CUDDAPAH

city, south-central Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. The name Cuddapah is derived from the Telugu word kadapa (gate). The city is so named because it is the gateway from the north to the sacred hill pagoda Sri Venkatesvara of Tirupati. Located 5 miles (8 km) south of the Penner River, the city is surrounded on three sides by the Nallamalai and Palkonda hills. Peanuts (groundnuts), cotton, and melons dominate Cuddapah's agricultural economy. Several government colleges, associated with Sri Venkateswara University at Tirupati, are located there. The surrounding region, part of the southern section of the Eastern Ghats, is the source of Cuddapah slabs, fine-grained limestones used for floor tiles and tabletops. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 121,422; metropolitan area, 215,545.