Bitragunta
Encyclopedia
|-Bitragunta is a village in Nellore District
, Andhra Pradesh
, India
. The village got its name when the British
found good drinking water and named it "Better-gunta" which later became Bitragunta.
The village is an important stop on the Indian Railways
line between Chennai
and Vijayawada
. It is also the station at the far northern end of North Line
of the Chennai Suburban Railway
network. The railway has also had an influence on other institutions in the village, including the Railway Institute and two high schools. The village has two panchayats.
The oldest school is the Railway Mixed High School English Medium (RMHS-EM). Under British rule the school building was a catholic church, and the building still retains some elements of its past: the gothic architecture and church bell which is still in use more than 100 years later. Saint
Joseph Thambhi of Peddaavutupalli did his service from the church. The church was moved to the Railway Institute and the old church building converted to a school for Anglo Indians as an English Medium School. The old school is still used as a Telugu
Medium school.
The Railway Loco shed in Bitragunta is one of the only two Coal locomotive sheds in India with the revolving round house mechanism. (The other one is at Mysore.)
The village is also the location of the largest single Christian graveyard in India.
Bitragunta’s significance lies in the history of the Steam Era. The abundance of suitable water and availability of plain land enabled the construction of a unique Mechanical Loco Shed. The loco shed was first constructed in the year 1885. A roundhouse with turn-table facility was added in 1934. The roundhouse was known for its architectural value and joined the Mysore roundhouse as one of two spectacular loco sheds in the country. At that time, the loco shed handled 45 steam locomotives and later went on to become one of the biggest in the Indian Railways. Bitragunta was also provided with a major yard and also inter-changing depots for the drivers and guards. The steam shed was logistically important to medium and long distance trains originating from Madras and the ones passing through Vijaywada down south. In those days, experiments were being made with the Pacific locomotives (WP) of the Grand Trunk Express to provide it more mileage in terms of water and coal consumption. The objective was to provide the GT with a non-stop run between Madras and Vijaywada. The WPs were fitted with water scoops, to enable them to take on water while on the run. A water trough was constructed at Bitragunta just for the purpose. The water scoops on the WPs worked well enough. Unfortunately, due to a deteriorated level of the quality of coal, the engine had to be changed at Bitragunta. The coal carried in the locomotive’s tender could not sustain the 420 km long journey, due to the high ash content. Bitragunta had 22 WP locos in its shed then. Later, the shed, under South Central railways held 59 WG and 5 XD locomotives.
Along with the growth of Indian Railways, the marshaling activities at Bitragunta increased manifold. In 1968, a full-fledged marshaling yard with hump facility was established and a wagon-repair depot was added later. The marshaling activities included segregation of wagons and long-distance marshaling orders. The activities continued until 1998. Bitragunta was also a known “railway cantonment”. Predominantly occupied by Anglo Indians, it had 1000 spacious railway quarters built in European style. It also hosted a Western Culture Institute that is standing till today as the legend of those glorious days. The evolution in the mode of traction power from steam to diesel and diesel to electric caused the reduction of shed-activities and finally the steam shed at Bitragunta was closed. The closure of the marshaling yard brought a complete closure to the glory of the railway town. Consequent upon the closure of the steam loco shed in Bitragunta, the infrastructure, other equipment and land have not yet been utilized for any purpose. But Bitragunta still continues as a changing point for all up & down freight trains. Most of the express trains continue to halt here. An ART and MRV are still stationed at Bitragunta. The station still retains vestiges of the glorious past in form of its long platform and old buildings. The remains of the steam shed and the roundhouse can still be seen today.
*Towards ongole
Nellore district
Sri Amarajeevi Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District is one of the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Nellore is famous for high paddy field, and so it got its name from "Nelli". The population of the district was 2,966,082 of which 22.45% were urban as of 2011....
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The village got its name when the British
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
found good drinking water and named it "Better-gunta" which later became Bitragunta.
The village is an important stop on the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
line between Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
. It is also the station at the far northern end of North Line
North Line, Chennai Suburban
The North Line of the Chennai Suburban Railway is the third-longest suburban rail line in the system, running north from Chennai Central MMC to Bitragunta in Andhra Pradesh...
of the Chennai Suburban Railway
Chennai suburban railway
Chennai suburban railway is a commuter rail system in the Indian city of Chennai operated by the Southern Railway. Chennai has a complex railway network. The system uses electrical multiple units operating on alternating current drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system...
network. The railway has also had an influence on other institutions in the village, including the Railway Institute and two high schools. The village has two panchayats.
The oldest school is the Railway Mixed High School English Medium (RMHS-EM). Under British rule the school building was a catholic church, and the building still retains some elements of its past: the gothic architecture and church bell which is still in use more than 100 years later. Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Joseph Thambhi of Peddaavutupalli did his service from the church. The church was moved to the Railway Institute and the old church building converted to a school for Anglo Indians as an English Medium School. The old school is still used as a Telugu
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
Medium school.
The Railway Loco shed in Bitragunta is one of the only two Coal locomotive sheds in India with the revolving round house mechanism. (The other one is at Mysore.)
The village is also the location of the largest single Christian graveyard in India.
History
Bitragunta is located between Vijayawada and Chennai on the east coast trunk line. The town is in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Nearest major stations is Nellore to the south and Ongole to the north. But a few express trains do halt at Bitragunta today.Bitragunta’s significance lies in the history of the Steam Era. The abundance of suitable water and availability of plain land enabled the construction of a unique Mechanical Loco Shed. The loco shed was first constructed in the year 1885. A roundhouse with turn-table facility was added in 1934. The roundhouse was known for its architectural value and joined the Mysore roundhouse as one of two spectacular loco sheds in the country. At that time, the loco shed handled 45 steam locomotives and later went on to become one of the biggest in the Indian Railways. Bitragunta was also provided with a major yard and also inter-changing depots for the drivers and guards. The steam shed was logistically important to medium and long distance trains originating from Madras and the ones passing through Vijaywada down south. In those days, experiments were being made with the Pacific locomotives (WP) of the Grand Trunk Express to provide it more mileage in terms of water and coal consumption. The objective was to provide the GT with a non-stop run between Madras and Vijaywada. The WPs were fitted with water scoops, to enable them to take on water while on the run. A water trough was constructed at Bitragunta just for the purpose. The water scoops on the WPs worked well enough. Unfortunately, due to a deteriorated level of the quality of coal, the engine had to be changed at Bitragunta. The coal carried in the locomotive’s tender could not sustain the 420 km long journey, due to the high ash content. Bitragunta had 22 WP locos in its shed then. Later, the shed, under South Central railways held 59 WG and 5 XD locomotives.
Along with the growth of Indian Railways, the marshaling activities at Bitragunta increased manifold. In 1968, a full-fledged marshaling yard with hump facility was established and a wagon-repair depot was added later. The marshaling activities included segregation of wagons and long-distance marshaling orders. The activities continued until 1998. Bitragunta was also a known “railway cantonment”. Predominantly occupied by Anglo Indians, it had 1000 spacious railway quarters built in European style. It also hosted a Western Culture Institute that is standing till today as the legend of those glorious days. The evolution in the mode of traction power from steam to diesel and diesel to electric caused the reduction of shed-activities and finally the steam shed at Bitragunta was closed. The closure of the marshaling yard brought a complete closure to the glory of the railway town. Consequent upon the closure of the steam loco shed in Bitragunta, the infrastructure, other equipment and land have not yet been utilized for any purpose. But Bitragunta still continues as a changing point for all up & down freight trains. Most of the express trains continue to halt here. An ART and MRV are still stationed at Bitragunta. The station still retains vestiges of the glorious past in form of its long platform and old buildings. The remains of the steam shed and the roundhouse can still be seen today.
Entertainment
The main entertainment venue is the Railway Institute, with its reading room, and facilities for billiards (This table manufactured in the year 1835 with burma teak), caroms, shuttle and chess.Education
- Holy family English Medium High School
- Railway Mixed High School English Medium
- Railway Mixed High School Telugu Medium
- Zilla Parishad High School
- Siddhartha English Medium School
- Padmaja public school
- SRK public school
- RSR Engineering college
- Junior college Tippa
- Boarding school in vishwanadharao Pet
Places nearby
- KavaliKavaliFor a village in Nellore district, see Kavali, Nellore.Kavali is the second largest town in Nellore district on the East Coast of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh on National Highway 5. It is one of the municipalities in Nellore district. Its position on the Grand Trunk Road...
- 17 km - NelloreNelloreNellore , is a city and headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District, formerly Nellore district.And in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri"....
- 38 km - ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- 238 km - VijayawadaVijayawadaVijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
- 225 km - Ongole- 83 km
Function halls
- Railway Institute; Near Railway Station
- Balakalyani Mandapam; Near Railway Gate, Bogole
train timings as on 01.11.2011
*Towards gudur- 17644 Circar Express-------------DAILY--01:37
- 57240 BTTR-chennai Passenge------DAILY---05:20
- 16094 Lucknow Chennai Express----WED,SAT---05:44
- 16032 Andaman Express------------MON,TUE,FRI---05:44
- 57640 Guntur Tirupati Pass-------DAILY--- 07:05
- 12710 Simhapuri SF Express.......DAILY--- 07:15
- 67298 Vijayawada Gudur Pass......DAILY--- 10:45
- 17479 Puri-Tirupati Exp...MON,TUE,THU,FRI,SAT --2:05
- 17481 Bilaspur Tirupati Exp.....WED,SUN---- 12:05
- 17406 Krishna Express............DAILY--- 16:52
- 57242 Vijayawada BTTR Pass.......DAILY--- 20:45 ARRL
- 57258 Kakinada Tirupati Pass.....DAILY--- 20:55
- 13351 Dhanbad-Alappuzha Exp......DAILY--- 21:16
- 57278 Vijayawada BTTR Pass.......DAILY---- 23:40 ARRL
*Towards ongole
- 13352 Alappuzha Dhanbad Exp-----DAILY--------03:10
- 57241 BTTR-Vijayawada Pass-------DAILY--------04:00
- 57257 Tirupati Kakinada Pass.----DAILY--------05:31
- 57277 Gudur Vijayawada Pass.--- DAILY--- 07:35
- 17405 Krishna Express---- DAILY--- 08:38
- 16031 Andaman Express-WED,THU,SUN--- 09:10
- 16093 Chennai Lucknow Exp.---- TUE,SAT---- 09:10
- 17480 Tirupati-Puri Exp.-MON,TUE,WED,FRI,SAT-- 14:02
- 17482 Bilaspur Express----- THU,SUN----- 14:02
- 67297 Gudur Vijayawada Pass.--- DAILY- -- 16:30
- 57639 Tirupati Guntur Pass.--- DAILY---- 19:11
- 12603 Chennai - Hyderabad Exp.--- DAILY---- 20:15
- 17643 Circar Express---- DAILY---- 21:20
- 12709 Simhapuri SF Express--- DAILY---- 21:58
- 17487 Tirumala Express---- DAILY---- 23:43
External links
- http://www.bitragunta.com