Machilipatnam (Telugu: , pronunciation (helpinfo); known as Masulipatnam under British rule and as Bandar in folklore is a city and a special grade municipality in the Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located 347 kilometres (216mi) south east of state capital, Hyderabad. The town has existed since the 3rd century BCE (Satavahana period) when, according to Ptolemy, it was known as Maisolos. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea calls it Masalia in the 1st century BCE. The port is located on the southeastern, or Coromandel Coast, of India. Situated in the mouth of the River Krishna on the Bay of Bengal, the Masula port saw flourishing sea trade. The naming of the eastern gate of Charminar as Machili-Kaman(literally meaning fish, in this case specifically meaning a gate to the fishing town of Machilipatnam) testifies the symbiotic relationship between port and the capital.The East India Company built its first factory in India in Masulipatnam. It was a 17th...
