. Gopal was released and this movie had Namrata Shirodkar co-starring for the first time with Mahesh.^[36] During the movie, the on screen couple Mahesh and Namrata started seeing each other in real life and this relationship later resulted in their marriage.^[37]

In 2001, his successful movie Murari, Directed by Krishna Vamsi and co-starring Sonali Bendre, was released^[38] and earned Mahesh plaudits from all sections of audience and from critics.^[39] He bagged a Nandi Special Jury Award^[40] for his performance in the film. Takkari Donga, produced and directed by Jayanth C. Paranjee was released in 2002, where Mahesh essayed the role of a cowboy.^[41] The role and the movie were meant to honor the legacy of Krishna as the first ever Indian cowboy and also the first Indian cowboy movie Mosagallaku Mosagadu.^[42] His untiring effort in the movie led to another Nandi Special Jury Award.^[43] He had another release in that year, Bobby. Mahesh was paired along Aarthi Agarwal in this movie which was directed by Sobhan.^[44]

Mahesh was next seen in Okkadu directed by Gunasekhar and co-starring Bhumika Chawla, the movie was produced by M.S. Raju.^[45] This movie was released in 2003 and it remains as a landmark film in Mahesh Babu's career. He won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award (Telugu) for this movie.^[46] His next movie Nijam co-starring Rakshita was directed by Teja.^[47] Mahesh‘s performance acquired him the prestigious Nandi Award for Best Actor.^[48] In 2004, he worked with director S. J. Suryaah and had paired with Amisha Patel for the movie Naani.^[49] This movie was produced by his sister Manjula Ghattamaneni.^[50] The same year also had Mahesh again collaborating with Gunasekhar for his next movie Arjun which was produced by his brother G. Ramesh Babu.^[51] He received a Nandi Special Jury Award for his emotional performance in the film.^[52]

2005-2010[link]

In 2005, Mahesh married Namrata Shirodkar after being in a relationship with her for almost 5 years.^[53] The year also saw the first release after his marriage and Trivikram Srinivas’s second directorial venture, Athadu.^[54] He was paired alongside with Trisha Krishnan. Mahesh once again achieved critical acclaim for his performance in the movie and also earned himself the Nandi Award for Best Actor for the second time.^[55] Pokiri, produced jointly by his sister Manjula Ghattamaneni and Vaishno Academy and directed by Puri Jagannadh was the highest grossing Telugu film of the year.^[56] The movie saw him paired alongside with Ileana D'Cruz. Pokiri was a success in AP as well as other states and overseas. The film completed 100 days in as many as 200 centres in Andhra Pradesh and completed silver jubilee in a record 63 centres.^[57] Mahesh earned his second Filmfare award for this movie.^[58]

The year also saw Mahesh working again with Director Gunasekhar and actress Trisha Krishnan for the movie Sainikudu.^[59] In 2007, for his next venture Mahesh embraced corporate film making in Telugu Film Industry.^[60] He collaborated with UTV and with young director Surender Reddy for Athidi which made him the first corporate hero in Telugu Film Industry.^[61] He was paired along side Amrita Rao.^[62] After Athidi, Mahesh devoted more time to family matters with a new toddler to spend time with, supporting and helping Namrata cope with her father’s illness and then his death, followed by Namrata’s mother’s bout with cancer and her death.^[63] In 2008, Mahesh lent his voice for the film Jalsa, directed by his friend Trivikram Srinivas.^[64] In 2009 Mahesh started working on a movie with Trivikram Srinivas as director.^[65]

In 2010, after a 3 year long hiatus Mahesh returned to the silver screen with the movie Khaaleja.^[66] Directed by his friend Trivikram Srinivas, the movie languished in development hell due to production problems^[67] and the telangana agitations.^[68] Upon release, the movie received mixed reviews and also became one of the highest grossing Telugu films overseas.^[69] The year also saw Mahesh embracing social networking site Twitter to interact with his fans.^[70]

2011–present[link]

In 2011, Mahesh's film Dookudu co–starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu was released. Directed by Srinu Vaitla and was produced by 14 Reels Entertainment, it broke many records in the Telugu film industry upon release by taking the largest worldwide opening, earning 21.2 crores in 3 days,^[71] and becoming the highest grossing Telugu film overseas^[72] by earning 1.5 million dollars in the first weekend.^[73] The film set a box office record for the Telugu film industry by collecting a gross of more than 1 billion^[74] and completed a successful run in 312 centers after 50 days.^[75] CNN-IBN for the year 2011, declared him as the Actor of the Year and Dookudu as the Hit of the Year in a survey conducted for Telugu films.^[76] Mahesh began shooting for Business Man co–starring Kajal Aggarwal. The film was directed by Puri Jagannadh and produced by RR Movie Makers, releasing worldwide on January 13, 2012.^[77] Similar to his previous release, it took the largest worldwide opening^[78] by collecting 18.73 crores on the first day^[79] and 62.93 crores worldwide in the first week.^[80] For the first time in his career, Mahesh along with the director Puri Jagannadh lent his vocals for a song in the project.^[81] According to certain reports, Mahesh emerged as the highest paid actor in South India after Rajnikanth.^[82] He was listed 5th in the Times survey of the 50 Most Desirable Men in India, becoming the only South Indian to have been done so.^[83]

His next venture is a multi–starrer Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu under the direction of Srikanth Addala.^[84] Being produced by Dil Raju, it also stars Daggubati Venkatesh in a leading role. The film was officially launched on October 6, 2011 and the filming began on January 18, 2012.^[85] He has also signed up for a role in a film under the direction of Sukumar. The film will be produced by 14 Reels Entertainment and was launched on 12 February 2012.^{[86] [87]} He also hired Hollywood trainer Mike Ryan as his personal trainer.^[88]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]