Gajuwaka is a major residential area of

Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...

City, India. This neighborhood of Visakhapatnam is considered the biggest shopping district in Andhra Pradesh by revenue. Though conceived as a residential locality, it is now one of the principal shopping districts of the city. The Gajuwaka area of Visakhapatnam has the highest per capita income in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

. Gajuwaka mandal is one of the 46 mandals of

Visakhapatnam District Visakhapatnam district is one of the six districts in the Uttarandhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, headquartered at Visakhapatnam. It is one of the twenty-six districts in Andhra Pradesh state. The district shares borders wi ...

. It is under the administration of Visakhapatnam revenue division and the headquarters is located at Chinagantyada, Gajuwaka. The Mandal is bounded by Pedagantyada, Mulagada and

Gopalapatnam Gopalapatnam is a neighborhood in the city of Visakhapatnam, India. The neighborhood is considered to be the major residential and commercial area in the district. It is located within the jurisdiction of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corp ...

mandals. On 21 November 2005, the Gajuwaka Municipality was merged into the

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is the civic body that governs the city of Visakhapatnam, largest city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its jurisdiction encompasses an area of . It is also part of the planning body of t ...

Economy

Since most of the heavy industries established in Visakhapatnam, like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and Gangavaram Port lie in close proximity of Gajuwaka, its growth has mirrored that of

. Gajuwaka is one of the busiest shopping districts of Andhra Pradesh. The neighborhood is considered to be the biggest shopping district in the state by revenue. There are a number of apparel, jewelry, and utensil stores based in Gajuwaka. Several hotels and restaurants including Best Western Ramachandra, Paradise Food Court, and many other food court chains have emerged within a 5–10 year span. Major national and international jewellery brands have also established their presence in the area, including MNC brand Malabar Gold & Diamonds, along with prominent Indian jewellers such as Khazana, GRT, Joy Alukkas, and other regional players.

Etymology

The name Gajuwaka is derived from the words "Gaja" (Elephant) and "Vaagu" (Pond).

Location and geography

Gajuwaka is located about 8 km from Visakhapatnam Airport and about 12–13 km from Visakhapatnam railway station. It lies in the south west of Visakhapatnam City and is loosely bordered by Pedagantyada to the south and

Anakapalle Anakapalli (, ) is a suburb of Visakhapatnam city, located within the jurisdiction of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. It contains India's second largest jaggery market. History The town was ruled by the Kalinga (histo ...

to the east, Sabbavaram to the northwest,

to the north, Mulagada to the east.

Demographics

India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Gajuwaka had a population of 259,944. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Gajuwaka has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 63%. In Gajuwaka, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Transport

Gajuwaka is well connected by road. NH16 or AH45 passes through the Mandal. It also has major District roads and State Highways connecting it to nearby Mandals and Visakhapatnam.

APSRTC The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (abbreviated as APSRTC) is the state-owned road transport corporation in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its headquarters is located at NTR Administ ...

runs bus services from the Gajuwaka bus station to major parts of the state and Visakhapatnam. ;

routes Visakhapatnam Metro

References

External links

* Neighbourhoods in Visakhapatnam {{Visakhapatnam-geo-stub