Vishakhapatnam
Vishakhapatnam, once an innocuous little fishing village is now a bustling
industrial city and a busy port town. Named after Vishakha, the God of Valour,
Vishakhapatnam has seen many pre-eminent rulers in its past.
It was a part of Emperor Ashoka’s empire in 260 BC, and subsequently
cam to be ruled by the Pallavas, Cholas and the Gangas. Vishakhapatnam became
a part of the Vijayanagar Empire that ruled most of the south in the 15th
century AD.
When the British took over the south, they capitalised
on the natural harbour
and Vishakhapatnam was firmly on the way to becoming the important port
it is today. It became a part of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh when
it was formed in 1956.
There’s no denying it: Visakhapatnam is hardly a tourist hot spot.
Most of its visitors are on business travel. There are few remarkable ‘sights’
but Dolphin’s Nose is as picturesque a place as the name implies. A
rock promontory that juts out over the Bay of Bengal is open to visitors
from 3 to 5 in the evening.
The 11th century Vishnu Temple on Simhachalam Hill is 16 kilometres from
the city and worth a visit. The other place worthy of a special trip is
the Araku/Borra Caves. The state tourism department conducts a daylong trip
on weekends. The finest beach is the Rishikonda, a little outside town in
the northeast direction. Far from the noisy port area, it is clean, serene
and really gorgeous.
The Visakhapatnam Zoo is among the most animal friendly in India. They don’t
have cages but enclosures that simulate the natural habitat of the inmates.
Vishakhapatnam Tourism Reservation Form
