Tuni
Tuni is a town in East Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a major commercial marketing center for more than 40 surrounding villages in the district. Tuni is a border point for the district of East Godavari. It is known for mango export, with nearly 250 varieties. It is also famous for betel leaves and jute bags. A variety of cashew nuts are produced in Tuni. History. Tuni may be a historical site dated back to 1st century CE in connection with Buddhism, which flourished in the nearby hillocks and villages such as Gopalapatnam , Satyavaram and KummariLova near the city of Tuni on the banks of Thandava River. The Buddhist monks would have resided in Kummarilova village (Kummararam) from the 2nd century CE to 6th century CE and propagated Buddhism. The Buddhist 'aramas' and 'stupas' found in the village are testimony for their presence, they said. This village is being called 'Panchasheela Buddhist centre' as five Buddhist 'stupas' were found here in recent times. Archaeology authorities have found a Buddhist site at Kummarilova of Tuni during a general survey carried out recently in the area. Under the Kshatriyas of Vatsavai Dynasty, it was a  Pargana (a sub-division in 15th century) in Keemarseema. After the division it became the capital of Kottam Estate. Tuni has been a famous marketplace since 19th century CE. Tuni Railway station has an important prominence on the Howrah-Madras railway line during the time of British India and after Independence. Raja kalasala in Tuni is one of the oldest school in Tuni, with a history of more than 100 years. One of the prominent guerrilla war fighter at the time of Bharat independence, Alluri Sitarama Raju, studied there. A statue of him was built at a junction. Demographics. As  per the 2019 census, Tuni Municipality had population of 2.34,900 of which 12.3246 were males while 111574 were females. Literacy rate of Tuni city is 77.40% higher than state average of 67.02% with a male literacy rate of 82.79% while the female literacy rate is 72.38%. Geography. Tuni is at 17.35°N 82.55°E. It has an average elevation of 16 metres (46 ft) Economy. A famous, and one of the oldest, sugar factories of Andhra Pradesh "Tandava Sugars" is here. A large number of handloom industries, about 20 cashew nut industries, hetero industries, and 10 other chemical  industries are in and around Tuni. Assembly constituency. Tuni is an assembly constituency (consisting of mandals: Kotananduru, Tuni and Thondangi) in Andhra Pradesh. There were registered voters in Tuni constituency in the 1999 elections. Transport. National Highway 16, a part of Golden Quadrilateral highway network, bypasses the town. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation operates bus services from Tuni bus station. Tuni is located on Howrah-Chennai main line. Rajahmundry Airport is located 95km from the town. On other side Vishakapatnam Airport also located 95 km from the town. Education. Primary and secondary school education is imparted by  government, aided and private schools, under the School Education Department of the state. Instruction is in English or Telugu.