Madanapalle is a city in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Madanapalle mandal and Madanapalle revenue division. Sir Thomas Munro was first collector of Cuddapah. He constructed a small thatched house at the present Collector’s bunglow and visited Madanapalle every summer. In 1850, Madanapalle was developed as subdivision and F.B.Manoly was the first Sub Collector. The town experienced several natural calamities like floods, famines and epidemics. Madanapalle was founded by Sri Ahobila Naidu in 1618 AD. Rabindranath Tagore translated "Jana Gana Mana" from Bengali to English and also set it to music in Madanapalle. The National Anthem was written by Rabindranath Tagore as early as in 1911 and was sung at the annual session of the Indian National Congress at Calcutta on December 27 that year. But it was actually done in Besant Theosophical College, Madanapalle, where Tagore stayed for few days in February 1919 that the now familiar tune was set. It was Margaret Cousins, wife of educationist, Dr. James Henry Cousins, who composed the tune for "Jana Gana Mana". Dr. Cousins was then the Principal of the Madanapalle College that was established by Dr. Annie Besant. Madanapalle is very well connected by road and rail. There are three Bus terminals in Madanapalle. State owned APSRTC buses run to different parts of the district, state and interstate - Bangalore (KA), Mysore, Bellary and Chennai (TN), Vellore. Madanapalle Road Railway Station (MPL) is situated on Dharmavarm - Pakala Branch line and all the trains stops here. Trains are available here to travel to Guntakal and Secunderabad. Daily trains are available from and to Guntakal & Tirupati. Other nearest Railway Station is Kurabalakota Railway Station where only Passenger trains stops.
