Palakollu is a city and the administrative headquarters of Palakollu Mandal in Narasapuram revenue division in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Palakollu is situated in Coastal Andhra region of the state. It occupies . census, it had a population of about 61,284 and a Metro population of about 81,199. Palakollu Municipality merged five Grama panchayats of Seven village's (Kontheru, Adavipalem, Palakollu Rural, Bhaggeswaram, Poolapalli, Varidhanam And Ullamparru) on 7 January 2020. The Seven Villages' had a population of 42,932 as of 2011 Census. It around occupies and after merged palakollu municipality, It around occupies with 35 election wards it is total population of 1,04,216 (as 2011 Census) and making it the third most populous urban area in West Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of Eluru Urban Development Authority.
In 2018, as per the Swachh Bharat mission of the Ministry of Urban Development, Under Swachh Survekshan - 2018 Palakollu Municipality was ranked 43rd in the South Zone out of 1113 With Zonal Avg Marks 1438.96 And State Rank 20th Out of 79 With State Avg Marks 1916.2 Palakollu ULB Census Coad 802966.
Palakollu was selected for the year 2015-16 Housing for All Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for houseless poor in the urban areas.
At an average altitude of , Palakollu town is situated on National Highway 165 (India) and National Highway 216 (India). It is bounded by Krishna district and Vijayawada on the west, Amalapuram and Bay of Bengal on the east, Narasapuram and Bay of Bengal on the south, and Rajahmundry and East Godavari district on the north.
Palakollu is home to Ksheerarama, one of the five great Pancharama Kshetras.
Etymology
Palakollu was also known as "Upamanyapuram" or "Ksheerapuri" or "Palakolanu" or "palacole", named after the lord Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy. Gradually it changed into "Upamanyapuram" or "Ksheerapuri" or "Palakolanu"and now to Palakollu. Dugdhopavanapuram and Upamanyapuram are palakollu names for palakollu. The name of Upamanyapuram and the palakollu is derived from the place where the great devotee Upamanyudu attained mammal. The name Palakollu In the affairs of the became the palakollu of the masses. There is also in the dealing of the ksheera ramam as a Sanskritization of the name of palakollu.
History
Palakol or Palakollu was originally known as Kshiraramam, Kshirapuram, Palakolanu or Upamanyapuram.
In 1613, the Dutch built their first Indian factory at Palakollu, which was temporarily abandoned in 1730. Part of Dutch Coromandel, it was a trading post for textiles, lamp oil, wood, roof tiles, and bricks.
Under the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the town was ceded to the British, but the Dutch continued to rent it from them until 1804. In 1818 it was formerly restored to the Dutch only to be ceded again to the British in 1824.
Palakollu is also known as Trilinga Desam, the region bounded by three lingas (Srisailam, Draksharamam and Kaleswaram)
The most famous Ksheerarama is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras, and is located in Palakollu. Lord Shiva is known locally as Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy. The Sivalinga was established by Lord Vishnu.
The famous Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Navagraha Subrahmanya Aalayam, temple located at Brodipeta 2nd Lane in Palakollu. The presiding deity is Lord Ganapathi in the divine form of Lakshmi Ganapathi, along with the Navagrahalu and Subrahmanya Swamy deities.
Under the Qutb Shahi reign
Textile Industry Center
During the reign of Golkonda Qutub Shahi in the 16th and 17th centuries, the textile industry was flourishing in the Palakollu region. Made of cotton, calico, lingerie and blankets. Textiles made of colored dye were also made in palakollu. All of these garments reached the port of Machilipatnam and from there shipped to various parts of the country by ship. In 1770, agriculture and business were disrupted by a major drought that hit the Krishna and Godavari deltas. The drought has had an adverse effect on the textile industry, which is home to the palakollu industry. The Dutch industry reports that the textile industry in the palakollu in region had slowed down in the late 18th century. The rise of textile imports from England in the 19th century, along with other Coromandel coastal textile centers, has also severely damaged Palakollu textile. In the case of the markets where textile products are sold, England's milling of local garments has begun in the region. This has caused the palakollu industry to become the center of the textile industry.