Bhadradri District Map, Telangana

About

Bhadradri Kothagudem District, formally known as Bhadradri Telangana, is not only the largest district of Telangana, but also by its size of about 7,483 square kilometres, it is probably the biggest in India. This new district has been taken off the old Khammam district as part of the administrative reshuffle of Telangana which commenced in October 2016. Locally, as well as with the culture and economy, Bhadradri is the only spot that has a unique location on the eastern side of Telangana. Besides being a geographical point, it is also culturally and economically an important location. There is a reason of Bhadradri being a holy place in the Hindu tradition which is deeply rooted. The word "Bhadradri" comes from "Bhadra," meaning an ascetic who lived at the foot of a mountain in Bhadra. From the research that we do it seems Bhadra, who was very devout and a follower of Lord Rama, ascetically performed for many many years, and at the river banks of Godavari which is quite a sacred river and thereby pleased Lord Rama. The district name combines this sacred heritage of Bhadradri and Kothagudem, its administrative headquarters and industrial hub, thereby indicating a perfect marriage of spiritualism with modern industry.

Geographically, Bhadradri Kothagudem shares borders with various other districts and states: The Godavari River is one of the biggest rivers in India, flowing right through the Bhadradri Kothagudem area. It helps the area by providing natural cover to forests which are the main attractions of the region, agriculture, and river-side settlements. Bhadar Kothagudem, which is called the "Green Jewel of Telangana" because of its natural beauty and environment, has an area of about 4.76 lakhs of acres under dense forests. The forests house several species of plants and animals and, in addition, they hold the region as a place of great wealth of minerals. The place is a destination of religious pilgrims due to its great spiritual significance as thousands and thousands of devotees throng the region for religious worship and pilgrimage.

History & Culture

​ The region of Bhadradri Kothagudem has been populated forever. The archaeological explorations of the lower Godavari valley have uncovered numerous archaeological remains. In the vicinity of Pinapaka, Gundala, Paloncha and Kothagudem, the researchers found, apart from prehistoric stone tools and rock art, also megalithic burials - like dolmens and cairns. These remains point to Truth is human settlements were located in the river terraces thousands of years ago. Dynasty period: the region came under the influence of famous Deccan dynasties 1) Satavahanas & Ikshvakus: The dynasty opened up early sea & river trade via the Godavari route. Buddhism time: the area being a major stop over a trade route, has monastic and stupa relics which were found at Karukonda & Aswaraopeta. 4) Kakatiyas: During the medieval ages the Kakatiyas combined the forest belts with their kingdom to make up a contiguous empire. For that they built water tanks and also erected defensive fortifications. Qutb-Shahis and Asaf Jahi Era (Nizam): the area became administered plus the Telangana region in total, but tribal leaders retained considerable freedom within the remote forest areas.

Ramayana Connections
The community tradition of Bhadradri is so firmly rooted in the Hindu epic Ramayana that it would be difficult to find out the extent by which the two are actually linked. The sacred traditions are said to hold that the jungle region of Dandakaranya which runs like a blanket over this district, used to be the shelter of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Lakshmana during their 14 years of exile (Aranyavasam). The village of Parnasala, located in Dummugudem mandal where there is hardly any disturbance from the outside world, that place is venerated as the real spot where Lord Rama constructed the first small hut and also from where the beautiful lady Sita disappears after being carried off by Ravana.

Cultural Traditions, Festivals, and Tribal Heritage
Along with the major tribal communities residing in the district such as Koyal, Lambadas, and Gonds, Bhadradri has several other tribal communities living in harmony with nature who are keeping their heritage by passing it on from generation to generation. They still sing stories, worship their deities, and dance the folk styles without forgetting. Among the several festivals, Kommu Koya (Bison Horn Dance): This is a traditional warrior/martial art dance of the Koya that is performed in wild bison horns and peacock feathers as headgear, with the rhythm of the giant wooden drums. This celebration of man's struggle with nature shows off the Koya's spirit of unity and their gratitude in the form of harvests. Such festivals help maintain the spiritual link and unity of the people of this village who live close to nature and depend on its resources for survival.

Economy

Government Sector
The administrative apparatus of the Telangana State Government forms a core pillar of economic stability and employment in the district. Key governmental activities include:
Public Administration & Welfare: A wide variety of jobs are available through civil service departments like police, education, revenue, and tribal welfare. State funds are channeled by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) based at Bhadrachalam towards the provision of healthcare facilities, Tribal Residential Schools, and subsidies for agricultural input. Besides, rural roads are upgraded.

​Public Sector
Bhadradri Kothagudem is one of the industrial centres of Telangana State and has also become one of the major energy production hubs of the country and it is largely due to the Public Sector Companies, both State and Central: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL): SCCL is headquartered at Kothagudem and is a coal company entirely owned by the Governments of Telangana and India. Through many open-cast and underground coal mines SCCL operates and in fact the major coal supplies for Telangana comes from the colliery belt which is the Kothagudem, Yellandu, and Manuguru areas. SCCL has large numbers of technically skilled miners, engineers, and support staff engaged in the production process.

Services Sector
This category explains industrial manufacturing, commercial trade, and services network: ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (ITC-PSPD): Close to Bhadrachalam, Sarapaka hosts a large and up-to-date paper & pulp manufacturing company of Asia called ITC-PSPD. To have the required raw wood pulp, it initiates friendly environmental social forestry among the farmers. Agro-Industries: Besides industry, agriculture is also the main occupation for most people in the countryside. Major agricultural crops grown include paddy, cotton, chilli (capsicum), maize etc. There are modern oil palm processing factories located near Dammapeta and Aswaraopeta, which are also agro-industries.

Tourism

Bhadradri Kothagudem is home to many attractive tourist attractions, which include the ancient architectural wonders of temples, the calming banks of rivers, the wildlife sanctuaries which are thick with animals and trees and forest ranges which are quite greenish.

Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple
Bhadrachalam being the best of temples at the district's center it was built during the 17th century on the western side of the Godavari River. The deity form that the temple is dedicated to is a rare depiction of Vaikuntha Rama. In it Rama with Sankha, Chakra (the conch/disc, respectively and bow and arrow is presented as one single unit. Parnasala: Parnasala, a really charming small village situated about thirtyfive kms away from Bhadrachalam (of the Dummugudem Mandal), it is a perfect location mixing history and legend. There are artistic representations inside depicting a few significant episodes from Ramayana, e.g. the creation of the Golden Deer (Maricha), the footprint of Mother Sita and Ravana carrying away Sita. The Kinnerasani Dam, constructed with great care over the scenic Kinnerasani River, is a major distributary of the Godavari River. This dam is one of the places located around Palvancha. Godavari River gives tranquil surroundings to this spiritual place that also enjoys the presence of history lovers. The place offers green hills on all sides, deer forest walks, eco-tours with comfortable stays, and water adventure activities on a large reservoir.

Demographics

Bhadradri Kothagudem comprises people drawn from many diverse human cultures such as forest dwellers, various ethnic groups, and people working in the industries, etc. Population: Total population at the district level in the census is 1 069 261. Literacy Rate: The average level of literacy is 66.40% and efforts to shorten the literacy gap between the rural and the urban population, as well as the tribals are still continuing. Distribution of population in urban and rural areas: About 31.71% of the overall population of the district lives in cities such as Kothagudem, Palvancha, Manuguru, and Yellandu, but about 68.29% of the people are distributed among villages, tribal, and forest villages. Language use is an expression of the area's tribal background and movement due to industrialisation. Telugu language: 72:34% of the population use Telugu as their main language. Tribe language - Koya language: 10.55% represents the indigenous people. Language: Gor Boli (Lambadi): Spoken by 10.15% of the Banjhara community. Urdu: Spoken as 5.09% mainly in urban municipalities. Hindi and Others: They cover the left-over numbers due to workforce migration to industrial mining areas. Bhadradri is one of the districts in Telangana with the highest number of tribal population. The population of Scheduled Tribes (ST) is 36%.66% of the total population. The population of Scheduled Castes (SC) is 13.42%.

Administration

In the Bhadradri Kothagudem area the governance system consists of the revenue divisions, tehsils (mandals), gram panchayats and municipalities for the development of public welfare, natural resources and the urban area.

Administration Structure Dist. Collectorate: The District Collector & District Magistrate head of Kothagudem District and is responsible for the District Collector's office which is at Kothagudem. Revenue Divisions: We have 2 Revenue Divisions: Kothagudem and Bhadrachalam.

Municipalities: There are 5 municipalities, viz. Kothagudem, Palvancha, Yellandu, Manuguru, and Bhadrachalam. There are 23 Mandals (Tehsils) and 481 Revenue Villages which cover two revenue divisions under the District. The District administration policy links Rural Development through Village Panchayats, the very lowest level local government, which provide basic services, road connectivity and various welfare schemes reaching into the most remote forested settlements of the district.

Facts of Bhadradri District
Official Name	Bhadradri
Location	Telangana
Area (km2)	7237
Population	10,69,261
Language	Telugu, Gor Boli (Lambadi), Urdu

FAQs

Q1: What is the population of Bhadradri district?
The district has a population of 10,69,261people as per 2011.

Q2: How many villages are in Bhadradri district?
It has 381 inhabited villages.

Q3: What is the literacy rate of **Bhadradri** district?
The literacy rate is 66.40%.

Q4: Which language is mainly spoken in Bhadradri district?
Telugu is the main spoken language.

Q5: What is Bhadradri district famous for?
It's home to the famous Sri Setha.


Last Updated on : September 01, 2026