Anantpur district is one of the 23 districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which forms a part of the Indian subcontinent. The district headquarters of the Anantpur district is the city of Anantpur. According to the census of 2001 the population of Anantpur District 3,640,478. It is in fact the largest district of Andhra Pradesh and bounded by the district Cuddapah on the east, Chhittoor District in the southeast, Kurnool District in the north. Anantpur district forms part of the Rayalaseema region of the state. Six rivers flow within the district of Anantpur namely, River Penna, River Papagni, River Chitravathi, River Thakaleru, River Swarnamukhi. The district of Anantpur receives an average rainfall of 381 millimeters.
The major cities within the Anantpur district are Anantpur, Guntakal, Hindupur, Kadiri, Tadipatri, Rayadurg, Urayakonda, Kalyandurg and Dharmavaram. The other places of interest in this district are Gooty, Alur, Lepakshi and Puttaparthi. All these places of interest attract thousands of tourists throughout the year. The small town of Dharmavaram is famous all over for the production of silk saris. The water tank is also famous here for its immense storage capacity. The temple of Lepakshi is one of the popular historical cites in the Anantpur District. A wonderful example of the Vijaynagar architectural style can be witnessed in the Veerabhadra Temple here. The region of Tadipatri in the Anantpur district is famous for being the site of several Hindu temples like Bugga Rama Lingeswara Swami Temple, Aluru Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Chinatala Venkata Ramana Swamy Temple. The region of Kadiri within the district of Anantpur is famous for several reasons, the first being the site of the world`s largest banyan tree, the second, third and fourth being the site of the famous Hanuman temple, the 400 years old Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple constructed by the famous monarch Krishna Deva Raya and also the famous praja kavi yogi vemana samadhi located at Katarapulli at a distance of about 10 kilometers from Kadiri. The region of Puttaparthi is famous for being the hometown of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba, which is sited at a distance of only 40 kilometers from Dharmavaram and 80 kilometers from the Anantpur District. It is in fact considered as a divine destination for the devotees who consider it as an important pilgrimage to achieve the accomplishments of Sri Satya Sai Baba. There are many famous educational institutions in the Anantpur District.
The principal economy of the Anantpur District is based on agriculture. The main crops cultivated here are rice, groundnut, maize, cotton, chilies, sugarcane and sesame. As the district receives very less rainfall it is considered to be one of the most backward province of the state. The Government of the state of Andhra Pradesh has taken various measures to revive the economy of the state. Nowadays reaching the beautiful Anantpur District has become very convenient. Anantpur District is now linked by frequent trains to and from the major metros as well as the other destinations of India. The national and state highway network links this town to many important cities in India. All sorts of hired transports are available and all comes with the most experienced drivers. There are regular bus services available to the district of Anantpur from Hyderabad. The Nearest airport to the Anantpur District is Hyderabad, which is connected to domestic destinations as well as international destinations.
