Visakhapatnam is a jewal on the East coast of India with a natural harbour and a beach, matchless into beauty and landscape.Visakhapatnam is said to have derived its name from a temple deity Visakha (God of Valour). The monument was built by Hindu king in the 11th century on his way to Banaras. The edifica has long since been washed away but the name and the town remains. Visakhapatnam become popularly known as Vizag and from a small fishing village has beargeoned into a bustling port industrial and commercial city. It is the site of the country's largest ship building yard. The most famous land mark at Visakhapatnam.
Imagine golden beaches that stretch as far as your imagination, green hills rising high on the other side, a city thriving on modern industry and commerce in the midst. Add to the scenario a generous mix of ancient Buddhist heritage, geological wonders, famous temples, inviting culture and mesmerizing arts & crafts. Visakhapatnam will better your imagination with all of these and more. It is a city keeping pace with the times, even while preserving its rich past. It is a city painted with industrial revolution, even as it retains its colours of nature. Welcome to one of the most beautiful imprints of civilization on the Indian soil - Visakhapatnam (popularly known as Vizag).
The second largest city of Andhra Pradesh and one of the fastest growing cities in Asia. Once a small fishing village, the city today is a busy port endowed with a natural harbor. A number of major industries, ship building yard, a mega oil refinery, a massive steel and power plant make Vizag one of the modern faces of India. However, all the industrial progress of Vizag has taken place in the midst of the awe-inspiring Eastern Ghats on one side and the blue waters of Bay of Bengal on the other, giving the city a magical touch. The city is said to have derived its name Visakhapatnam from the deity 'Visakha' (the God of Valour), Patnam is the Telugu word for City. [1]
Visakhapatnam or the place of Visakha, is named after the deity of valor, the second son of Lord Shiva. The other story is the beauty of the place was compared to the beauty of Sakhi Visakha. The legend is that Radha and Visakha were born on the same day and equally beautiful. The city people believe that an Andhra King impressed by the beauty built a temple to pay obeisance to his family deity, Visakha. The stories be numerous but the fact remains; the unparalleled natural splendor of Visakhapatnam.
The Epic City The city has been mentioned in the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. The forests of the Eastern Ghats; where the two brothers Rama and Laxman wandered in search of Sita, wife of Lord Rama. Rama formed his army of monkey men in the region with the help of Hanuman and Jambavan. The monkey army of Rama later defeated the demon King Ravana to claim back his wife Sita. An episode of Mahabharata when Bheema killed the demon Bakasura, was believed to have happened in the village Uppalam, just 25 miles from the city.
Buddhist Influence. The religious Hindu texts mention that the region of Visakhapatnam in the 5th century BC was part of the vast Kalinga territory which extended up to River Godavari. The relics found in the area also prove the existence of a Buddhist empire in the region. Kalinga later lost the territory to King Ashoka in the bloodiest battle of the time which prompted him to embrace Buddhism.
Scenic beauty of Visakha beach
The territory of Viskahapatnam then came under the Andhra Rulers of Vengi. Then Chalukyas, Pallavas, the Reddy Kings ruled over the placid land. The Chola Kings built the temples in the city in 11-12 century AD as established by Archeological findings. The Mughals ruled this area under the Hyderabad Nizam in the late 15th and early 16th century. The merchants from Europe, the French, the Dutch and the East India Company used this natural port to export tobacco, ivory, muslin and other textile products.
Local legend states that an Andhra king while on his way to Benares, rested there and was so enchanted with the sheer beauty of the place, that he ordered a temple to be built in honor of his family deity, Visakha. Archaeological sources however reveal that the temple was possibly 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 (it may have been washed away about a hundred years ago by a cyclonic storm), elderly residents of Vizag talk of visits to the ancient shrine by their grandparents. Noted author Ganapatiraju Atchuta Rama Raju contradicted this [1].
In the 18th century, Visakhapatnam was part of the Northern Circars, a region comprising Coastal Andhra and southern costal Orissa that was initially under French control and later the British. Visakhapatnam became a district in the Madras Presidency of British India. After India's independence it was the biggest district in the country and was subsequently divided into the three districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.
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