Machilipatnam is a district administrative headquarters, a railroad terminus, and an important educational centre of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh. This place with its rich history has found a coveted place in the historical map of India. It was a flourishing seaport on the east coast during the time of the Satavahanas and in the 17th century AD, it was a centre of French, British, and Dutch trade.
Machilipatnam was a commercial port of importance. It is one of the earliest known British settlements in the subcontinent of India. Machlipatnam derived its name owing to the construction of a gateway to the town decorated with eyes of a fish. This place is famous for Kalamkari printing. It has a carpet-weaving industry; other products include rice, oilseed, and scientific instruments.
