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Of the most illustrious and well-known family of Palavancha and Bhadrachalam, His Highness Sri Rajah Parthasaradhi Appa Rao Savai Aswa Rao Bahadur, Badshahee Munsubdar and Rajah of Palavancha and Bhadrachalam estates, has all the characteristics of great men, and from his rare perseverance, energy of character and various other virtues, deserves a prominent place in this series.

Bhadrachalam is a taluq and estate in the Godavari District, Madras Presidency, lying between 17° 35' 45" and 17° 56' 30" N. lat., and 80° 54' 30" and 81° 8' E. long. It contains 315 villages, half of which belongs to an old superior proprietary estate, with 35,656 inhabitants, chiefly Koyas. This taluq with that of Rekapalli, was transferred from the Central Provinces to Madras in 1874. Until 1860 this tract formed part of the Upper Godavari District ceded in that year by H. H. The Nizam. The area with Rekapalli is 911 square miles. Bhadrachalam is the name also of the chief town of the estate. It is about 104 miles from Rajamundry, and 15 from Dummagudem. It receives its name from being near the rock on which Bhadradu performed his devotions. It is celebrated for the temple of Ramachandra who is said to have crossed the river at this spot, on his famous expedition to the island of Ceylon, and also for the annual fair held here in his honour. This temple was built four centuries ago by some Rishis of old but additions have been made from time to time. It