Khammam

Khammam is an old Deccan town in eastern Telangana whose “history” is best seen in three layers: (1) sacred geography around Stambhadri/Narasimha worship, (2) the hill-fort and changing dynasties, and (3) modern administrative growth as a district headquarters and municipal city.

Name and sacred origin (Stambhadri)

Historical records show the city was known by several names over time—Stambhadri, Kambamettu, Khammammettu and related forms. Many references connect the name to the Stambhadri Narasimhaswamy temple, especially the idea of a “stambha” (pillar), with “mettu” meaning hill/highland in Telugu usage.
Because of this long-standing temple association, Khammam’s identity developed not only as a market settlement, but also as a local pilgrimage point centered on the Narasimha Swamy hill (Narasimhaswamy Gutta).

Geographically, the city lies on the banks of the Munneru River, a tributary of the Krishna River—a factor that supported settlement continuity and agriculture-linked trade in the surrounding region.

Fort era: Khammam Killa and Deccan power shifts

The most visible “older” monument is Khammam Fort, a hill fort on the Stambhadri hills. Its history is commonly linked to the broader Kakatiya dynasty period, with later control passing through multiple powers.
A standard historical outline lists phases of control by the Musunuri Nayaks, Gurijala Nayaks, a brief Vijayanagara phase (Krishnadevaraya), the Qutb Shahi dynasty, the Mughal Empire, and then the Asaf Jahi dynasty.
In modern heritage administration, the fort is noted as a protected monument (declared protected by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2005, as described in common summaries), though significant portions are described as damaged/ruined.

Modern administrative growth: municipality → corporation

Khammam’s modern “town” phase accelerated in the 20th century. One widely used summary notes that Khammam grew from a small town in the early 1900s to a much larger urban center by the late 20th century, reflecting expanding services and connectivity.
Civic governance strengthened when Khammam municipality was constituted as a III-Grade in 1952, followed by successive upgrades (II-Grade 1959, I-Grade 1980, Special Grade 2001).
A further milestone came when Khammam Municipal Corporation was formed on 19 October 2012, marking the city’s status as a larger urban local body.

District identity

Khammam also became an administrative anchor for the region: accounts note that a new Khammam district was created in 1953 (carved out from the larger Warangal area in that narrative), with Khammam as district headquarters—an important step that boosted the city’s long-term institutional growth.