Visakhapatnam

Template:Infobox Indian jurisdiction Visakhapatnam (Telugu: విశాఖపట్నం ) (shortened and anglicised: Visakha/Vizag or Vasaka) is a major port and the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai, with a population of approximately 1.3 million. It is located 625 kilometres (388 mi) east of state capital, Hyderabad. The city is nestled among the hills of the Eastern Ghats and faces the Bay of Bengal to the east. It is the administrative headquarters of Visakhapatnam district and is also home to the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. Visakhapatnam is often referred to as The Jewel of The East Coast or The City of Destiny. Vizag is sometimes referred to as the "Goa of the East Coast." Just like its west coast counterpart, it has beautiful virgin beaches, laterite hillocks, smooth roads and stunning landscape. Health-tourism is a fast developing industry. Visakhapatnam is variously referred to as Jewel on the Coramandel Coast or Steel city.

Overview

The "City of Destiny"

Aerial view of Visakhapatnam port

Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is second largest city in Andhra Pradesh with an area of 550 km². It is primarily an industrial city, apart from being a port city. It is also home to the Eastern Naval Command. Visakhapatnam has seen rapid development in the past decade.

The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) will get a new master plan consequent to the increase in its purview from 170 km² to 550 km². The earlier master plan was approved by the government in 2006. VUDA’s jurisdiction has been expanded in mid-2008.

The city sometimes goes by its now mostly defunct colonial British name, Waltair. During the colonial era, the city's hub was the Waltair railway station, and that part of the city is still called Waltair. It is sometimes referred to as the "City of Destiny".

Visakhapatnam is home to several state-owned heavy industries, one of the most advanced steel plants and has one of the country's largest ports and its oldest shipyard. It has the only natural harbour on the eastern coast of India.

Name and history

3rd century BC Buddhist ruins of Thotlakonda

Visakhapatnam was ruled by King Visakha Varma during BC's, according to Hindu Puranams. Another story of this place is it was named after the deity of valour, the second son of Lord Shiva. The other story is that 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 were equally beautiful. The local people believe that an Andhra king, impressed by the beauty, built a temple to pay obeisance to his family deity, Visakha.

The epic city

The city has been mentioned in the Indian epics Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata, as well as the forests of the Eastern Ghats where the two brothers Rama and Lakshmana wandered in search of Sita, wife of Lord Rama. According to the epics, Rama formed his army of monkey men in the region with the help of Hanuman and Jambavant. The monkey army of Rama later defeated the demon King Ravan to claim back his wife Sita. An episode of Mahābhārata when Bheema killed the demon Bakasura, was believed to have happened in the village Karmanvati, just 40 km 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 the Godavari River. 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.

Later history

The territory of Visakhapatnam then came under the Andhra rulers of Vengi. Then Chalukyas, Pallavas ruled over the placid land. This region was under Eastern Ganga Kings, Surya Vamsi Gajapati kings of Orissa from 10th century to 16th century AD. This region came under Hyderabad rulers in 16th century. The Chola kings and Eastern Ganga Kings of Orissa 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. European merchants from France, Holland and the East India Company used the 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. 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.

In the 18th century, Visakhapatnam was part of the Northern Circars, a region comprising Coastal Andhra and southern coastal Orissa that was initially under French control and later the British. Visakhapatnam became a district in the Madras Presidency of British India. In September 1804, British and French squadrons fought the naval Battle of Vizagapatam off the harbour. 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.

The city has the tomb of the Muslim saint Syed Ali Ishak Madina, located atop the dargah-hill near the harbour in old city, which is dated to 18th century, where Hindus make vows at it as often as Muslims. The saint is considered to be all potent over the elements in the Bay of Bengal. Many old residents say that every vessel passing the harbour inwards or outwards used to salute the saint by hoisting and lowering its flag three times, and that many ship-owners offer chadar at the shrine after a successful voyage. It's been said that the name Visakhapatnam is named after him i.e. Syed Ali Ishak Madina, the saint. Initially it was Ishaqapatnam which has been modified into present Visakhapatnam may be because of mispronunciation of an Arabic world by the local people.

The city

The city overlooking the Beach Road

From a small fishing village in the 20th century, Visakhapatnam has grown into an mega-industrial hub. Its saga began when the British needed a suitable port that could serve move the rich mineral wealth from the countryside. Unlike the western coast of India, the east coast has natural harbours. Vizag is the most protected natural harbour in Asia. They started building the harbour in 1927; in 1933 it was opened to traffic.

One important milestone is the setting up of the Scindia Steam Navigation Co., later known as Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in 1940. With the construction of the K.K. line connecting the iron ore mines of Bailadila in M.P. (present day Chattisgarh), its importance grew. In the 1950s and 1960s the government and the private sector set up large scale basic industries like Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels (B.H.P.V.), Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Caltex oil refinery (later acquired by government as H.P.C.L.), Coromandel fertilizers, and Andhra Polymers (now LG Polymers). The 1980s saw a major development with the development of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and other major industries. Economic liberalization in the 1990s brought a modest growth to the city but not as much as it did to Hyderabad. However, some industries sprang up like Rain Calcining Ltd., expansion of HPCL, setting up of Vizag Export Processing Zone, and the Simhadri Thermal Power plant of N.T.P.C. Visakhapatnam was declared one of ten fastest growing cities of the world in a recent study conducted by the United Nations.

Ramakrishna Mission near RK Beach

Due to the presence of the Eastern Naval Command, Steel Plant and H.P.C.L., the city has been the home to people from different parts of the country and due to this the city has a cosmopolitan nature.

The Gateway Hotel

The city's main commercial and shopping centres are in the Dwarakanagar-R.T.C. complex area and Jagadamba Junction area. It even has 2 newly built inox namely varun beach and cmr central completely funfilled. Since 2000, the Dwarakanagar-R.T.C. complex area has transformed into a commercial hub with new shopping malls and complexes springing up within a radius of 2-3 kilometers. The city is home to many five-star hotels such as Taj group, ITC-WelcomGroup and Park Hotels.

There has been a rise in the real estate prices attributed to the Telangana movement for a separate Telangana state, fueling speculation that Visakhapatnam will become the next capital. Recently various large and small software and BPO companies have announced plans for starting development and outsourcing centres in Vizag, which has also contributed to the rise in real estate prices. Inflows from Non-resident Indians (NRIs) from Vizag have further added to this rise.

The city also owes its economic growth to the availability of an educated English-speaking workforce. English is the first language in many places of higher education in the city. This availability of a highly educated workforce allowed the entry of many B.P.O. companies such as HSBC, thus providing the roots for the beginning IT/ITES industry in the city. The city registered over 100% growth in the I.T. sector over the last year, contributing millions of dollars to the economy. The city has around 50 small and medium software and call centre units, of which about 10 units started their operations during the year 2005-07. Software exports from the Visakhapatnam in 2007 were worth Rs. 245 crores - an increase of over 100% over the previous year.

Various national and international I.T. and banking giants have set up or will be setting up offices in the city. These include Mahindra Satyam, HSBC, Wipro, iSOFT, Sankhya Technologies, iFlex, EDS, Datasoft Comnet Pvt. Ltd., Sutherland Global Services, Kenexa, E Centric Solutions Pvt Ltd, OpenWindow Technologies Inc., and Kanbay. The Andhra Pradesh government provided infrastructure and land for these companies to set up their development centers in the city outskirts.

Many Vizag-based SME's such as Prospecta Technologies, Symbiosys Technologies, Xinthe Technologies, NuNet Technologies, Jain Infotech, Sankhya Technologies, Gurooh Info Online(GIO), Manuh Solutions, Patra, Acclaris, Samudra Software, etc., have been providing IT and ITES services. Many of these companies have formed an association called Visakhapatnam Information Technology Association (VITA) to help promote IT in Vizag as well as bridge the Industry-Institution gap. To help companies in and around Visakhapatnam build their human capital, companies like IndiGenius have been providing Human Resource (HR) consulting services such as recruitment, temporary staffing and training. Training companies like Conduira and TIME have been helping students prepare for higher studies in reputed educational institutions.

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park was set up in 1972 on the coastal hills north of the city. The zoo park features some of the rarest species in India.

Strategic importance

Many battles have been fought in the city during such conflicts as World War II, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was only the second region in South Asia to be attacked by Japanese fighter planes during World War II. Recognising the strategic importance of the city and the role it played during the Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistan sent its submarine, PNS Ghazi to destroy India's only aircraft carrier. The submarine sank off the coast (Pakistan claims, accidentally hitting one of the mines it laid; India claims, from a depth-charge dropped by the destroyer INS Rajput). The remnants of the submarine are on display on the beach road.

Victory at Sea 1971 commemorating victory over Pakistan

The city was so important during times of war that the Indian government decided to set up the Eastern Naval Command, overlooking the more populous Chennai and Kolkata, and developed Vizag during that period. The establishment of the E.N.C. soon after the construction of the ship building yard firmly secured Vizag's place in the annals of the Indian Navy. Some of the defence related establishments are N.S.T.L. (Naval Science and Technology Laboratories), which is responsible for the development and testing of warship technology, equipment and weapons and Bharat Dynamics Ltd is coming up for manufacturing heavy and light weight torpedoes. The navy also has a naval dockyard [started in 1949] in the cCity where recently India's first Nuclear Submarine was launched. The navy has plans to set up submarine base in the city at the alternate ENC base in Rambilli near Vizag.

The famous submarine museum near "Victory At Sea", Visakhapatnam

The Navy is also constructing a second base as the current base is overpopulated and not sufficient to meet the needs of the E.N.C. Despite its importance, the Naval establishment has become a hindrance for the development of Visakhapatnam. The harbour is not open to the general public for reasons of security, while in Mumbai and Kochi, the entire port along with Naval docks are opened for boating and tourism.

Visakhapatnam is surrounded on three sides by the overlapping mountain ranges, and the southeastern city is safeguarded by the Bay of Bengal. Vizag is far away from any international border, both land and sea, making it the choice for strategic placement of the headquarters of the eastern naval command.

Demographics

Vizag is a cosmopolitan mix of people from various parts of the country. From a population of a few thousand locals during the 18th century and early 19th century the population grew steadily every decade. The city doubled its population from 1990–2000 owing to a large migrant population from surrounding areas and other parts of the country coming to the city to work in its heavy industries.

Religion in Visakhapatnam
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			93%
Others			7%

According to the 2001 India census, Visakhapatnam had a population of 969,608 and that of urban area 1,329,472. After the state government approved the formation of Greater Visakhapatnam with the merger of Gajuwaka municipality and 32 villages in the vicinity in the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, the population of the city and the metro area swelled present population may be between 1.6 to 1.8 million . Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. The city has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 74% and female literacy is 64 %. 10% of the population is younger than six. Visakhapatnam is listed as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Cities of the World.

Hinduism is practised by the majority of citizens, followed by Islam and Christianity. The city patronised Buddhism for 2 millennia as evident from the presence of many Buddhist sangharamas in the outskirts. The Buddhist population has however waned since. All the religions co-exist peacefully; Visakhapatnam never witnessed communal riots during its entire history.

Language

Visakhapatnam is predominantly a Telugu-speaking city, but English is equally well understood as there are a lot of tourists. The Telugu spoken by the middle classes is a standard dialect, while a significant population who have settled down in the city from the adjoining villages and neighbouring districts of East Godavari, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam speak Uttarandhra (North Coastal) Mandalikam dialects.

Historians believe that centuries ago, when Uttarandhra was part of the Kalinga Empire, Buddhist missionaries and merchants might have taken Telugu (derived from Brahmi script) script to Southeast Asia from the shores of Uttarandhra where it parented into the scripts of Mon, Burmese, Thai, Khmer, Siam, Javanese and Balinese languages and even Sinhala of Sri Lanka. Their similarities to Telugu script can be discerned even today.

Visakhapatnam is home to small Gujarathis, Oriya, Bengali, Nepali and Malayalee communities; their migration is recent. Due to the naval presence and high concentration of public sector industries.

Climate

A NASA Satellite Image Showing Visakhapatnam Experiencing Monsoon in 2010

Visakhapatnam experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) with little variation in temperature through the year. May is the hottest month with average temperatures around 32^oC (90^oF), while January is the coolest month with average temperatures near 23^oC (73^oF).

As the city is located on the Bay of Bengal, the humidity remains high throughout the year. The total annual rainfall is around 945 mm (38 inches), the bulk of which is received during the south-west monsoon. October is the wettest month with around 204 mm (8 inches) of rainfall.

The months from November to February are the best times to visit the city, with moderate temperatures and little precipitation.

Climate data for Visakhapatnam
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28.9 (84.0)	31.3 (88.3)	33.8 (92.8)	35.3 (95.5)	36.2 (97.2)	35.3 (95.5)	32.9 (91.2)	32.7 (90.9)	32.5 (90.5)	31.7 (89.1)	30.4 (86.7)	28.9 (84.0)	32.5 (90.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	18.0 (64.4)	19.9 (67.8)	23.0 (73.4)	26.1 (79.0)	27.7 (81.9)	27.3 (81.1)	26.1 (79.0)	26.0 (78.8)	25.6 (78.1)	24.3 (75.7)	21.6 (70.9)	18.6 (65.5)	23.7 (74.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	11.4 (0.45)	7.7 (0.30)	7.5 (0.30)	27.6 (1.09)	57.8 (2.28)	105.6 (4.16)	134.6 (5.30)	141.2 (5.56)	174.8 (6.88)	204.3 (8.04)	65.3 (2.57)	7.9 (0.31)	945.7 (37.23)
Source:

Transport

Air

File:VisakhapatnamAirportBySashi.jpg

Visakhapatnam Airport

The Visakhapatnam Airport is the busiest Airport in Coastal Andhra. Visakhapatnam is well connected with daily flights from Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Tirupati and Kolkata. Visakhapatnam Airport has recently received permission to operate night flights and now the airport is working up to 22:00. A new 10,000 foot [3 km] long runway became operational to accommodate international flights and larger aircraft. The airport was one of the few chosen by the center for modernization including facilities like aerobridges and immigration booths. The new terminal was inaugurated on 21 March 2009. Very soon vizag airport would get International TAG.

Road

Visakhapatnam seaport; harbour interchange fly-by road can be seen here

Visakhapatnam is one of the major cities on the east coast of India connected by NH5, a major national highway and a part of the Golden Quadrilateral system of Indian highways connecting Chennai and Kolkata. The section of Golden Quadraleteral(NH5) from Kolkata to Chennai connects Visakhapatnam to the North-East and to the South. The highway is an important route for transporting cargo and people from these cities to and from Vizag. Visakhapatnam has a good network of roads. There are frequent buses to Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Araku andRajahmundry. There are even bus services to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and few other parts of Orissa and Karnataka.

Residents of Visakhapatnam make use of extensive public transport provided by the APSRTC, which runs metro buses across various routes across the city and its suburbs. The APSRTC complex at Asilametta is the hub for most of these buses causing major traffic jams during rush hours on the heavily populated, congested Asilametta Junction. The city corporation is planning to dig subways, construct pedestrian overpasses and flyovers to address the traffic woes.

A Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) was approved for the city under the JNNURM. This will make use of dedicated lanes for buses allowing for an efficient and high speed mode of transport for the public and significantly reduce traffic congestion, improving safety. This project is under construction and will be completed by the end of 2010.

Rail

Vishakapatnam Railway station

The railway station at Visakhapatnam is under the control of East Coast Railway of Indian Railways. It stands on the Chennai Central -Howrah Station route, though the mainline bypasses the Central Station. Consequently a suburban halt on the mainline near Vizag Steel Plant, known as Duvvada, is being developed into a major station to improve services for the city.

There are direct rail links to Vijayawada Junction, Secunderabad Railway Station, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Bangalore Bhopal Junction, Mumbai, Surat, Porbandar, Okha, Mangalore, Tiruchchirapalli, Puri, Raipur, Bilaspur, Korba, Nasik, Amritsar, Patna, Ernakulam, Trivendrum, Kanniyakumari, Shirdi, Aurangabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Gaya, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Jammu Tawi, Bhilai, Gwalior, Chennai Central, Howrah Station, New Delhi Railway Station etc., and also has direct services to Indore, Ujjain, Coimbatore and Jaipur amongst other major cities.

Sea

Visakhapatnam Port.

Situated on the east coast of India, Visakhapatnam serves as the gateway for waterways for the state of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam has one of the country's largest ports and its oldest shipyard on the eastern coast of India. It is a land-locked harbour as it is connected to the sea by a channel cut through solid rock and sand. The Visakhapatnam port is one of the busiest ports in India.Vizag Seaport Pvt Ltd., own two berths in the inner harbour of VPT, EQ-8 is fully mechanized and at EQ-9 berth vessels are handled by conventinal means, both berths are capable to handle panamax vessels. The shipbuilding yard situated at Visakhapatnam is the largest in India. Situated on Chennai - Kolkotacorridor, the city is also a hub of on-ground traffic. The Gangavaram Sea Port is India's deepest sea port. In December 2010, Coal India agreed a deal that would allow an additional berth to be built at the port.

Education

Visakhapatnam is considered a centre for education in Andhra Pradesh. There are several primary, high school and college institutions in the city. Apart from state-run schools for the poor, there are many private institutions, missionary schools and colleges.

The IMU has been established as a Central University by the Government of India under an Act of Parliament, namely, the Indian Maritime University Act 2008. The Indian Maritime University, established through an Act of Parliament on 14/11/2008 as Central University, is poised to play a key role in the development of required human resource for the maritime sector. The Indian Maritime University, being the first of its kind in the country will cater to the educational requirement of the maritime fraternity. It is a teaching and affiliating University which will offer degree, post graduate degree and research programmes in all disciplines of maritime sector. The city also has National Institute of Oceanography.

File:AU-COE.jpg

Andhra university, college of engineering.

Established in 1878, A.V.N. College is one of the city's oldest educational institutions.

Visakhapatnam is the home of Andhra University (AU) which was established in 1926.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, before he became the President of India, worked as the Vice Chancellor of the University between 1931 and 1936. AU and its affiliated colleges provide education to thousands of students from the state. Post-graduate and graduate courses are offered in various branches like arts, commerce, science & technology, engineering, IT, business management, law and pharmacy. The AU college of pharmacy is the second oldest pharmacology institute in India. The university is in the process of obtaining IIESTstatus and there is also a proposal for setting up an IIM at Visakhapatnam.

Andhra Medical College, established in 1902, is the home of various teaching hospitals.

The GVP College of Engineering (GVP Official Site) which recently attained autonomous status, is one of the renowned educationally institutes of Visakhapatnam.

The Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) recently attained the status of a deemed university.

GVP College Of Engineering, Visakhapatnam

Some of the other engineering colleges in Vizag city: Chaitanya Engineering College, Raghu Engineering College, Vignan's Institute of Information Technology, Sanketika Vidya Parishad college of engineering,Pothinamallayapalem, Pydah College of Engineering and Technology, Vignans Institute of Engineering for Women, Al Ameer College of Engineering & Technology, Avanthi Institute of Engineering & Technology, Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology & Sciences and VITAM College of Engineering. Graduation Degree Colleges: VIPS, Pydah, Gayatri, AVN, DR.V.S.Krishna, etc.

File:GITAMU-CL.jpg

GITAM University, Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishna central library

Schools: St. Aloysius Anglo Indian High School is the oldest school in the district and one of the oldest schools in the country. It was established in 1847 and is in the old town region and affiliated to ICSE, D.A.V Cent.Public School, Delhi Public School, S.F.S. School, St. Anthony's high school, Bethany School, Visakha Valley School, Timpany School are the best schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Other schools include Public School at MVP Colony, Pollocks School, Kotak Salesian School, St. Joseph's sec school, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Siva Sivani, Saraswathi Vidya Vihar, Little Angels, Little Flowers, Visvodaya High School and Pavani School. The city has around 10 Kendriya Vidyalaya's with total student strength of 18000. Timpany School has three branches —one affiliated to ICSE and the other two to CBSE. Vikas Vidyaniketan is the largest CBSE +2 residential school affiliated to CBSE Visakha Valley School and Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir are affiliated to CBSE.

The International Science Congress (I.S.C.) was hosted by Andhra University in 1976 and again in 2008. It is the largest congregation of scientists from different disciplines in the world. Over 8,000 people participated in the I.S.C. in 2008, including prominent Nobel Prize winners from around the world.

Economy

Fishermen in Visakhapatnam.

Megadri River Channel that connects Outer Harour of Visakhapatnam Port with Inner Harbour

Naval warship

Vizag City economy

From being a tiny hamlet of local fishing communities during the early days of the Indian Independence Struggle and for a few decades later, the city exploded economically, in fact the rise has been so dramatic that the city was identified as one of the ten fastest growing cities in the world economically and demographically. Various factors contributed to the city's growth economically, including the natural harbor, its location between Madras and Calcutta, access to the NH5 (a major National Expressway) and the developed network of railways which metamorphosed the village into a burgeoning industrial city.

Visakhapatnam Outer Harbour

The city has developed into a hub for many heavy industries. The Visakhapatnam Port, the largest in the country, was the ideal gateway contributing to the development of petroleum, steel and fertilizer industries. The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant [recently expanded from 3.1 to 6.3 MT and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. were the two multi-billion dollar investments which put Vizag on the world's industrial map. The city also has two N.T.P.C. power plants to satisfy the huge power needs of the industries. Visakhapatnam also houses the headquarters of the Dredging corporation of India.

It is hub for iron ore and other mineral exports of India, where iron ore from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh is transported to the Visakhapatnam port by means of both Rail transport & Road transport and from here minerals are exported using ships to China and other countries. Visakhapatnam district and its surroundings have Bauxite reserves of 1,000 MT, magenese ore and titanium reserves in the beach sand.

The city also owes its economic growth to the availability of an educated English-speaking workforce. English is the first language in many places of higher education in the city. This availability of a highly educated workforce allowed the entry of many B.P.O. companies such as HSBC, IBM Daksh, Sutherland thus providing the roots for the beginning IT/ITES industry in the city. The city registered over 100% growth in the I.T. sector over the last year, contributing millions of dollars to the economy. The city has around 50 small and medium software and call centre units, of which about 10 units started their operations during the year 2005-07. Software exports from the Visakhapatnam in 2007 were worth Rs. 245 crores (2.45 GRs) and 502 Crores in 2008, 900 Crores in 2009 - an increase of nearly 90% every year. Various national and international I.T. and banking giants have set up or will be setting up offices in the city. Some IT companies started already are Mahindra Satyam, Kenexa, Infotech,Softsol,Miracle Softwares and Wipro has finished construction of its campus and yet to start operations. The Andhra Pradesh government provided infrastructure and land for these companies to set up their development centers in the city outskirts. The Andhra pradesh govt has also started an ITSEZ in rushikonda hills at Vizag. Real IT development is still in process and once the city Airport gets International Status it is believed that IT development would grow at a faster pace.

Satyam Development Center

The growing population and economy have resulted in the revamping of the real estate prices with prices at some prime locations in the city quadrupling over the past couple of years. Various real estate companies are setting up housing projects in the outskirts of the city which is being touted as the future I.T. destination of the country.

The fishing industry is also on the rise with both foreign and domestic exports of tuna doubling over the past decade. The city has a port called Vizag Port started in 1933 and a second port called as Gangavaram Port started in 2008 [15 km from Vizag Port. It openend in with an investment of 2 billion dollars and is is deepest port in the country with the ability to handle the larger international vessels. Vizag Port is also expanding and planning to set up a Satellite Port at Bhimli 20 km away from Vizag.

The city has APIIC Industrial Park at Autonagar and VSEZ called as Vizag Special Economic Zone started in 1989. The exports from VSEZ stood at 918 Crores in 2009.

Multi Product Special Economic Zones (SEZ) called APIIC SEZ has been sanctioned for the city and this is coming up in 5770acres at Atchutapuram, Vizag. Some of the Industries coming up in this SEZ are WS Industries, Pokarna limited, Uniparts, Confidence Petroleum, Southern Online Bio, Nagarjuna AgriChem, Anjaney Alloys, Maithon Alloys, Abhijit Ferro Alloys etc. and railway line is being laid connecting this SEZ with Gangavaram Port.

Brandix Apparel City has started recently in the city. This is specifically a textile based SEZ spread out in 1000 Acres. The aim of this project is to provide 60000 jobs to the local people. It is expected that exports would reach up to 5500 Crores once it is fully operational. Currently this has foreign textile manufacturers like Pioneer Elastic Fiber, Ocean India,Quantum Clothing,Fountain Set group,Limited Brands etc.

Piklington an automotive glass manufacturer and Jawarhlal Nehru Pharmacity has recently started in city and Pharmacity is only the Pharama SEZ in the country, and currently Pharmacity has 38 pharma companies with international pharma players like PharmaZell of Germany and Japan's Essai Pharma and US-based Hospira Chemicals has purchased land for setting up plant in the city.

Companies like Reliance, Brandix and HPCL have purchased huge areas in the SEZ for setting up their industries and Aluminium refineries like Anrak Aluminium, Jindal Aluminium are coming up in the city because of availability of Bauxite reserves around Vizag, Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) plans to set up its second research facility in the country after Trombay in this region. The city was one of the five in the country selected to hold strategic crude reserves for the nation in times of national emergency.

Other heavy industries include Hindustan Zinc Limited, GAIL, IOC Bottling Unit, BPCL Bottling Unit, Synergies Castings Ltd., Rain Calcining Limited, Coromandel Fertilizers, Hindustan Ship Yard and Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Limited (B.H.P.V.), Visakaha dairy, Vizag profiles, Essar Pellet Plant, Andhra Polymers [now called as LG Polymers], Andhra cements, Andhra petrochemicals, Andhra Ferroalloys which contribute to the economy of the City. The city also has some Ferro Alloy units because of availability of Managenese Ore around Vizag. The city is the headquarters for Waltair division of East Coast Railway. The Waltair division has generated 3483 Crore revenues in 2009-2010 and is one of the Highest revenue grosser in the Country.

Its traditional importance in shipbuilding is confirmed by the fact that India's first ship, the Jala Usha was launched in Visakhapatnam. It is also one of India's main fishing ports, has a dedicated harbour for the fishing industry and handles a large percentage of India's seafood exports.

The Vizag Special Economic Zone plays a vital role in the industrial growth of the city. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has started its operation at autonagar (temporary) while the construction for the center is taking on currently. It is expected to be completed soon, the second only cenre for India after Mumbai. Nuclear power technologies are to be set up at this centre including a University of its own by BARC.

The city has office of National Institute of Oceanography,Indian Metrological Department.

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has awarded the bid to construct a Knowledge City to Unitech Limited in an area of 700 ha, with an investment of Rs. 35 thousand crore (350 GRs).

India aims to build its first strategic oil reserve facility at Visakhapatnam by October 2011.

HPCL Petro-Chemical Complex

On-going and coming projects related to Vizag as on 2010

Hindujas have also started construction of Thermal Power Plant of 1070 MW in Vizag district with 7000 Crores, HPCL is also expanding Vizag Oil Refinery from 7.5 MT to 15 MT with an investment of 13000 Crores, NTPC-Simhadri is expanding from 1000 MW to 2000 MW with 5000Crores, Vizag Steel Plant completed its expansion from 3.1 MT to 6.3 MT with 9000 Crores, Vizag Port is expanding with 3000 Crores to increase its capacity to handle load up to 80 MT per year, HSL has been transferred to Defence Ministry recently some big Naval projects for building long range submarines up to 20,000 Crores are expected, NTPC is also coming with another Ultra Mega Power Project of 4000 MW with an investement of 23,000 Crores in Pudimaka Village in Vizag district. Brighton group is coming up with Nuclear Manufacturing equipment factory near Nakkapalli with nearly 3000 Crores, BARC investing 2000 Crores for their new facility in Vizag, Anrak Aluminium investing up to 8000 Crores in 02 Phases for their Aluminium Refinery in Makavaripalem, Strategic Oil reserve facility coming up at Vizag with 6700 Crores, Other investors big investors in APSEZ are Confidence petroleum -1000 Crores, Abhijit Ferroalloys -2600 Crores.

Naval Establishments

The city has Eastern Naval Command [ENC] office and NSTL Labs, CQAE [Chief Quality Assurance Establishment] [EFS] Office, Naval Docky yard [started in 1949] and nearly some 05 Naval bases like INS Kalinga, INS Samudrika, INS Satavahana, ENC Base, INS Dega etc. are present in the city. A new base called INS Rambilli is being constructed in 5000 acres with an investment of 1500 Crores and it is believed to be a dedicated submarine base in India. Recently India's first nuclear submarine INS Arihant was launched in Naval dockyard Vizag and Bharat Dynamics Ltd has started recently in the city for manufacturing of Torpedoes. The city also has Indian Coast Gurad offices.

Visakhapatnam is a part of the PCPIR [Petroleum and Chemical & Petrochemical investment region] proposed between Vizag and Kakinada. This PCPIR region is expected to generate employment of 1.2Million and projected investement of 34,30,000 Million.

Tourism

A park on RK beach

A view of the Beach Road from Kailashagiri

Visakhapatnam has a range of tourist attractions including beaches, cliffs, parks on the hilltop facing the sea, long drives along the beach road, a zoological park and wildlife sanctuary, a submarine museum, hill stations, limestone caves, mountain ranges and colourful valleys, all within 100 km from the city. There are two five-star hotels, The Taj and The Park, and a full range of other accommodation

Kailashagiri is a park developed by VUDA on a hilltop adjacent to the sea offers views of the Bay of Bengal, Vizag city and the Eastern Ghats. A ropeway connects this park from the bottom of the hill.

The Beach Road from East point colony to Coastal battery is studded with parks, statues, etc., and is an evening gathering point. Along the road can be found India's only submarine museum, INS Kursura, as well as the Visakha museum and Matsyadarsini (an aquarium). VUDA park, at the beginning of the Beach Road, has a musical fountain, and entertainment for children. It has a roller skating ground, which has served as the venue for several national and international skating competitions.

Rushikonda Beach, 6 km away from Vizag city, has become a favorite evening spot. Bhimili-Vizag beach Road, 30 km long, offers one of the best views of the sea, sand, hills and greenery. Many parks are constructed adjacent to this road. Tenneti park beach park is constructed on the cliff of Kailashagiri. There are several points from which the beautiful rocky beach beneath can be seen. Many Telugu, Tamil and Hindi movies were filmed here.

Simhachalam Temple

Simhachalam is a hill shrine of Lord Narasimha 16 km north of the city. The carved 16-pillared Natya mantapa and the 96-pillared Kalyana mandapa are highlights at the Simhachalam temple. It was constructed by Gajapathi Kings of Odisha before 1500 AD. Mr.Poosapati Ananda Gajapati Raju (heir to His Highness Maharaja Vijayram Gajapati Raj Bahadur of former Vizianagaram princely state).

The city has Ramanaidu Film Studios which has started recently.

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park: Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, between the National Highway 5 and Beach Road, spreading over an area of 250 ha, exhibits about 700 animals belonging to about 89 species.

Araku-valley

Outside the city, 112 km from Visakhapatnam, Araku Valley is an important tourist destinationhttp://www.go2india.in/ap/araku-valley.php. It is a hill station at an elevation of over 1000 m. famous for its gardens, valleys, waterfalls and streams.. On the way to Araku Hill station are the Borra Caves which are naturally formed. The were discovered by British Geologist William King in 1807.

The Marriage Bureau For Rich People series of novels, written by Farahad Zama and published worldwide in over twelve languages, are set in Visakhapatnam and feature many landmarks of the city and its surroundings.

Buddhists sites

File:Vb215.jpg

Buddhist stupa at BojjannaKonda

Visakhapatnam is surrounded by ancient Buddhist sites, most of which have been excavated recently. The imprint of Buddhist legacy is so strong here that the interest of archeologists in this area is growing by the day.

The Buddhist Complex on the Mangamaripeta hilltop, locally known as Thotlakonda, lies about 16 km from Visakhapatnam on Vizag Bheemili Beach Road. After its discovery (during an aerial survey), the Government of A.P declared the 48 ha site as a protected monument in 1978. Excavations in 1988 to 1992 exposed structural remains and artifacts, classified as Religious, Secular and Civil. These structures include the Stupa, Chaityagrihas, pillared congregation halls, bhandagaras, refectory (bhojanasala), drainage and stone pathways.

Bavikonda is an important Buddhist heritage site located on a hill about 15 km, northeast from Visakhapatnam city. Here the Buddhist habitation is noticed on a 16 ha flat terraced area. The Hinayana school of Buddhism was practiced 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.

In 1907 a British archaeologist, Alexander Rea, unearthed Sankaram, a 2000-year-old Buddhist Heritage site. Located 40 km from South of Vizag, it is known locally as Bojjannakonda. The three phases of Buddhism flourished here, viz. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. This complex is famous for its numerous monolithic votive stupas, rock-cut caves, and brick structural edifices. Excavations yielded several historic potteries and Satavahana coins dating back to the 1st century A.D. Similarly at Lingalakonda, there are innumerable rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows spread over the hill. The Vihara was active for about 1,000 years, spanning the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana phases of Buddhism.

Pavuralakonda, or 'the hill of the pigeons', is a hillock lying to the west of Bhimli, at about 24 km from Vizag. The Buddhist settlement found here is estimated to have witnessed human habitation between 1st century BC to 2nd century AD. Sixteen rock-cut cisterns for impounding rainwater are found on the hillock, which offer a panoramic view of the coastline.

Gopalapatnam, situated on the left bank of River Tandava, is a village surrounded by brick stupas, viharas and other Buddhist remains. Ancient pottery was also excavated from these sites.

Retail and Entertainment

Shopping malls

The City has seen a rapid growth in Retail and Entertainment sectors during the last decade.Vizag is dotted with a number of shopping malls.Recently Vizag Central has started. List of shopping malls in visakhapatnam:

visakhapatnam central CMR central CMR shopping mall V square shopping mall kalanjali kalaniketan mall M&M mall

Entertainment

The City has seen a new high in the entertainment sector with INOX, a famous Indian Multiplex chain, setting up 10 screens here. The multiplex in the city constitutes 6 Screens at Varun Beach and 4 screens at CMR Central Mall. Few more mutiplex chains evinced interest in this fast growing city, most of which would complete construction in the next 2 years. Vizag has a good number of outlets for famous brands like Fabindia, Lee, Levis, H&A, United Colours Of Benetton, Pepe Jeans etc. in Waltair uplands and Siripuram.

Grand Bay Hotel

Sports

Rajashekar Reddy-ACA-VDCA stadium at Madhurawada hosting the India-Sri Lanka ODI.

Cricket is the most popular game followed by tennis and football. The city is home to a number of local cricket teams participating in various district and zonal events. Gully cricket - a form of cricket played in empty streets or maidans is a popular pastime for local school/college going kids in the evenings. Vizag also co-hosted the 32nd National Games along with the state capital. Vishakapatnam has 7 cricket stadiums which are used for Ranji Trophy matches. However only 2 of these stadiums have been used for One Day International matches.

• Indira Priyadarshini Stadium (5 ODI Matches): Also known as the Municipal Corporation Stadium, it hosted the first ODI match on 9 December 1988 and the last of the 5 on 3 April 2001. The stadium has discontinued hosting ODI matches in favor of the newer ACA-VDCA Stadium, which is situated in the satellite township of Madhurawada. The stadium is set amidst the hills and offers a scenic view.
• ACA-VDCA Stadium: (3 ODI Matches): The ACA-VDCA Stadium has recently hosted 3 ODIs with India winning against Pakistan in the first and against Sri Lanka in the second and Australia in the third. Now this stadium is upgraded to host day/night matches. It has the most advanced flood lights in India after Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi. This stadium is recently named as YS Rajasekhar Reddy Stadium.

The city of Visakhapatnam has never hosted a Test Match. The ACA-VDCA Stadium was recently awarded Test status. This makes the ACA stadium the ninth stadium to have a Test status in the country and the second in Andhra Pradesh.

• Port Stadium: It is the second largest stadium in Visakhapatnam city.

Steel Plant Township

Main article: Ukkunagaram

Jagannath temple in Ukkunagaram

The beautiful and well planned township for the employees of the Visakhapatnam steel plant is called Ukkunagaram (ukku in Telugu for steel,nagaram in Telugu for town).

The design of the Township itself is state-of-the-art. The designers followed the Roman Circular design for the layout of homes and roads to keep the distances equal between any two points within the township.

There are 11 sectors in the Township, oldest of them being sectors 1, 2 and 3, and Sector 7 which is the exclusive domain of the directors and the chairman's homes. Other sectors came into being as the plant's staffing matured. On the average, each sectore consists of about 300 housing units, which vary from multi-storied quarters (3 floors) to single family homes. There are also bungalows exclusively for the directors of the plant. There are 5 types of housing units viz. A Type,B,C,D & director's bungalow.

Sector 1 used to house the Russians who came to erect and commission the first blast furnace "Godavari", The RMHP, Sinter, and Coke Oven Batteries I & II.

The Township is located in forest belt starting at the Valleys of Araku through Yelamanchili to Narsipatnam. The township comes under the mandate of the Town Administration. The continued afforestation efforts of the management has ensured a green and pollution-free environment and thereby creating a unique ecosystem in itself. The township has well kept roads, regulated traffic. The township also has all market places, parks, clubs, sports facilities exclusively for the employees and their dependents.

Big Kanithi Balancing reservoir provides water for the captive consumption of the plant and the township alike, and sits between the Township and the NH5. It draws its water from a special canal built exclusively for it from the River Yeleru, a tributary of the great river Godavari.

The road that leads from the plant plaza main gate into the township actually travels ahead as a bypass to the busy NH5 and skips Anakapalli directly to Yelamanchili and Tuni, cutting almost 30 km on the road route from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada.

Members of Parliament

• Daggubati Purandeshwari (INC) - Visakhapatnam
• Sabbam Hari (INC) - Anakapalli
• V Kishore Chandra Deo (INC) - Araku

Members of Legislative Assembly

• Visakhapatnam South: Dronamraju Srinivas (INC)
• Visakhapatnam East: Rama Krishna Babu (TDP)
• Visakhapatnam North: T. Vijaya Kumar (INC)
• Visakhapatnam West: Malla Vijaya Prasad (INC)
• Pendurthi: Panchakarla Ramesh (PRP)
• Gajuwaka: Chintalapudi Venkataramayya (PRP)

Notable residents

• Padma Bhushan.Professor. Pancheti Koteswaram - Padma Bhushan 1975-Civil Services , Ex- Director General IMD , Ex-Vice- President - WMO , Professor Andhra University
• Alluri Sita Rama Raju - Revolutionary, Freedom Fighter.
• His Highness Dr. P.V.G. Raju - Maharaja Of Vizanagaram, Ex-Parliament Member and Minister.
• Srirangam Srinivasa Rao (Sri-Sri) - Telugu poet.
• Tenneti Viswanadham - revo
• Subhalekha Sudhakar - Ex-Artist, Actor.
• Sri Malla Appala Naidu - Founder Ammaji Music College, Sponcer Somalinga Temple, Somalingapalem
• Sir C.V. Raman - Nobel Prize Winner, Physicist and a Great Scientist.
• Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - Former President of India, ex-Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, philosopher.
• Raa.Vi ( Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry)- Telugu contemporary writer
• Daspalla Maharani- Former Princely State of Daspalla,Odisha
• Professor Nemani Krishna Murthy - Renowned Artist, Scientist, Andhra University
• Devika Rani - Bollywood actress, first Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner.
• Dr. Hilda Mary Lazarus was Principal of Andhra Medical College, Superintendent of King George Hospital and the first Indian director of Christian Medical College and Hospital at Vellore.
• Sri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy is a famous Indian Carnatic vocalist.
• Srikanth Boorela is a Entrepreneur

External links

• Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA)
• Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation
• Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal corporation (GVMC)
• Visakhapatnam at Curlie
• Template:Wikitravel
• Official Website of Visakhapatnam district
• Visakhaptanam Local Assorted Pictures