Machilipatnam

Machilipatnam, also known as Masulipatnam or Bandar or Masula, is a fishing port and a special grade municipality in the Bandar revenue division of Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The port town of Machilipatnam has a rich historical background that tells about several foreign invasions and prosperous trade and business connections with many countries. Machilipatnam came under the Kingdom of Golconda. In the 17th century it became a centre of French, British, and Dutch trade. Machilipatnam was also one of the first colonial settlements by the British along the Coromandel Coast in the Indian Subcontinent.
After the exile of the British, during the Carnatic wars, the French took over this port town. In 1759, Colonel Forde of the British East India Company acquired Machilipatnam port town from the French with the help of Northern Circars, a former division of the Madras Presidency of British India.

Machilipatnam is a popular tourist destination well known for Kalamkari fabrics and Kalahasti decorations. Situated on the mouth of the River Krishna in the Bay of Bengal, Machilipatnam lies along the south-eastern part of Andhra Pradesh on the Coromandel Coast of India. Telugu, Urdu and English are the languages used in this region. As per earlier records, the name Machilipatnam was coined after the construction of a gateway to the town which was decorated using the eyes of fish or ‘ma