Karamchedu

Karamchedu is a very prosperous model village located 8.5 km from the busy commercial town of Chirala in Prakasam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The village has been significant from the time of British Raj because of its zamindars and famous residents.

History

Karamchedu benefited from the irrigation facilities provided by the century-old, British-built Krishna and the post-Independence Nagarjunasagar canals. The fertile irrigated land and the tobacco farming in the Nizam area were the major sources of prosperity of the village. Eventually Karamchedu diversified its wealth into business, rice mills, contracts, transportation, banking, shipping, higher education and film production. Karamchedu counts among its natives some well-known film producers and businessmen. Many villagers have regularly migrated to other States and even to foreign countries, mainly the United States.

Despite the village's diversification into urban economic activities and its residents' migration to far-off places, the villagers of Karamchedu retained an active connection with the village by owning properties there, and some migrant farmers’ families continued to live there.

Today Karamchedu has all modern amenities such as educational institutions, an eye hospital, a sports complex, marriage halls, a general hospital, a veterinary hospital, movie theaters, recreational clubs and many religious temples.

Notable residents

Famous personalities of Karamchedu include:

;Political
* Vajjiya Preggada, Minister in the court of King Vimaladitya of the Eastern Chalukyas Dynasty
* Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu Nayudu, Member of States Council (equivalent of Union Cabinet in British Raj)
* Daggubati Raghavaiah Chowdary, Member of Zilla Board, Associate of Prof. N.G. Ranga and Krishikar Lok Party
* Daggubati Chowdary, Ex. M.L.A
* Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, Ex-Minister, Ex-Member of Cabinet and Current Member of Assembly
* Daggubati Purandheswari, Current Minister of State for Human Resource Development, W/o Dr. Daggubati Venkateswara Rao and Daughter of NT Rama Rao)
* Jagarlamudi Kuppuswami Chowdary, Zilla Board President, M.L.A.
* Jagarlamudi Chandramouli, Ex-Member of Parliament
* Jagarlamudi Lakshminarayana, Ex-Member of Assembly
* Jagarlamudi Lakshmi Padmavati, Ex-Minister

;Film industry

* Yarlagadda Venkanna Chowdary, Film Producer, Ex-President of Andhra Chamber of Commerce
* Y. Sambhuprasad, Film Producer, Ex-President of Andhra Chamber of Commerce
* D. Ramanaidu, Film Producer, listed in "Guinness World Records" (most films produced)
* D. Suresh, Film Producer
* D. Venkatesh, Film Actor
* Daggubati Raja, Film Actor
* Yarlagadda Sumanth, Film Actor
* Boina Subbarao, Film Director
* Yarlagadda Ramulu, is one of the renowned Film Distributors in Andhra Pradesh, under banner name"Padma Films" has distributed several films.;Academic

* Karamchedu Kumara Swamy Pantulu (Pedda Pantulu garu), renowned scholar and teacher
* Y. Ranganayakulu Chowdary, Poet, Scholar, Translated "Gitanjali" into Telugu
* Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu B.E., Founder of Hyderabad Study Circle

;Doctors

* Dr. Yarlagadda Purna Chandrasekhar Rao, FRCS, Srirang Hospital, Hyderabad, first medical graduate from Karamchedu and renowned surgeon
* Dr. Yarlagadda Nayudamma, listed in Limca book of records (for separating conjoined twins)

;Others
* Yarlagadda Durga vara Prasad (known as) Durgaiah garu, follower of Vinobha bhave, works for the welfare of the village.
*Daggubati Venkateswarlu, an honest and popular senior police officer; awarded the "Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished service" (this is India's highest police & para-military services medal), besides more than 100 other awards. He is the first graduate, the first police officer and the first gazetted officer from Karamchedu. He is a student of Pedda Pantulu garu.

Karamchedu Mandal

Karamchedu is also a Mandal (third-level government unit, below states and districts). There are seven villages under Karamchedu:

* Aadipudi
* Themidithapadu
* Daggubadu
* Karamchedu
* Kesavarappadu
* Kodavalivaripalem
* Kunkalamarru
* Swarna
* Jarubulavaripalem
* Pothina varipalem

Transportation to Karamchedu

The nearest railway station to Karamchedu is at Chirala. The nearest airport is Vijayawada.

There is regular bus service, run by both APSRTC (government) and private operators, from all major towns in Andhra Pradesh to Chirala. Karamcheu can be reached from Chirala by catching an APSRTC bus from the Bus Depot (running every 20-30 minutes from 5AM till 11PM), or by hiring an auto rickshaw or a taxi (available at all times of day).

In News

This is also a famous place where dalit massacres occurred

External links

* [http://www.karamcheduvillage.net Karamchedu Village Website]
* [http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/working_papers/wp179.pdf Dalit Massacre in Karamchedu (PDF)]
* [http://apsrtc.gov.in/TIME-TABLES/Chirala.htm APSRTC bus time-table]