Mangalagiri 5.66

Mangalagiri is a town in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town is the headquarters of Mangalagiri mandal under Guntur revenue division. It also forms a part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. It is situated on National Highway 5 between Vijayawada and Guntur. The town was known to be existed since 225 B.C.. It is also a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region with a population of 73,613.EtymologyMangalagiri translates to The Auspicious Hill in the local language. It was derived from the name Totadri. During Vijayanagara Kingdom, it was also known as Mangala Nilayam.HistoryIt is dated to 1520 and mentions the capture of Kondavidu by Timmarasu, general of Krishna Deva Raya, in 1515 from the Gajapati rulers of Kalinga . Another stone near the temple of Garudalvar has inscriptions on four sides recording grants in the reign of Sadasiva Raya of Vijayanagara Empire 1538. The lofty gopuram in the temple at the foot of the hill was erected by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu in 1807–1809, and in terms of sculpture and architecture this temple stands to be an ultimate testament for the ancient vishwakarma sthapathis in planning and sculpting these temples.