Khammam is the city in Khammam district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the Khammam district and Khammam mandal as well.[3] It is located about 193 kilometres (120 mi) east of the state capital, Hyderabad, and also it is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) North of the Andhra Pradesh state capital, Amaravathi. The river Munneru flows on the western side of the town.[4] As of 2011 census of India, it had a population of 2,84,268, with an area of 94.37 km2. On 19 October 2012, the civic body of Khammam was upgraded to Municipal corporation, which includes 14 surrounding villages.The name of Khammam was derived from the temple of Nrusimhadri and a local hill. In Urdu, a vertical rock is referred as Kamba and the name of Khammam was derived from it by undergoing several changes with names such as, Stamba Sikhari, Stambadri, Kambhadri, Kambham mettu, Khammam mettu.The present name of Khammam is said to have been derived from the name of the temple "Narsimhadri," later "Stamba Sikhari," and then it was called "Stambadhri," which has the ancient temple of Narasimha Swamy on its top. This temple is believed to have been existing since Treta Yuga. The vertical rock under the temple is known as 'KAMBA' which literally means pillar. The name of the town Khammam has been derived from "Kambam Mettu" to "Kammammet" or "Khammam Mettu" to the present "Khammam city." The district is also named as Khammam. On the other hand, the historical records show that the name was "Kammamet."[7][8][9][10][11][12] The City is located on the banks of a river called Munneru which is a tributary of the Krishna River. Khammam district has a lot of historical importance in Telangana. Khammam City, which was the seat of Taluk Administration, was part of the larger Warangal District, until 1 October 1953. Five taluks of the Warangal district viz., Khammam, Madhira, Yellandu, Burgampadu and Paloncha (now Kothagudem) were carved out and a new district Khammam with Khammam as District Headquarters. In 1959 Bhadrachalam Revenue Division consisting Bhadrachalam and Nuguru Venkatapuram Taluks of East Godawari district, which were on the other side of the river Godavari were merged into Khammam on grounds of geographical contiguity and administrative viability. In 1973 a new taluk with Sathupalli as headquarters was formed carving out from Madhira and Kothagudem taluks. In the year 1976 four new taluks were formed viz., Tirumalayapalem, Sudimalla, Aswaraopeta and Khammam district was initially a part of larger Warangal District. History of Khammam shows that it has produced a number of leaders who were part of the Freedom struggle, such as first generation Communist leaders Peravelli Venkata Ramanaiah, Pendyala Satyanarayana Rao, Sarvadevabhatla Ramanatham, K.L.Narsimha Rao, and Chirravuri Laxminarasaiah First Municipal Chairman of Khammam; Congress leaders Madapati Hanumantha Rao, Chepuri Nenkanna, Madapati Ramchander Rao, Sardar Jamalpuram Keshava Rao,Bommakanti Satyanarayana Rao, Hayagreeva Chary, and Nizam Rashtra Vimochanam Jalagam Vengala Rao, former Chief Minister of AP, Prof. K. Venkata Ramiah, Founder and Vice-Chancellor of KU.
