Headquarters: Kurnool. The north-western Rayalaseema district borders Telangana and Karnataka across the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin. Locate this district first in relation to the coast, the Godavari or Krishna corridors, the Eastern Ghats or the Rayalaseema plateau. These physical belts often reveal why a crop, port, reservoir or pilgrimage place appears in a district question. Read the number on the accompanying current-boundary map before memorising a headquarters. A town name on a pre-2022 map can remain correct geographically but lead to the wrong present-district option.
Exam anchor: Kurnool city and the Tungabhadra-Krishna water setting are reliable anchors; Srisailam's district association needs site-specific care. This is a place-to-theme association, not a claim that every landmark in the surrounding region belongs inside the district. Keep a separate column for a river or landscape, a site or activity, and the administrative headquarters. In a map question, begin at the state outline, narrow to the regional belt, and only then select the district polygon. The order is more dependable than recognising a familiar town name in isolation.
Boundary and date caution: Nandyal was carved from the former Kurnool district in 2022, so old Kurnool cave or temple lists need current-site checking. District-level population, area, output and mandal totals are especially sensitive to reorganisation. An exact figure should carry its reference year and boundary vintage; this book does not silently attach an old census total to a new polygon. If the stem quotes an older notification, answer for that date. If it asks for the current district, use the 2026 map and official district portal.
Worked example: Kurnool is a Rayalaseema district and city, while Nandyal became a separate district. A 2011 census figure labelled Kurnool covers the old district, not today's Kurnool alone. A question about a fort or Tungabhadra corridor can help locate the city, but a present district statistic requires an adjusted dataset. Draw the two neighbouring polygons before memorising numbers.
Active recall: Name the headquarters of Kurnool; place it on the map; give one physical-geography anchor and explain the dated boundary trap above.