Pamidi

Pamidi is a town in Anantapur District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located 32 kilometers from the District Head Quarters Anantapur. Its population exceeds 40,000. The town is home to a Government Junior College and six high schools.

The town has a historical and religious importance.fact|date=May 2008

Penna Nadi (River Penna) flows through the town, providing water for over one hundred villages in the district for drinking and agricultural purposes.

Transport

The town is well connected with roads and railways. National Highway No.7 passes through the city. Five kilometers from the city is the railway station of the same name. Three kilometers from the town is a closer railway station, Kalluru. Kalluru is well known for its coffee and "vada", a falafel-like, deep-fried, calorie-filled, salt-laden, Indian snack. The nearest railway junctions are Gooty (18 km) and Guntakal (35 km).

Industry

Agriculture is the main industry. The town is also known for textiles and garments, with a number of textile shops in town.

Origins of the name

The name "Pamidi" is derived from the words "Pamu Mudi" (in the Indian regional language Telugu) which means "snake knot". The name is thought to be attributed to the temple Bhogeswaraswamy Temple of Lord Shiva [The Destroyer of Evil, in the Indian mythology of the Trinity -- Creator (Brahma), Proliferator (Vishnu), and Destroyer, (Shiava, aka, Eashwara, Maheshwara, etc.)] , where once a snake (nagu) was found wound coiled itself to Lord Shiva's lingam (a part of the human anatomy) in the temple. "Pamu Mudi" eventually became "Pamidi". One can find a sasan carved in a big rock in the temple, which was written in the Pali language (popular during the time of The Buddha, over 2,000 years ago) at the dedication the temple from a king to the village. The town also had another historical temple found in excavations, the Sri Laxminaraya Swamy Temple. Its deity, Laxminarayana in the "sanctum sanctorum" made of monolithic rock, is an architectural and historical wonder.

The History of Pamidi as a family name

Pamidi became a family name of the people who lived in Andhra Pradesh. Some people from this village travelled to several places in Andhra and settled. Most of these people are located in the area of Tangutur, a small village in the prakasham district.

There is a well known story about this family name. A man from the village Pamidi came to Tangutur and was appointed as a security for the water flow, the flow from one's field to another's field. The man then married a woman in Tangutur and settled there. The local people in Tangutur called them "Pamidi" and the name stuck becoming the family name.