Macherla is a town in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Macherla mandal in Gurazala revenue division. It is capital of the region Palnadu. The name Macherla originated from Mahadevi Cherla. This town is in the heart of Palnadu, and has a history of over a thousand years. The famous battle Palnati Yudhdham (War of Palnadu) took place between Macherla and Gurajala between 1176 AD – 1182 AD. The Palnadu Battle is also called the Andhra Mahabharatam because of several similarities. The town is renowned for the Chennakesava Swamy temple built here during the reign of the Haihaya Kings. Palanati Brahmanaidu is the minister to Haihaya kings, who tried to abolish the caste system by "Chapa Koodu" or "Sahapankthi Bhojanalu" in the 12th century. Nagarjunakonda Museum Nagarjunakonda, meaning the hill of Nagarjuna, was named after the Buddhist scholar and savant Acharya Nagarjuna. It was a great religious centre promoting Brahmanism and Buddhist faiths, moulding the early phases of art and architecture affiliated with them. The Ethipothala Falls lies 8 km from Macherla, is a mountain stream cascading down the hills as Chandravanka and Suryavanka streams. The Suryavanka falls from a height of 21 meters into a lagoon and joins River Krishna.
