Nellore
India · Asia
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About Nellore
Nellore, also spelt as Nelluru, is a city located on the banks of Penna River, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It serves as the headquarters of the district, as well as Nellore Urban mandal, Nellore Rural mandal and Nellore revenue division. It is the fourth most populous city in the state. It is at a distance of 279 kilometres (173 mi) from Vijayawada, 660 kilometres (410 mi) from Visakhapatnam, 455 kilometres (283 mi) from Hyderabad and about 170 km (110 mi) north of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and also about 380 km (240 mi) east-northeast of Bangalore, Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Nellore District.
There are various theories linked to the origin of the name Nellore. According to a story from the Sthala Purana, the name is connected to a sacred lingam in the form of a stone found beneath a Phyllanthus emblica tree, also known as the nelli tree (nelli, meaning 'emblica tree' in Old Tamil and Telugu). The presence of the nelli tree in this story is believed to be one of the etymological roots of the region's name.
Another theory is that the name "Nellore" is derived from the Tamil word "nellu", which means "paddy" or "rice." The region is...
Nellore travel guide
Understand
Known for its agriculture, and for its educational institutions and business, is coming to terms with its new-found stature as a city. Nellore is fast blossoming into a hub for shipping and rail/road connections, a major port being built at Krishnapatnam. Nellore has been an exporter of Rice, Sugarcane/cane-based products, prawn/shrimp and a varied set of crops. Nellore has expanded enormously over the years, with newer flyovers, roads and highways. It has a rich historical past with the Archeological Department of India findings in places such as Duvvuru. The weather is typically hot and humid from extensive deforestation in the area. Nellore is about 177 km from Chennai and 500 km from Hyderabad, well connected by rail and road.
Getting there
By plane Nearest airport Tirupati International Airport TIR IATA, Tirupati 110 km away Nearest major airport Chennai International Airport MAA IATA, Chennai 170 km away
By train It takes 3 hr by train from Chennai and 10 hr from Hyderabad. Nellore railway station is on the Howrah-Chennai main line and Chennai-New Delhi rail route,
1 Nellore SCR (NLR). (updated Mar 2022) 2 Nellore South SCR (NLS). (updated Mar 2022)
By car A beautiful and modern four-lane highway connects Nellore to Chennai. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach Nellore from the outskirts Chennai.
By bus 3 Nellore bus station. There are so many buses connecting Nellore from Chennai and Hyderabad. There are 2 main bus stations available to connect rural areas of district called PSR Bus Station (more recognized as Atmakur bus stand) and RTC Bus Stand. All APSRTC buses to Hyderabad and Chennai start from RTC bus stand. There are also many private luxury bus services available to connect Hyderabad and Chennai from the Railway station area. Buses of Tamil Nadu state road transport corporations start from Madras bus stand very close to the RTC bus stand and they operate mainly to Chennai. (updated Mar 2022)
See
Places to visit include temples such as Jonnavada/Narasimhaswamy Temple, Ramalingeswara Temple in Nellore besides several other temples in towns across Nellore district. There is a "dargah" called the barah shaheed dargah which is very popular around this part of the world.
1 Sri Talpagiri Ranganadha Swamy Temple. The most famous temple on the southern bank of the River Pennar, the Galigopuram of the temple is 29 m high and has seven gold Kalasams. The most beautiful chamber of the temple is the Addalamantapam (mirror parlor), walled with high-class mirrors arranged at proper angles to reflect only the deity seated in an elevated ornate seat for the Lord in the centre. (updated Jun 2026) 2 Bara Shaheed Dargah. Located on the banks of the Swarnala Cheruvu lake. The shrine is dedicated to twelve martyrs (Sufi saints/warriors) who are believed to have sacrificed their lives in battle centuries ago. It stands as a profound symbol of communal harmony, drawing millions of devotees across all faiths, backgrounds, and nationalities. (updated Jun 2026) Other temples include:
Buchireddy Palyem (Temple), Golagamudi Venkaya Swamy (Temple), Narsimaha Konda (Temple), Jonnvada Kamakshi Temple Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple Penchilokana (forest and temple) Ramatheertham (Beach Temple) Naidupeta, Somasila (Dam), Krishnapatnam (port), Mypadu (Beach), Koduru (Beach), Paturu (sarees), Pennar River.
Do
Don't miss watching movie in Nellore. Nellore has some of the best movie theaters from years.Nartaki, Siri multiplex, complex (krishna, kaveri, kalyani) now remodelled as S2 are some of the state-of-the-art theaters. It charges ₹80-100 for first class depending on the theatre/screen.
Buy
The booming economy due to the increasing industrialization in the Nellore region is making it one of the major shopping hub in the south Andhra region. All the major cloth show rooms are opening up. Nellore is famous for the best models in gold jewellery.
Eat
Nellore is famous for its spicy cuisine, so popular across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, hot, spicy and replete with "pulusu" and "kodi kura". The Nellore Thali meals is a big hit across the state of Andhra Pradesh, and you see Nellore cuisine and Nelloreans as restauranteers in Hyderabad. Some hotels in Hyderabad serve the famous "Nellore Chaapala Pulusu". RSR cold drinks, murali krishna ghee sweets are also very famous in Nellore.
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink & nightlife
Nellore has got a lot of bars and wine shops. You can find almost all the major varieties of drinks, with some imported types as well.
Sleep
There are a lot of hotels in Nellore ranging from budget to 3 star. Due to blooming economy a lot more hotels are opening up.
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Go next
Mypadu and Kodur beaches are good tourist spots about 12 miles away.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.