HELAPURI (ELURU)  WAS A PART OF THE BUDDHIST KINGDOM  CALLED VENGI  FROM THE ANCIENT TIMES. THE EASTERN  CHALAKYAS RULED THE COASTAL ANDHRA FROM 700AD-1200AD WITH VENGI AS  THEIR CAPITAL .THEN ELURU ( HELAPURI) WAS A PROVINCE OF CHALAKYA EMPIRE. IT REMAINED A PART OF KALINGA EMPIRE TILL THE INVASION OF THE MUSLIMS IN 1471.LATER IT FELL IN THE HANDS OF THE GAJAPATHIS AND CAME UNDER THEIR RULE. IN 1515 SRIKRISHNADEVARAYA    CAPTURED IT FROM THE GAJAPATHIS. IT WAS AGAIN CAPTURED BY KUTUB SHAH, THE NAWAB OF GOLKONDA MANY HISTORICAL EVIDENCES ARE  AVAILABLE TO THIS EFFECT AT THE NEAR BY  VILLAGES  PEDAVEGI AND GUNTUPALLI (zeelakarragudem).

During the division of Northern Cirkars in to Districts, ELURU was made a part of Machilipatnam District.  Later, it was included in the Godavari District in 1859.  Subsequently,  Eluru made part of the Krishna District.  Finally in the year 1925, West Godavari District was formed with Eluru as its Headquarters and all the District Offices and Regional Offices were setup in Eluru Town.

Eluru  was declared as  Municipality in the year 1866 in terms of  Madras Municipality Act. Now it enjoys the state of Selection Grade Municipality.

The Thammileru splits into two branches and flows through two sides of  Eluru.  The Krishna Canal throughs through  the heart of the Town.  The Calcutta – Chennai  Highway No.5  and the Visakhapatnam – Chennai Railway Lines runs through the centre of the Town.

Some 30 villages and its hamlets are dependent on Eluru Town for  their Education and Commercial activities. According to latest census there are 46 mandals in west godavari district.

The upland areas of West Godavari District like Jangareddigudem, Chintalapudi, etc., are now harnessing the ground water and financially became sound, due to the cultivation of rich commercial crops like Tobacco,  Palm-Oil, Cocoa etc.,  Eluru is the major Commercial Centre for all these areas.

 The West Godavari District is the Rice-bowl of Andhra Pradesh and Eluru is its Headquarters.  The areas around Eluru are rich fertile lands and yields 3 crops a year.  Major crop is Paddy.  The surplus Paddy / Rice  is being exported to so many States of the Country and to foreign countries also.  There is a big Marketing Yard  where all these activities are carried out.

 KOLLERU LAKE IS THE LARGEST FRESH WATER LAKE IN THE COUNTRY SPREAD OVER WEST GODAVARI AND KRISHNA DISTRICTS OF ANDHRA PRADESH. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS "PEERLESS FISHERMAN'S PARADISE AND BIRD HEAVEN". IT IS 15 KMs. BY ROAD FROM ELURU (HELAPURI)
 

 KOLLERU LAKE IS A SHALLOW FRESH WATER BODY WITH A NORMAL WATER SPREAD OF 674 Sq.KMs. WHICH EXPANDS UPTO 954 Sq.KMs. AT HIGHEST FLOOD LEVEL.  THE DEPTH OF THE WATER IN THE LAKE VARIES FROM 1.6 Mts. TO 4.0 Mts.  THE LAKE RECEIVES WATER FROM BUDAMERU, RAMILERU, TAMMILERU, YERRA KALVA ETC.,

LAKHS OF WATER-FOWL VISIT THE LAKE EVERY YEAR OUT OF WHICH TEALS AND PINTAILS ARE THE MAIN SPECIES.  PAINTED STORKS, OPEN BILL STORKS, GREY HERONS, CORMORANTS, WHITE IBISES, GLOSSY IBESIS, EGRETS, REEF HERONS, DUCKS, COOTS, SHOVELLERS, TEMS,  JACANAS, MOORHENS ETC., ARE SOME OF THE OTHER BIRDS.

THE MOST FAMOUS BIRD OF THE LAKE WAS THE GREY PELICAN. THE KOLLERU LAKE IS FAMOUS FOR THE LARGE NUMBER OF MIGRATORY BIRDS THAT VISIT THE LAKE DURING WINTER.  THE BEST SEASON FOR VISITING THE LAKE IS FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH.

Ambica Group of Industries  The Corporate Office of the Ambica Group of Industries is at Eluru.  This group manufacturing Ambica Agarbathi, Cosmetics, and other aromatic products, to all the places in the Country and different  foreign countries also.  This group recently entered into the Hotel Industry, Wind Energy and Software development programmes.   Directly or indirectly some 5,000  people are dependent on this Group.

JUTE INDUSTRY M/s East India Commercial Corporation’s Jute Industry is one of the major Industry in Eluru Town.  This Industry importing raw jute from various States and  manufacturing so many Jute products and they are exporting the same to different States.  Nearly 10,000 people are dependent on this Industry.

GUPTA GROUP This Group is mainly export oriented Industry.  They are exporting human hair,  cattle horn-tips, Carpets to different countries.  So many people are dependent on this Industry. they also giving awards to the people of various fields under the name of "gupta foundation awards"

Government of Andhra Pradesh, is very much interested to develop Kolleru Lake as a  major Tourism Centre in Andhra Pradesh.  In this direction,  so many development activities are going to be started in and around Kolleru Lake.

Dwaraka Tirumala  (Chinna Tirupathi) which is nearer to Eluru Town.  It is a very important pilgrim centre.  Everyday, thousands of pilgrims from various places of the State and other States are visiting Lord Venkateswara at Chinna Tirupathi.   Eluru  is the  nearby Railway Station and access point.

There are so many big business establishments existed in ELURU.  People from  various places every day visit ELURU for their routine requirements like grossaries, cloth, etc.,    The people of nearby Towns  depends upon ELURU for their purchase of Cloth, Gold, Silver  for special occasions like Marriages, Festivals.

 In addition to the above Educational Institutions, there are so many Residential Junior Colleges, High Schools, Technical Institutes under private sector, are present in Eluru and thousands of pupil  from various places of the District and State are studying in these Institutions every year and spending huge amounts for their stay and study.

The District Headquarters Hospital is centrally located  in Eluru with a capacity of 350 beds and people from all corners of the District used to visit the Hospital for medical treatments.

In the last few years, so many Corporate Hospitals were established in Eluru Town with latest equipment and offering Multi Specialties.   Due to this development, people usually goes to Metropolitan cities are getting Medical Services in Eluru itself.

ASRAM (MEDICAL COLLEGE)

·        The Alluru Seetharama Raju Medical Trust is going to establish a full-pledged Medical College  and Hospital in Eluru Town.  All the infrastructure was completed and it will be start  during the Academic year. It is a major attraction to Eluru Town.