The name of the town was originally \'Kaki Nandivada\'.The port at the place is one of the busiest sea ports in Andhra Pradesh. The important festivals celebrated here, are the Ganapathi Navarathrulu (August-September) ,the Nukalamma Thirtham (February-March) and Sriramanavami (March-April) which attract a large number of devotees from various places. At a distance of about 3 kms. from the town, there is a Vaishnavite temple at Sarpavaram village dedicated to Bhavanaray-anaswami. The architecture of the temple depicts a perfect and harmonious blend of both Chola and Chalukyan styles. There are also a number of temples in and around this place. Some of them are Sri Sathya Narayana Swamy Temple at Annavaram, Sri Kukkuteswara Temple at Pitahpuram, and the Sri Jagan Mohini Chennakesava Swamy Temple at Ryali.