Eluru is a city and the district headquarters of West Godavari district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 14 municipal corporations in the state and the mandal headquarters of Eluru mandal in the Eluru revenue division. The city is on the Tammileru river. The city is well known for its wool-pile carpets and hand woven products. As of 2011 Census of India, the city had a population of 217,876. Its history dates back to the second century CE.
The history of Eluru dates back to the 2nd century CE and has great prominence in the history of Andhra. Vengi near Eluru was the capital of Andhra from the 2nd century to the 12th century, ruled by Salankayanas, Vishnukudinas, and Eastern Chalukyas. Vengi was the capital city of Andhradesa for more years than any other city in Andhra Pradesh. Eluru was part of the Buddhist kingdom of Vengi. Eluru is at 16 ° 4242 ? N 81 ° 0611 ? E and has an average elevation of 22 m (72 ft). It lies on the Eastern coastal plains. It is about halfway between the Krishna and Godavari rivers and about 50 kilometers inland from the Bay of Bengal. The Tammileru river and the Krishna and Godavari canals pass through the city, before the river. The Eluru canal from Krishna empties into Kolleru Lake near the city.
