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Visakhapatnam (; formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the
Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
of
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 ...
. It is between the
Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
and the coast of the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...
. It is the second largest city on the east coast of India after
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, and the fourth largest in
South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
. It is one of the four
smart cities A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...
of Andhra Pradesh selected under the
Smart Cities Mission Smart Cities Mission was an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen-friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Development ...
and is the headquarters 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 ...
. Vizag is popularly known as ''shipbuilding capital of India'' due to presence of multiple shipyards such as Hindustan Shipyard, Naval Dockyard and being the central naval command of the east coast. Visakhapatnam's history dates back to the 6th century BCE. The city was ruled by the Andhra Satavahanas,
Vengi Vengi or Venginadu ( Telugu: వేంగి) is a historic region located in present-day Andhra Pradesh, India spread over the Godavari and Krishna river deltas. Its capital was located at Pedavegi, near Eluru. Vengi was a prominent city in a ...
, the
Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The ...
and Eastern Ganga dynasties. Visakhapatnam was an ancient port city which had trade relations with the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. Ships in Visakhapatnam were anchored at open roads and loaded with cargo transported from the shoreside using small masula boats. A reference to a Vizagapatnam merchant is available in the inscriptions of Bheemeswara temple (1068 CE) in the
East Godavari District East Godavari is a district in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its district headquarters is at Rajamahendravaram. Geography This district is surrounded by: * North East: Alluri Sitharama Raju district * North West: Eluru ...
. During the 12th century CE, Vizagapatnam was a fortified mercantile town managed by a guild. European powers eventually established trade operations in the city, and by the end of the 18th century it had come under French colonial rule. Control of the city passed to the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
in 1804 and it remained under British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947. The city is home to some reputed Central and State educational institutions of the state, including
Andhra University Andhra University is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926. It is graded as an A++ institution by NAAC receiving a score of 3.74 on a scale of 4. History King Vikram Deo Verma, the Mah ...
(AU), Andhra Medical College (AMC), Indian Institute of Management (IIM),
Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), is an Institute of National Importance, located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is a domain-specific Institute at par with IITs and IIMs, established by the Government of India under the a ...
(IIPE), Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU),
Indian Maritime University The Indian Maritime University, abbreviated as IMU, is a public central university directly under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in India. IMU is the national institution for maritime education, commercial shipping, marine engin ...
(IMU), and the National Institute of Oceanography among others. Visakhapatnam serves as the headquarters for the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
's
Eastern Naval Command The Eastern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocea ...
. The city also serves as the zonal headquarters of
South Coast Railway Zone South Coast Railway ( SCoR) is one of the 18 railway zones of the Indian Railways. The zonal headquarters is located at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The formal notification for operationalization of this zone is yet to be issued. History ...
(SCoR). The city is also home to the oldest
shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...
and the only
natural harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be moored. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...
on the east coast of India. Visakhapatnam Port is the fifth-busiest cargo port in India. The city is a major tourist destination and is known for its beaches, ancient
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
sites, and the natural environment of the surrounding
Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
. It is nicknamed as the "City of Destiny" and the "Jewel of the East Coast". According to the Swachh Survekshan rankings of 2020, it is the ninth cleanest city in India among cities with a population of more than
1 million 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to s ...
. In 2020, it was a finalist in the Living and Inclusion category of the World Smart City Awards.


Etymology

The local belief behind the name of the city-states there was a king in the 4th century, who on his pilgrimage halted at Lawson's Bay and built a temple dedicated to
Vaisakha Vaisakha (, ) is a month of the Hindu calendar that corresponds to April/May in the Gregorian Calendar. In the Indian national calendar, Vaisakha is the second month of the year. It is the first month of the Vikram Samvat calendar, Odia calen ...
, which was submerged under the sea, but the name of the temple became attached to the settlement. Other historical names are, ''Kulotungapatnam'', named by the Chola King
Kulottunga I Kulottunga Chola I ('; Middle Tamil: Kulōttuṅka Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Kulottuṅgā Cōḷa; 1025–1122) also spelt Kulothunga (), born Rajendra Chalukya (Telugu language, Telugu: Rājēndra Cāḷukyuḍu), was a Chola empire, C ...
; ''Ishakapatnam'', based on a Muslim Saint, Syed Ali Madani (Ishak Madani). During the
East India Company rule in India Company rule in India (also known as the Company Raj, from Hindi , ) refers to regions of the Indian subcontinent under the control of the British East India Company (EIC). The EIC, founded in 1600, established its first trading post in India ...
, the city was known with the name, ''Vizagapatnam''. The suburb ''Waltair'' is another such name which was derived from the name the British colonial government used. "Vizagapatnam" could also be spelled ''Visakhapatnam'' in the West European alphabet. The name was popularly shortened to ''Vizag'' and this form was in use right from the earliest days of British colonial rule in the district in the late eighteenth century. It is still referred to as Vizag by locals too, however since
independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
, people have reverted to calling it by its Indian name of Visakhapatnam.


History

Visakhapatnam's history stretches back to the 6th century BCE and the city finds mention in ancient texts such as the 4th century BCE writings of
Pāṇini (; , ) was a Sanskrit grammarian, logician, philologist, and revered scholar in ancient India during the mid-1st millennium BCE, dated variously by most scholars between the 6th–5th and 4th century BCE. The historical facts of his life ar ...
and Katyayana. Historically considered part of the Kalinga region, it was ruled by the
Vengi Vengi or Venginadu ( Telugu: వేంగి) is a historic region located in present-day Andhra Pradesh, India spread over the Godavari and Krishna river deltas. Its capital was located at Pedavegi, near Eluru. Vengi was a prominent city in a ...
kingdom and the
Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The ...
and Eastern Ganga dynasties during medieval times. Archaeological records suggest that the present city was built around the 11th and 12th centuries C.E. by the
Chola dynasty The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...
king
Kulothunga I Kulottunga Chola I ('; Middle Tamil: Kulōttuṅka Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Kulottuṅgā Cōḷa; 1025–1122) also spelt Kulothunga (), born Rajendra Chalukya (Telugu language, Telugu: Rājēndra Cāḷukyuḍu), was a Chola empire, C ...
. Control over the city fluctuated between the
Chola dynasty The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...
of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
and the Gajapati Kingdom of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
until its conquest by the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
in the 15th century. The city was ruled by the Andhra Kings of Vengi and Pallavas. The city is named after Sri Visakha Varma. Legend has it that
Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak ...
and Viśakha were born on the same day and were equally beautiful. Sri Visakka Sakhi is the second most important gopi of the eight main gopis. She carries messages between Radha and Krishna and is the most expert Gopi messenger. Residents believe that an Andhra king built a temple to pay homage to his family deity Viśakha. This is now inundated under seawater near R K Beach. Another theory is that it is named after a woman disciple of Buddha named Viśakha. Later it was ruled by Kingdom of Jeypore (1535–1571), Qutb Shahis (1571–1674) and (1674–1711),
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
(1711–1724) and
Nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
(1724–1757). The French (1757) and
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
(1765) established Factories and influence over the city. In 1794 the Battle of Padmanabham occurred between the Zamindari of Vizianagaram and the East India Company. after the battle, Vizianagaram estate was acquired by the East India company in 1802. The
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
fought the 1804 Battle of Vizagapatnam and it remained the under British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 which was a part of the
Northern Circars The Northern Circars (also spelt Sarkars) was a division of British India's Madras Presidency. It consisted of a narrow slip of territory lying along the western side of the Bay of Bengal from 15° 40′ to 20° 17′ north latitude, in the pre ...
.


Buddhist influence

Hindu texts state that during the fifth century BCE, the Visakhapatnam region was part of Kalinga territory, which extended to the
Godavari river The Godavari (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganges River, Ganga River and drains the third largest Drainage basin, basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. It ...
. Relics found in the area also prove the existence of a
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
empire in the region. Kalinga later lost the territory to
King Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha from until his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a large pa ...
in the bloodiest battle of its time, which prompted Ashoka to embrace
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
. Ancient Buddhist sites, recently excavated, are scattered across Visakhapatnam, reflecting the region's Buddhist legacy.


Pavurallakonda

Pavurallakonda ("pigeon hill") is a
hillock A hillock or knoll is a small hill,The Free Dictionary
"hillock" entry, retrieved December 18, 2007
...
west of Bhimli, about from Visakhapatnam. The Buddhist settlement found here is estimated to date back from the first century BCE to the second century CE. On the hillock (which overlooks the coastline) are 16 rock-cut
cisterns A cistern (; , ; ) is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster. Cisterns are disti ...
for collecting rainwater.
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 ...
, on the Tandava River, is a village surrounded by brick stupas, viharas, pottery and other Buddhist artefacts.


Sankaram

In 1907 British archaeologist Alexander Rea unearthed Sankaram, a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site. The name "Śankaram" derives from the Sangharama (temple or monastery). Located south of Visakhapatnam, it is known locally as Bojjannakonda and is a significant Buddhist site in Andhra Pradesh. The three major schools of Buddhism (Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana) flourished here. The complex is known for its monolithic
stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
s, rock-cut caves and brick structures. The primary stupa was initially carved out of rock and covered with bricks. Excavations yielded historic pottery and
Satavahana The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...
coins from the first century CE. At Lingalakonda, there are also rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows spread over the hill. The vihara, a monastery, was active for about 1,000 years. Nearby is another Buddhist site, Bojjannakonda, with several images of the Buddha carved on the rock face of the caves. At Ligalametta there are hundreds of rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows, spread across the hill. Among other Buddhist attractions are a relic casket, three
chaitya A chaitya, chaitya hall, chaitya-griha, (Sanskrit:''Caitya''; Pāli: ''Cetiya'') refers to a shrine, sanctuary, temple or prayer hall in Indian religions. The term is most common in Buddhism, where it refers to a space with a stupa and a rounded ...
halls, votive platforms, stupas and
Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
sculptures.


Bavikonda

Bavikonda is an important Buddhist heritage site located on a hill about , northeast of Visakhapatnam city. Here the Buddhist habitation is noticed on a 16 ha flat terraced area. The Hinayana school of Buddhism was practised at the monastery between the 3rd century B.C. and the 3rd century A.D. Bavikonda has remains of an entire Buddhist complex, comprising 26 structures belonging to three phases. A piece of bone stored in an urn recovered here is believed to belong to the mortal remains of the
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...
. The word ''Bavikonda'' in Telugu means "a hill of wells". Fitting its name, Bavikonda is a hill with wells for the collection of rainwater. It is located from Visakhapatnam and is a significant Buddhist site. Excavation carried out from 1982 to 1987 revealed a Buddhist establishment including a mahachaitya, also referred to as a grand stupa, embedded with relic caskets, a large Vihara (monastery) complex, numerous votive stupas, a stone-pillared congregation and rectangular halls and a refectory. Artifacts recovered from the site include Roman and
Satavahana The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...
coins and pottery dating from the third century BCE to the second century CE. A significant finding was a piece of bone (with a large quantity of ash) in an urn, which is believed to be the remains of the
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...
. The Bavikonda site is considered one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Asia. It is a reminder of the Buddhist civilisation which once existed in southern India, and also reminiscent of
Borobudur Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur (, ), is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, near the city of Magelang and the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesia. Constructed of gray andesite-like stone, the temple consi ...
in Indonesia.


Thotlakonda

About from Visakhapatnam is Thotlakonda, a
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
complex situated on top of a hill. The Buddhist complex on the Mangamaripeta hilltop, locally known as Totlakonda, lies about from Visakhapatnam on Visakhapatnam-Bheemili Beach Road. After its discovery (during an aerial survey), the Government of Andhra Pradesh declared the 48 ha site as a protected monument in 1978. Excavations from 1988 to 1992 exposed structural remains and artefacts, classified as Religious, Secular, and Civil. These structures include the Stupa, Chaityagrihas, pillared congregation halls, bhandagaras, refectory (bhojanasala), drainage, and stone pathways. The site covers an area of , and has been declared a protected area by the government of Andhra Pradesh. Excavations have revealed three kinds of structural remains: religious, secular, and civil. Structures include a mahastupa, sixteen votive
stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
s, a stone-pillared congregation hall, eleven rock-cut cisterns, well-paved stone pathways, an apsidal
chaitya A chaitya, chaitya hall, chaitya-griha, (Sanskrit:''Caitya''; Pāli: ''Cetiya'') refers to a shrine, sanctuary, temple or prayer hall in Indian religions. The term is most common in Buddhism, where it refers to a space with a stupa and a rounded ...
-griha, three round chaitgya-grihas, two votive platforms, ten viharas and a kitchen complex with three halls and a refectory (dining hall). Apart from the structures, Buddhist treasures excavated include nine
Satavahana The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...
and five Roman silver coins,
terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
tiles, stucco decorative pieces, sculptured panels, miniature
stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
models in stone, Buddha padas depicted with
ashtamangala The Ashtamangala () is the sacred set of Eight Auspicious Signs ( zh, 八吉祥, ''bajixiang'') featured in a number of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The symbols or "symbolic attributes" () are yidam and teaching too ...
symbols (i.e. the eight auspicious symbols of Swastika, Shrivasta, Nandhyavarta, Vardhamanaka, Bhadrasana, Kalasha, Minyugala and Darpan) and early pottery.


Later history

The territory of Visakhapatnam then came under the Andhra rulers of
Vengi Vengi or Venginadu ( Telugu: వేంగి) is a historic region located in present-day Andhra Pradesh, India spread over the Godavari and Krishna river deltas. Its capital was located at Pedavegi, near Eluru. Vengi was a prominent city in a ...
, and
Chalukyas The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...
and Pallavas ruled the land. The region was ruled by the Eastern Ganga king and the Gajapati kings from the 10th century to the 16th century CE. Based on archaeological evidence, the Prabhakar and the Eastern Ganga Kings built temples in the city in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the late 16th century, it came under the direct rule of the Suryavanshi king, Maharaja Vishwanath Dev Gajapati of Jeypore. However, from 1571 to 1674 it fell under the control and administration of the Qutb Shahi kings of
Golconda Golconda is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparudra in the 11th century out of mud walls. It was ceded to the Bahmani ...
who appointed a governor or
Faujdar Faujdar under the Mughals was an office that combined the functions of a military commander along with judicial and land revenue functions. The term faujdar contained pre-Mughal origins. During those times, the term referred to a military offic ...
to collect taxes in the region. This Faujdar governed the area from Srikakulam or Chicacole as it was then known. In 1674, the Maharaja of Jeypore, Vishwambhar Dev defeated the Foujdar and claimed sovereignty from the deteriorating Qutb Shahis. Vishwambhar is also said to have defeated the Dutch East India Company who allegedly abducted locals, mostly fishermen living by the sea-shore. Later his descendant, Maharaja Raghunath Krishna Dev defeated the Seer Lascer appointed by the Mughals and maintained his rule over the region. Therefore, Visakhapatnam remained a part of the Kingdom of Jeypore until the death of Maharaja Ram Chandra Dev I in 1711 after which it was taken over by the
Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...
who could only govern it for a few decades before transferring it to the British. Even in the colonial era, the kings of Jeypore were referred to as the Maharaja or Raja of Vizagapatnam. European merchants from France, Holland and the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
used the natural port to export tobacco, paddy, coal, iron ore, ivory,
muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It is commonly believed that it gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq. Muslin was produced in different regions o ...
and other textile products. The British developed Visakhapatnam as a prominent harbour on the east coast. The old port in Jalari Peta was built and used by the Maharaja of Jeypore who also owned several ships. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Maharaja Vikram Dev III sent his fleet of ships to aid the British and later donated the port to the British government of Madras. It is now a fish market. Local legend tells that an
Andhra Andhra Pradesh (ISO: , , AP) is a state on the east coast of southern India. It is the seventh-largest state and the tenth-most populous in the country. Telugu is the most widely spoken language in the state, as well as its official lang ...
king, on his way to
Benares Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges, Ganges river in North India, northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hinduism, Hindu world.* * * * The city ...
, rested at Visakhapatnam and was so enchanted by its beauty that he ordered a temple to be built in honour of his family deity, Viśakha. Archaeological sources, however, reveal that the temple was probably built between the 11th and 12th centuries by the Cholas. A shipping merchant, Sankarayya Chetty, built one of the mandapams (pillared halls) of the temple. Although it no longer exists (possibly washed away about 100 years ago by a cyclonic storm), elderly residents of Visakhapatnam remember visits to the ancient shrine by their grandparents (although author Ganapatiraju Atchuta Rama Raju denies this). During the 18th century Visakhapatnam was part of the
Northern Circars The Northern Circars (also spelt Sarkars) was a division of British India's Madras Presidency. It consisted of a narrow slip of territory lying along the western side of the Bay of Bengal from 15° 40′ to 20° 17′ north latitude, in the pre ...
, a region comprising
coastal Andhra Coastal Andhra, also known as Kosta Andhra (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kōstā Āndhra), is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, comprising the coastal districts of the state between the East ...
and southern coastal Odisha which was first under French control and later British. Visakhapatnam became a district in the
Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
of
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
. In September 1804, British and French squadrons fought the Battle of Vizagapatam near the harbour. After India's independence, it was the largest district in the country and was subsequently divided into the districts of Srikakulam,
Vizianagaram Vizianagaram, also known as Vijayanagaram, is a city and the headquarters of the Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Eastern Ghats, about west of the Bay of Bengal and north-northeast of Visakhapa ...
and Visakhapatnam. Part of the city is known by its colonial British name, Waltair; during the colonial era, the city's hub was the Waltair railway station and a part of the city is still called Waltair. On 7 May 2020, the city suffered an industrial accident when a polymer plant leaked toxic
styrene Styrene is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5CH=CH2. Its structure consists of a vinyl group as substituent on benzene. Styrene is a colorless, oily liquid, although aged samples can appear yellowish. The compound evaporates easi ...
gas, as it restarted operations after the Coronavirus lockdown. This
gas leak A gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas or another gaseous product from a pipeline or other containment into any area where the gas should not be present. Gas leaks can be hazardous to health as well as the environment. Even a small leak into ...
killed at least eleven people, and drew comparisons to the
Bhopal disaster On 3 December 1984, over 500,000 people in the vicinity of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, in what is considered the world's worst ind ...
.


Geography

The city is situated between the
Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
and the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...
. The city coordinates lies between 17.7041 N and 83.2977 E. The city's area is 682 km2. The average elevation is 45 metres. Visakhpatnam is situated in
Coastal Andhra Coastal Andhra, also known as Kosta Andhra (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kōstā Āndhra), is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, comprising the coastal districts of the state between the East ...
Region. The city is surrounded by the Simhachalam Hill Range to the west, the Yarada Hills to the southeast, and Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary to the northwest. The hills play an important role in Visakhapatnam's ecological environment and cover over 621.52  km2.


Hills in Visakhapatnam

*
Eastern Ghats The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
* Simhachalam Hills * Yarada Hills * Erra Matti Dibbalu * Dolphin's Nose Hills * Kailasagiri Hills


Climate

Visakhapatnam has a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Aw'', closely bordering ''As''). The annual mean temperatures range between , with the maximum in May and the minimum in January; the minimum temperatures ranges between . The highest maximum temperature ever recorded was in 1978, and the lowest was on 6 January 1962. It receives rainfall from the South-west and North-east monsoons and the average annual rainfall recorded is . In October 2014 Cyclone Hudhud made landfall near Visakhapatnam. Vishakhapatnam has been ranked 22nd best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India.


Demographics

census of India The decennial census of India has been conducted 15 times, as of 2011. While it has been undertaken every 10 years, beginning in 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo, the first complete census was taken in 1872. Post 1949, it has been conducted by the R ...
, Visakhapatnam had a population of 1,728,128, of which males were 873,599 and females were 854,529 – a
sex ratio A sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. However, many species deviate from an even sex ratio, ei ...
of 978 females per 1000 males. The population density was . There were 164,129 children in the age group of 0–6 years, with 84,298 boys and 79,831 girls – a sex ratio was 947 girls per 1000 boys. The average
literacy rate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
stood at 81.79% with a total of 1,279,137 literates, of which 688,678 were males and 590,459 were females. It is ranked 122 in the list of fastest-growing cities in the world. The total slum population covers 44.61% of the total population which implies 770,971 people reside in slums. The recent estimates of city's population are 2,358,412 in 2022.


Language and religion

Telugu is the official and the most predominantly spoken language by native speakers. Two dialects of Telugu are spoken by the people, the common dialect and the Uttarandhra (North Eastern Andhra) dialect. The latter is mainly spoken by the people who originally belong to the districts of
Vizianagaram Vizianagaram, also known as Vijayanagaram, is a city and the headquarters of the Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Eastern Ghats, about west of the Bay of Bengal and north-northeast of Visakhapa ...
and Srikakulam. A cosmopolitan population of Visakhapatnam comprises Tamils, Malayalis, Sindhis, Kannadigas, Odias, Bengalis and Bihari migrants from other regions of India. There is also an Anglo-Indian community, regarded as the first cosmopolitans of the city. According to the 2011 census, Telugu is the most spoken language in the city, with 92.13% speakers, followed by
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
(2.77%),
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
(2.19%), Odia (0.92%).
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
is practised by the majority of its citizens, followed by Islam and Christianity. The area practised
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
in the ancient past, as evidenced by the many Buddhist sangharamas in the outlying areas but the population of Buddhists has waned, with approximately 0.03% population in the entire city based on the recent census.


Administration

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 ...
(GVMC) is the civic body that oversees the civic needs of the city. One of the earliest municipalities in this area, the Vizag (Visakhapatnam) Municipality was set up in 1858 to fulfill the basic infrastructural needs of the people. It was converted into a municipal corporation in 1979. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation came into existence on 21 November 2005 after the release of G.O by Govt of Andhra Pradesh. It has a jurisdictional area of , which includes the merged municipalities of Gajuwaka, Anakapalle and Bheemunipatnam. Although as per the 2011 census, it is mentioned in the district town amenities handbook of Andhra Pradesh, portraying a rise in area covered by the municipal corporation in these years The municipal corporation of Vishakapatnam is governed by three acts. First is the State Municipal Act, the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act 1965, the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations 1994 Act, as well as an act specific to the Vishakapatnam Municipal Corporation Act 1979. The city is divided into 9 zones, In a recent agglomeration of five Bheemili villages with a population of 19,000 into the GVMC jurisdiction the number of wards has increased to 98.


Municipal elections and civic government officials

The previous Municipal Elections were held in 2007. After a larger gap of 13 years, the elections were scheduled to happen on 23 March 2020. The results of the latest municipal elections for 145 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations across Andhra Pradesh were held on 30 March and the results were announced on Monday. Of the 92 municipalities in Seemandhra, TDP won 65 municipalities and YSR Congress nineteen. Of the seven municipal corporations, TDP bagged five and YSR Congress two. The City governance structure of GVMC consists of an elected wing headed by the Mayor an administrative wing headed by the Administrative Commissioner,  4 Additional commissioners, and 8 zonal commissioners. Mayor elections were planned to be carried out in March 2020 but details are yet to be declared. The present municipal commissioner of the city is G Srijana. The municipal commissioner looks after the administration of the municipal corporation. The executive wing has departments for Engineering, Public health, revenue, town planning, horticulture, education, finance, general administration, projects, IT E-governance and Urban Community Development. The organisational structure of the GVMC includes standing committees, ward committees and special committees, The corporation wards committees must be of not less than ten wards, special committees are appointed by the corporation out of their own body, and a standing committee consisting of chairpersons from all wards.


Municipal budget

The GVMC estimated a budget of for the financial year 2020–21. It shows an increase of compared to the last budget for 2019–20. The Revenue Department of GVMC generates its revenue by levying of Property Tax, Vacant Land Tax and it is the collection and dealing with Remunerative Enterprises, Water Charges, etc.


Masterplan

In 2019, the Planning wing of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) started preparing a 'perspective plan 2051' which is a 30-year strategic plan, apart from another 'master plan 2041'. The 'perspective plan' is expected to include provisions for resource conservation, regional growth, economic growth and transportation strategies, coastal zone regulations, disaster management strategies, population forecast and distribution, a broad structure plan, and an implementation plan. The 'master plan' proposes a growth strategy with transit-oriented development strategies, expansion of satellite towns such as Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Bheemili, etc., theme-based economic nodes along the proposed metro-rail corridor, bus-based public transport, tourism destination development, a comprehensive rural agenda and resilient city planning. Yet another proposal includes a transit corridor connecting Bhogapuram Airport with the existing business centres of the city and the industrial clusters in Atchutapuram under the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor.


District Administration

The district area is . The Sub-Division is divided into Mandals. Visakhapatnam District Consists of 43 mandals, each headed by a Tahsildar. It also has one Municipal Corporation and two Municipalities. There are four revenue divisions in the district. A Revenue division is headed by Revenue Divisional Officer in the rank  of Sub–Collector in the cadre of I.A.S. or a Deputy Collector. He is the Sub Divisional Magistrate having jurisdiction over his division.


Law and order

Law and order in the city are dealt by Visakhapatnam City Police, equipped with a Police Commissionerate with the Commissioner of Police as the head and with assisted by three deputy commissioners for different zones. The current City Police Commissioner is Mr. Manish Kumar Sinha. Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) is an urban planning agency that covers the GVMC and its suburbs covering, two corporations, one municipality, one nagar panchayat and 895 villages from two districts of Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram. The expanded area of the city, Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region extends to with a population of 50,18,000 (Western: 5,018,000) and is under the administration of Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The District & Sessions Court is located in Vishakapatnam City and it also includes family courts.


Legislative Assembly and Parliament

The city has eight legislative assembly constituencies within its limits. In the legislative elections Ganta Srinivasa Rao was elected to the assembly from Bheemili Assembly constituency. Vamsi Krishna Srinivas was elected from Visakhapatnam South. For Visakhapatnam East, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu was elected. For Visakhapatnam North Penmetsa Vishnu Kumar Raju and for Visakhapatnam West P. G. V. R. Naidu was elected. For the Gajuwaka Assembly, Palla Srinivasa Rao and for the Pendurthi Assembly Panchakarla Ramesh Babu were elected. For the Anakapalle constituency Konathala Ramakrishna was elected. Out of the eight constituencies Anakapalli and Pendurthi fall under the Anakapalli Lok Sabha Constituency, whose Member of Parliament is C. M. Ramesh. The current
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
Member of Parliament
Vishakhapatnam Visakhapatnam (; formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is between the Eastern Ghats and the coast of t ...
is Mathukumilli Bharat.


Civic utilities

The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) supplies power to the city of Visakhapatnam. The fire services in the city is carried out by the state fire department, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response and Fire Department, Eastern region (AP Fire). The city water supply is essentially stored in the three service reservoirs – Town Service Reservoir, Dwarakanagar; High-Level Service Reservoir, T.B. Road, Uplands and Circuit House Reservoir, Waltair Uplands. The city is divided into 14 blocks according to contours and each block is served by separate reservoirs. 35 reservoirs are serving the different segments of the system. Domestic water supply is mainly through public taps and house service connections. There are about 2072 bore wells as groundwater sources. As per a report from 2015, "GVMC relies mostly on surface water for its raw water supply and serves 54.9 per cent of the city through household-level piped connections. There is a supply gap of almost 66 million litres per day (MLD) , only 50 per cent of the city has access to underground drainage. This is after the city grew over the last decade and Bheemili and Anakapalli among other peripheral villages came under the GVMC's jurisdiction. The GVMC has taken up a project to extend the underground drainage network with a budget of . The new project will provide underground drainage access to an estimated 8,000 households. The network will be built under the command area of pumping stations at Venkata Puram and Vimannagar and its vicinity. In the year 2015, the municipal corporation generated 920 tons of waste per day. Waste generated from all the wards has been disposed of at the dumpsite in Kapuluppada since 2007.


Economy

Visakhapatnam is one of the 100 fastest growing cities in the world. The usual
seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...
exporting capacity of the harbour is and during the FY 2015, it topped seafood exports in terms of value among other ports. Visakhapatnam Port and Gangavaram Port are the two ports of the city and the former one topped charts which handled of cargo during the financial year 2016–17. The Hindustan Shipyard undertakes building and repairing of
Naval fleet A fleet or naval fleet is a large formation of warships – the largest formation in any navy – controlled by one leader. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land. Purpose In the modern sense, fleets are usually, but no ...
.


Information technology

The growth in the IT sector in recent times has boosted the local economy. In 2016–17, the IT industry in Visakhapatnam witnessed an increase in its turnover which recorded as with more than 350 firms, in contrast to 2013–14 figures of . ''Sunrise Startup Village'', an incubation centre and Fintech Valley Vizag were established to promote the city as a global
fintech Financial technology (abbreviated as fintech) refers to the application of innovative technologies to products and services in the financial industry. This broad term encompasses a wide array of technological advancements in financial services, ...
capital in the Andhra Pradesh state. Millennium IT Towers 1 was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu on 15 February 2019 and Millennium IT Towers 2 is in pipeline to promote fintech investments in the city. There are many national and multi-national IT/ITes and fintech firms such as
IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
,
Wipro Wipro Limited () is an Indian multinational technology company based in Bengaluru. It provides information technology, consulting and business process services. It is one of India's Big Six IT services companies. Wipro's services include cloud ...
, Tech Mahindra, Kenexa, Infotech, Miracle Software Systems,
Conduent Conduent Inc. is an American business services provider company headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey. It was formed in 2017 as a divestiture from Xerox. The company offers digital platforms for businesses and governments. , it had over ...
, Cyient,
Paytm Paytm (an acronym for "Pay Through Mobile") is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Fintech, financial technology company, that specializes in digital wallet, digital payments and financial services, based in Noida, India. Paytm ...
,
Concentrix Concentrix Corporation is an American business process outsourcing company headquartered in Newark, California. It was a subsidiary of SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX) since 2006 and went public as an independent company on December 1, 2020 ...
,
Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...
,
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...
, etc. Some more investments are in line, like Google X, Lalith Ahuja's ANSR Consulting,
Franklin Templeton Franklin Resources, Inc. is an American multinational investment management holding company that, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton; it is a global investment firm founded in New York City in 1947 as Franklin ...
, Innova Solutions, etc. at Fintech Valley in the city. The ''Brandix India Apparel City'' is the largest textile park in the country and holds the record for employing more than 15,000 women employees at a single location.


Other Industries

The Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) developed at Parawada near Visakhapatnam in has major pharma companies like, Hospira,
Mylan Mylan N.V. was a global generic and specialty pharmaceuticals company. In November 2020, Mylan merged with Upjohn, Pfizer's off-patent medicine division, to form Viatris. Previously, the company was domiciled in the Netherlands, with principa ...
, Eisai, Reddy's Lab,
Aurobindo Pharma Aurobindo Pharma Limited is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical manufacturing company headquartered in HITEC City, Hyderabad. The company manufactures generic pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. The company's area of a ...
, Torrent pharma, Divis Lab, etc. Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone Limited, is the India's first Ultra Modern Medical Equipment Manufacturing & Testing Facility, open to Manufacturers & Innovators. The prevalence of
ferroalloy Ferroalloy refers to various alloys of iron with a high proportion of one or more other elements such as manganese (Mn), aluminium (Al), or silicon (Si). They are used in the production of steels and alloys. The alloys impart distinctive qualitie ...
plants is due to the availability of manganese ore near Visakhapatnam. Aluminium refineries such as AnRak Aluminium and Jindal Aluminium are developing because of the bauxite reserves around the city. Visakhapatnam is a part of the ''Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR)'', proposed between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. The PCPIR is expected to generate 1.2 million jobs and require a projected investment of . NTPC's 2,000MW Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station is undergoing an expansion with the construction of an addition supercritical unit that will generate between 660 and 1,000 MW. Hindujas has begun construction of a 1,070 MW thermal power plant in Visakhapatnam district at a cost of US$1.25 billion.


Cityscape


Neighbourhoods

Over the years, Visakhapatnam has turned from a fishing village into a commercial city with busy streets. Most notable areas of the city include urban areas like Allipuram, Arilova, Asilmetta,
Dwaraka Nagar Dwaraka Nagar is a locality in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the Li ...
, Gajuwaka,
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 ...
, Jagadamba Centre, Lawsons Bay Colony, Pendurthi,
Maddilapalem Maddilapalem is an area of Visakhapatnam, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Maddilapalem was initially a small suburb outside of Visakhapatnam. Economy Maddilapalem is one of the major commercial and residential suburbs of Visakhapatn ...
,
Madhurawada Madhurawada is a major business and residential area of Visakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the Visakhapatnam-Vizianagaram stretch of National Highway 16 (India), National Highway 16 around 16 km from the city cent ...
, MVP Colony, Rushikonda, Seethammadhara, Siripuram and semi-rural suburbs such as Anakapalle, Bheemunipatnam, Duvvada, Parawada, Kommadi and Thagarapuvalasa .


Landmarks

Visakhapatnam is one of the main tourism destinations in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The city is known for its beaches, caves and the Eastern Ghats as well as wildlife sanctuaries. About 30% of the city is covered with greenery. Major landmarks in the city include Dolphin's Nose,
lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...
, Kailasagiri, Beach Road, VMRDA Park, Visakha Museum and Matsyadarsini (an aquarium). The INS Kursura Submarine Museum and Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft TU 142 Aircraft Museum opposite to each other is the only one of its kind in the world, conceptualising the hunted and hunter of the wars. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in the city has variety of wildlife species. Erra Matti Dibbalu ( Red sand dunes) are situated between Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam are one of the geo-heritage sites in the country. This tourist spot is now protected and preserved as a heritage site. D Ramanaidu Film Studio is one of the film shooting destinations in the city. Telugu Samskruthika Niketanam on atop Kailasagiri was developed by World Telugu Federation and Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, Adding one more feather to its cap, Visakhapatnam is home to India's tallest musical fountain opened in the Vuda City Central Park. Oscillating vertically at 360 degrees, the fountain dances to the tune of digital music in different colours. Beaches along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal include RK Beach, Rushikonda Beach, and Mangamaripeta Beach. Others are Yarada, Bheemili, Lawson's Bay, Tenneti, Sagar Nagar, Thotlakonda and Gangavaram beaches. Borra Caves are caves discovered by British geologist William King in 1807. ''Tyda'' (an Eco-tourism project), Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary under Andhra Pradesh Forest Department are wildlife conservation sites near the city.


Culture

The city embraces rich religious diversity, with Hinduism being the majority religion, alongside Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. Telugu is the predominantly spoken language, reflecting the city's cosmopolitan culture with a significant presence of Odia, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam speakers. Visakhapatnam offers a blend of South Indian and Western cuisines, with popular dishes like Moori Mixture and bamboo chicken of Araku Valley. The city celebrates various festivals including Makar Sankranti, Ugadi, Vinayaka Chavithi, Diwali, and Dasara. Cricket is the most favoured sport, with facilities like the Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium. Additionally, the city is home to attractions like the Telugu Samskruthika Niketanam Museum, Submarine Museum, TUV, and Harrier aircraft museums.


Poets

Some of the notable poets from the city include Sri Sri, Gollapudi Maruti Rao,
Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry (born Chembolu Seetharama Sastry; 20 May 1955 – 30 November 2021) was an Indian poet and lyricist known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acquired the stage name Sirivennela after writing the ...
.


Religious sites

Some of the religious sites are also of great importance like ''
Simhachalam Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam, is a Hindu temple situated on the Simhachalam Hill Range,which is 300 metres above the sea level in the city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is dedicated to Vishnu, Lord Vishnu, who ...
'' temple of Lord
Narasimha Narasimha (, , or , ), is the fourth avatara of the Hindu god Vishnu in the Satya Yuga. He incarnated as a part-lion, part-man and killed Hiranyakashipu, ended religious persecution and calamity on earth, and restored dharma. Narasimha has th ...
north of the city, and Sri Kanaka Maha Lakshmi Temple. Archaeological excavations of Buddhist shrines and sites, including Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Pavuralakonda and Panchadarla, revealed Buddhist dominance in this area.


Transport

The city commuters prefer city buses and
auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...
as the primary mode of transport, followed by two-wheelers and cars. Road and rail are preferred for long-distance commuting and are supported by Dwaraka bus station and Visakhapatnam Junction railway station respectively. It also has sea and air travel infrastructure such as, Visakhapatnam Port and Visakhapatnam Airport. The
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 ...
operates city, district, and inter-state bus services from Dwaraka bus station. Over 600 city buses operate over 150 routes, in addition to Bus Rapid Transit System in two corridors of Pendurthi and Simhachalam. A planned ''Integrated Bus Terminal Complex'' would be built at Maddilapalem. Apart from buses, there are about 25,000 auto rickshaws plying on the city roads which provide intermediate public transport. Visakhapatnam is the headquarters of
South Coast Railway zone South Coast Railway ( SCoR) is one of the 18 railway zones of the Indian Railways. The zonal headquarters is located at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The formal notification for operationalization of this zone is yet to be issued. History ...
of Indian railways. Visakhapatnam railway station is as an ''A1'' station with the highest gross revenue in the Waltair railway division. It serves an average of 20,000–25,000 passengers daily and may rise to 40,000 during festivals. It has the country's largest diesel locomotive shed with a capacity of 206. Visakhapatnam Metro is a planned metro rail project. , the percentage of transport mode shares in the city are, 18% buses, 9% autos, 15% two-wheelers, 2% cars and 55% non-motorised transport (bicycles and pedestrians). The total road network accounts for a total length of . NH16, a major highway and a part of the
Golden Quadrilateral The Golden Quadrilateral (; abbreviated GQ) is a network of National Highway (India), national highways connecting major cities of India. It roughly forms a quadrilateral with major cities – Delhi (north), Kolkata (east), Mumbai (west) and ...
system bypasses the city. Visakhapatnam Airport had served a total of 2,815,205 passengers in 2018, an increase of 16.8% from the previous year. It handled a total of 23,264 aircraft during that year. Visakhapatnam Port is one of 13 major ports in India and the only major port of Andhra Pradesh. It is India's second-largest port by volume of cargo handled. It is located on the east coast of India and is located midway between the
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
and Kolkata Ports. Cruise shipping is operational between Visakhapatnam and
Andaman and Nicobar islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India comprising 572 islands, of which only 38 are inhabited. The islands are grouped into two main clusters: the northern Andaman Islands and the southern Nicobar Islands, separated by a ...
.


Education

Primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under the ''School Education Department'' of the state. As per the school information report for the academic year 2016–17, urban Visakhapatnam had 1,44,268 (Western: 144,268) students enrolled in 434 schools. The
Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...
,
Secondary School Certificate Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Maldives and Nepal conducted by educational boards for the successful completi ...
or the
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an academic qualification awarded by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of education in India. The CISCE conducts these examinati ...
are the different types of syllabus followed by different schools. The medium of instruction followed by schools are English and Telugu. The ''St. Aloysius Anglo Indian Boys High School '' is the oldest school in the city to have established in the year 1847. The Visakhapatnam District Central Library is supported by the government and is located at Dwaraka Nagar. There are tens of junior colleges under Government, Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential and private undertakings.
Andhra University Andhra University is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926. It is graded as an A++ institution by NAAC receiving a score of 3.74 on a scale of 4. History King Vikram Deo Verma, the Mah ...
is the only autonomous college approved under ''Universities Grant Commission'' scheme. '' Mrs. A. V. N. College'' is one of the oldest educational institution in the city. The GITAM University and the Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering are other technical education institutions in the city. Visakhapatnam is also home to Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), which is the
National Law University National Law Universities (NLU) are law schools, public law schools in India, founded pursuant to the second-generation reforms for legal education sought to be implemented by the Bar Council of India. The first NLU was the National Law School ...
for the state of Andhra Pradesh. DSNLU takes entrance through
Common Law Admission Test The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a centralized national-level entrance test for admissions to the 25 out of 27 National Law Universities (NLU) except NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya. CLAT was first introduced in 2008 as a centralized entran ...
and ranks 15th by order of establishment among the 17 National Law Universities. The city is due to get India's first packaging park with an Indian Institute of Packaging, IIP and BITS Pilani & Birla International School under the aegis of Sarala Birla Academy. The
Indian Maritime University The Indian Maritime University, abbreviated as IMU, is a public central university directly under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in India. IMU is the national institution for maritime education, commercial shipping, marine engin ...
(IMU) was established as a central university by the government of India by an act of Parliament (the Indian Maritime University Act 2008). IMU is poised to play a role in the development of human resources for the maritime sector. The city also has the National Institute of Oceanography. The Indian Institute of Management,
Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), is an Institute of National Importance, located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is a domain-specific Institute at par with IITs and IIMs, established by the Government of India under the a ...
are the other institutions of national importance.


Defence and research


Naval base

Visakhapatnam is the headquarters of the
Eastern Naval Command The Eastern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocea ...
, the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (a
DRDO The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, headqu ...
Lab), a Chief Quality Assurance Establishment (CQAE), an EFS office, a Naval Dockyard (established in 1949) and Naval Bases including INS Virbahu, INS Karna,
INS Kalinga INS Kalinga is an Indian Navy establishment reporting to the Eastern Naval Command. It is responsible for preparing, storing and delivering advanced missiles to ships of the Eastern Fleet. INS Kalinga was commissioned on 21 November 1985. Over ...
, INS Samudrika, INS Satavahana, and INS Dega. A new base at INS Rambilli is being built on with an investment of , as the first dedicated nuclear submarine base in India. India's first nuclear submarine INS Arihant was launched in the Naval Dockyard, and Bharat Dynamics has begun manufacturing torpedoes. The city also has presence of the
Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and Exclusive economic zone of India, exclusive economic zone. It was st ...
including ships and offices. Multiple naval training establishments, such as the Navy ShipWright School, are also situated here.


Research organisations

The
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India's premier nuclear research facility, headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by Homi Jehangir Bhabha as the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) in January 1954 ...
(BARC) has its second research facility in the country (after Trombay) in Atchutapuram mandal in the district. There are also offices of the National Institute of Oceanography and the
India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department (IMD) is an Indian agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology. IMD is headquar ...
.


Sports

Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
is the most popular sport, followed by
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
. Visakhapatnam is home to several local cricket teams participating in district and zonal matches. Gully cricket or backyard cricket (a form of cricket played in streets or parks) is a popular sport among local youth. Visakhapatnam co-hosted the 32nd National Games alongside
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
in 2002. The city has seven cricket stadiums, which are used for
Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...
matches; two of these stadiums have been used for
one day international One Day International (ODI) is a format of cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of fifty overs, with the game lasting up to 7 hours. The World Cup, generally held every four yea ...
(ODI) matches. Indira Priyadarshini Stadium, also known as the Municipal Corporation Stadium, hosted the first ODI match on 9 December 1988 and the last ODI on 3 April 2001. The stadium was discontinued in favour of the new Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium, PM Palem. Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium is the home of Andhra Cricket Association. It regularly hosts
Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...
, One Day Internationals, and Test Internationals. The stadium is the home ground of Andhra cricket team. The stadium also hosted IPL matches as a neutral venue. It hosted its first test match against England beginning on 17 November 2016. Port Trust Golden Jubilee Stadium is the second largest stadium in Visakhapatnam, which has hosted Under-19 Youth Internationals. It also hosted the 2014 Pro Kabaddi League season as the home ground for the Telugu Titans. Swarna Bharathi Indoor Stadium, built by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, is used for various indoor sports, and the GVMC Aqua Sports Complex, an aquatic centre for swimming and diving, is near the beach road.
Surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
activities are common at the Rushikonda beach.
Scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...
at Chintapalli in the scenic city has been attracting tourists from all over. There is also a gold course named East Point Golf Club in the city.


Media

The Telugu dailies publishers in the city are Eenadu, Andhra Jyothy, Sakshi, Andhra Bhoomi, Andhra Prabha, Vaartha, Suryaa, Prajasakti and Visalaandhra. Apart from the local language, there are also English papers such as
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
,
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
,
Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an English-language daily newspaper based in Hyderabad, India. Founded in 1938, it was initially launched as a Weekly newspaper, weekly and later converted into a daily. The newspaper's name reflects its origins in the ...
,
The Hindu Business Line ''Business Line'', known as ''The Hindu Business Line'', is an Indian business newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black in ...
,
The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu ...
and
The Hans India ''The Hans India'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as in New Delhi. The newspaper was launched on 15 July 2011 and is owned to Hyderabad Media House Ltd., which also ...
.


FM stations

* Radio City – 91.1 – Telugu/Hindi * Big 92.7 FM – 92.7 – Telugu/Hindi * Red FM – 93.5 – Telugu/Hindi *
Radio Mirchi Radio Mirchi ("''Mirchi"'' in Hindi meaning red chilli), also known as 98.3 Mirchi, is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the ENIL, EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiarie ...
– 98.3 – Telugu * AIR Primary – 101.6 – Telugu * AIR FM Rainbow – 102.0 – Telugu *Visakha FM – 105.6 – Telugu * Gyan Vani – 106.4 – Telugu/English/Hindi


DRM

* Air Vizag - 918 kHz, 2 stations


Notable people

*
Alluri Sitarama Raju Alluri Sitarama Raju (4 July 1897 or 1898 – 7 May 1924) was an Indian revolutionary who waged an armed rebellion against the British Raj, British colonial rule in India. He led the Rampa Rebellion of 1922, Rampa rebellion (1922–1924) whic ...
* Gurajada Apparao * Concordia Merrel * Edward Hay Mackenzie Elliot * Sir C. V. Raman *
Gam Malludora Gam Malludora (1900–1969) was an Indian politician and tribal leader who served as a Member of Parliament. He was born in Koyyuru mandal of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India in 1900. He was the younger brother of Gam Gantamdora. ...
* Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy *
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (; 5 September 188817 April 1975; natively Radhakrishna) was an Indian academician, philosopher and statesman who served as the President of India from 1962 to 1967. He previously served as the vice president of ...
* Tenneti Viswanadham * Sri Sri *
Aarudhra Arudra (born Bhagavatula Sadasiva Sankara Sastry; 31 August 1925 – 4 June 1998) was an Indian author, poet, lyricist, translator, publisher, dramatist, playwright, and an expert on Telugu literature. He is also known for his works in Telugu cin ...
*
Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry (born Chembolu Seetharama Sastry; 20 May 1955 – 30 November 2021) was an Indian poet and lyricist known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acquired the stage name Sirivennela after writing the ...
* Beesetti venkata satyavathi * Peela Govinda Satyanarayana * Malla Vijaya prasad * Malla venkata manikyalu *
Ramana Gogula Ramana Gogula is an Indo-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, music composer and singer of film music and Indian pop. His notable film compositions include '' Premante Idera'' (1998), '' Thammudu'' (1999), '' Badri'' (2000)'', Johnny'' ( ...
* P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar * Kotcherlakota Rangadhama Rao * Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana * Sri Kantha Krishnamacharyulu * Devika Rani * L. V. Revanth * Venugopal Rao * Gode Venkata Juggarow


See also

*
List of cities in India by population This is a list of the most populous cities in India. Cities are a type of Local government in India, sub-administrative unit and are defined by the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Home Affairs. In some cases, cities are bifurcated ...
* List of municipal corporations in India * List of tourist attractions and events in Visakhapatnam * List of neighbourhoods in Visakhapatnam * List of urban agglomerations in Andhra Pradesh * Largest Indian cities by GDP


Notes


References


Further reading

* *


External links

* This contains a detailed description of the town and district under British rule.
Official website of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority
{{Authority control Cities in Andhra Pradesh District headquarters of Andhra Pradesh Populated coastal places in India Port cities in India Metropolitan cities in India Smart cities in India