Khammam is 257 km from
Hyderabad, on the Hyderabad-
Vijayawada section of the
South Central Railway. The name Khammam is said to have been derived from the name of the temple 'Narsimhadri', later 'Stamba Sikhari' and then 'Stambadhri'. The vertical rock beneath the temple is known as 'Kamba'. The name of the town Khammam seems to have originated from the name of this rock Kamba and the district too is named Khammam.
The area covered is 16,029 sq km, which is 5.82 percent of Andhra Pradesh. The population is two and a half million.
Khammam District is very hot in summer and very chilly in winter. From mid February till the end of June, the summer season continues. The south-west monsoon’s arrival provides rain till the end of September.
The
Godavari, Sabari, Kinnerasani, Muneru, Akeru and Vaira are the various rivers that flow through Khammam. Forests cover 48 percent of the district. The forest wealth consists mainly of teak, black 'maddi' and bamboo.