A colony steeped in tradition, Ananda Teertha Agraharam, popularly known as A.T. Agaraham, is one of the oldest residential colonies in the city.
Located close to government offices, district court , railway station, and offices of Superintendents of Police, it is much sought after by the employees.
Affordable cost of living, lesser house rents, and availability of ground water make the colony an ideal choice for living.
The colony derives its name from Ananda Teertha Swamy, head priest among Madhwas, a Brahmin sect. Located on the eastern side of the main railway line, the colony is witnessing swift development.
Madhwa families made this area their home since the early 1950s, which was part of Nallapadu panchayat. Ever since the colony became part of the Guntur Municipality in the year 1955, the area developed into one of the residential hubs.
On the eastern side of the colony, workers in the local chilli yard have settled down.
Mudigonda Somasundaram, retired head clerk in the district court, remembers seeing vast swathes of agricultural fields in the area. The vast fields have been made into residential plots since late 1950s.
“Two vast fields measuring 10 acres each, have been developed into residential areas, and since then development was swift,” Mr. Somasundaram, who has been staying in the colony since 1950, told The Hindu .
Kerosene lit streetlights soon gave way to electric lighting and roads began to be formed.
Employees who have bought lands began constructing houses. Since the year 2010, the area has been witnessing hectic construction activity with a slew of apartments coming up on the main roads.
But the colony has been plagued by lack of proper drainage system. Roads measuring up to 30 feet have been laid, but in the absence of side drains, water becomes stagnated on the roads.
Lack of footpaths, recreational spaces like parks are some of the issues the local civic body should look into.
