59-566: Visakhapatnam ( / v ɪ ˌ s ɑː k ə ˈ p ʌ t n ə m / ; formerly known as Vizagapatam , also known as Vizag , Viśākha , Ishaq or 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 the Bay of Bengal . It is the second largest city on the east coast of India after Chennai , and
118-568: A 2,000-year-old Buddhist site. The name "Śankaram" derives from the Sangharama (temple or monastery). Located 40 km (25 mi) 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 stupas , rock-cut caves and brick structures. The primary stupa
177-661: A Vizagapatnam merchant is available in the inscriptions of Bheemeswara temple (1068 CE) in the East Godavari District . 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 in 1804 and it remained under British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 . The city
236-441: 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
295-526: A kitchen complex with three halls and a refectory (dining hall). Apart from the structures, Buddhist treasures excavated include nine Satavahana and five Roman silver coins, terracotta tiles, stucco decorative pieces, sculptured panels, miniature stupa models in stone, Buddha padas depicted with ashtamangala symbols (i.e. the eight auspicious symbols of Swastika, Shrivasta, Nandhyavarta, Vardhamanaka, Bhadrasana, Kalasha, Minyugala and Darpan) and early pottery. The territory of Visakhapatnam then came under
354-536: 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. 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
413-458: A population of 1,728,128, of which males were 873,599 and females were 854,529 – a sex ratio of 978 females per 1000 males. The population density was 18,480/km (47,900/sq mi). 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 stood at 81.79% with a total of 1,279,137 literates, of which 688,678 were males and 590,459 were females. It
472-769: A refectory. Artifacts recovered from the site include Roman and Satavahana 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 . 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 in Indonesia. About 16 km (9.9 mi) from Visakhapatnam
531-485: 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
590-631: 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. The district area is 11,161 km (4,309 sq mi). 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
649-645: Is Thotlakonda , a Buddhist complex situated on top of a hill. The Buddhist complex on the Mangamaripeta hilltop, locally known as Totlakonda , lies about 16 km (9.9 mi) 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
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#1732779964395708-763: Is 45 metres. Visakhpatnam is situated in Coastal Andhra 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 km. Visakhapatnam has a tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen Aw ). The annual mean temperatures range between 24.7–30.6 °C (76–87 °F), with
767-464: 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 4,873 km (1,881 sq mi) with
826-429: Is a hill with wells for the collection of rainwater. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) 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
885-586: Is a supply gap of almost 66 million litres per day (MLD) As of 2019, 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 ₹ 10 crore (equivalent to ₹ 12 crore or US$ 1.5 million in 2023). The new project will provide underground drainage access to an estimated 8,000 households. The network will be built under
944-712: Is collection and dealing with Remunerative Enterprises, Water Charges etc. 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,
1003-462: 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. 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
1062-482: Is home to some reputed Central and State educational institutions of the state, including Andhra University (AU), Andhra Medical College (AMC), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Indian Maritime University (IMU), and the National Institute of Oceanography among others. Visakhapatnam serves as
1121-515: 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 . The word Bavikonda in Telugu means "a hill of wells". Fitting its name, Bavikonda
1180-407: 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. Languages of Visakhapatnam (2011) Telugu is the official and the most predominantly spoken language by native speakers. Two dialects of Telugu are spoken by
1239-413: 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
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#17327799643951298-576: 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 Qutb Shahis (1571–1674), Kingdom of Jeypore (1535–1571) and (1674–1711), Mughal Empire (1711–1724), Nizam (1724–1757) and France (1757–1765) before being captured by
1357-526: 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 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,
1416-581: The East India Company rule 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
1475-689: The Kalinga region, it was ruled by the Vengi kingdom and the Pallava 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 king Kulothunga I . Control over the city fluctuated between the Chola dynasty of Tamil Nadu and the Gajapati Kingdom of Odisha until its conquest by
1534-536: The Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century. European powers eventually set up trading interests in the city and Visakhapatnam came under French rule at the end of the 18th 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 and Viśakha were born on the same day and were equally beautiful. Sri Visakka Sakhi
1593-862: The Andhra rulers of Vengi , and Chalukyas 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
1652-494: The British in 1765. European powers eventually established trading operations in the city and Visakhapatnam came under French colonial rule at the end of the 18th century. The British East India Company captured Visakhapatnam after the 1804 Battle of Vizagapatnam and it remained under British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 which was a part of the Northern Circars . Hindu texts state that during
1711-518: 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 used the natural port to export tobacco, paddy , coal, iron ore, ivory, muslin and other textile products. The British developed Visakhapatnam as a prominent harbour on the east coast. The old port in Jalari Peta
1770-637: The Stupa, Chaityagrihas, pillared congregation halls, bhandagaras, refectory (bhojanasala), drainage and stone pathways. The site covers an area of 120 acres (49 hectares), 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 stupas , a stone-pillared congregation hall, eleven rock-cut cisterns, well-paved stone pathways, an apsidal chaitya -griha, three round chaitgya-grihas, two votive platforms, ten viharas and
1829-500: 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 , a region comprising coastal Andhra and southern coastal Odisha which was first under French control and later British. Visakhapatnam became a district in the Madras Presidency of British India . In September 1804, British and French squadrons fought
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1888-399: 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 halls, votive platforms, stupas and Vajrayana sculptures. Bavikonda is an important Buddhist heritage site located on a hill about 15 km (9.3 mi), northeast of Visakhapatnam city. Here the Buddhist habitation
1947-580: 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 , the Pallava and Eastern Ganga dynasties. Visakhapatnam was an ancient port city which had trade relations with the Middle East and Rome . Ships in Visakhapatnam were anchored at open roads and loaded with cargo transported from the shoreside using small masula boats . A reference to
2006-538: 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
2065-526: 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
2124-544: The city suffered an industrial accident when a polymer plant leaked toxic styrene gas, as it restarted operations after the Coronavirus lockdown . This gas leak killed at least eleven people, and drew comparisons to the Bhopal disaster . The city is situated between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal . The city coordinates lies between 17.7041 N and 83.2977 E. The city's area is 682 km. The average elevation
2183-871: The command area of pumping stations at Venkata Puram and Vimannagar and its vicinity. List of renamed places in India Since India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947 , names of many cities, streets, places, and buildings throughout the Republic of India have been systematically changed, often to better approximate their native endonymic pronunciation. Certain traditional names that have not been changed, however, continue to be popular. Former names of cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh at various times (Pre-Mauryan, Maurayan, Satavahana, Andhra Ikshvaku, Vishnukundina, Eastern Chalukya, Kakateeya, Musunuri, Pemmasani etc. rule) during
2242-674: The control and administration of the Qutb Shahi kings of Golconda who appointed a governor or Faujdar 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
2301-520: The corporation out of their own body, and a standing committee consisting of chairpersons from all wards. The GVMC estimated a budget of ₹ 4,171 crore (equivalent to ₹ 49 billion or US$ 590 million in 2023) for the financial year 2020–21. It shows an increase of ₹ 337 crore (equivalent to ₹ 419 crore or US$ 50 million in 2023) 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
2360-400: The district in the late eighteenth century. It is still referred to as Vizag by locals too, however since independence , people have reverted to calling it by its Indian name of Visakhapatnam. 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 and Katyayana . Historically considered part of
2419-778: 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
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2478-631: 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 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
2537-486: The fifth century BCE, the Visakhapatnam region was part of Kalinga territory, which extended to the Godavari river . 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 its time, which prompted Ashoka to embrace Buddhism . Ancient Buddhist sites, recently excavated, are scattered across Visakhapatnam, reflecting
2596-419: 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 (2.77%), Hindi (2.19%), Odia (0.92%). Hinduism is practised by the majority of its citizens, followed by Islam and Christianity. The area practised Buddhism in the ancient past, as evidenced by the many Buddhist sangharamas in the outlying areas but
2655-579: The fourth largest in South India . It is one of the four smart cities of Andhra Pradesh selected under the Smart Cities Mission and is the headquarters of Visakhapatnam district . With an estimated output of $ 43.5 billion, it is the ninth largest contributor to India's gross domestic product as of 2016. Vizag is popularly knows as shipbuilding capital of India due to presence of multiple shipyard such as Hindustan Shipyard and being
2714-482: The headquarters for the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command . The city also serves as the zonal headquarters of South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR). The city is also home to the oldest shipyard and the only natural harbour 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 sites, and
2773-819: The maximum in May and the minimum in January; the minimum temperatures ranges between 17–27 °C (63–81 °F). The highest maximum temperature ever recorded was 42.0 °C (107.6 °F) in 1978, and the lowest was 10.5 °C (51 °F) on 6 January 1962. It receives rainfall from the South-west and North-east monsoons and the average annual rainfall recorded is 1,118.8 mm (44.05 in). 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. As of 2011 census of India , Visakhapatnam had
2832-490: 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 , 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 ; Ishakapatnam , based on a Muslim Saint, Syed Ali Madani (Ishak Madani). During
2891-664: The natural environment of the surrounding Eastern Ghats . 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 . In 2020, it was a finalist in the Living and Inclusion category of the World Smart City Awards. The local belief behind
2950-473: 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 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
3009-457: The population of Buddhists has waned, with approximately 0.03% population in the entire city based on the recent census. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (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 fulfil the basic infrastructural needs of the people. It
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#17327799643953068-614: The region's Buddhist legacy. Pavurallakonda ("pigeon hill") is a hillock west of Bhimli, about 24 km (15 mi) 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 for collecting rainwater. Gopalapatnam, on the Tandava River, is a village surrounded by brick stupas, viharas , pottery and other Buddhist artefacts. In 1907 British archaeologist Alexander Rea unearthed Sankaram,
3127-799: 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
3186-628: 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 who could only govern it for a few decades before transferring it to
3245-471: Was built and used by the Maharaja of Jeypore who also owned several ships. During the First World War , 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 king, on his way to Benares , rested at Visakhapatnam and was so enchanted by its beauty that he ordered
3304-443: 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 681.96 km (263.31 sq mi), which includes the merged municipalities of Gajuwaka, Anakapalle and Bheemunipatnam . Although as per the 2011 census, it is 513.61 km (198.31 sq mi) mentioned in
3363-629: 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
3422-487: Was elected. Out of the eight constituencies Anakapalli and Pendurthi fall under the Anakapalli Lok Sabha Constituency , who's Member of Parliament is C. M. Ramesh . The current Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Vishakhapatnam is Mathukumilli Bharat . The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) supplies power to the city of Visakhapatnam. The fire services in
3481-454: Was initially carved out of rock and covered with bricks. Excavations yielded historic pottery and Satavahana 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
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