FEATURES

Population : Approx. 12 Lakhs
Altitude : 15 feet above sea level
Best Season : August  to October  and January  to  March
Clothing : Tropical in summers and light woolens in the winter
Languages Spoken : Telugu, Hindi ,English

HISTORICAL VISAKHAPATNAM

Visakahapatnam , the port city is the jewel on the east coast of India. The City is a harmonious blend of the magical past and the bustling present with a breath taking panorama of golden beaches, lush green fields, verdant valleys and splendid monuments from a rich historical and religious heritage.

      Matchless in beauty and landscape, Visakahapatnam is said to have derived its name from the deity 'Visaka' ( the God of Valour). The history of the town can be traced back to Ashoka the Great(272-232 B.C) when this was a small fishing village of the Kalinga Empire. Later on this port town successively passed from the Andhra Kings of Vengi to the Pallavas, Cholas and the Gangas and then later in the 15^th century Visakhapatnam became a part of the Vijaya Nagar Empire. The British took charge of this beautiful land and transformed this town into a busy and flourishing port town

    Visakahapatnam has always been an important location on the map of the country, right from the ancient times, especially during the British Rule. The city the was the target of the envying Japanese during World War II. The Pakistanis attacked the city during the Indo Pak war in 1972, fortunately there was no damage to the city.Visakahapatnam is the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command  of the Indian Navy.

       The city is also experiencing a boom in   tourism, as the city is endowed with unpolluted beautiful beaches, stunning scenic   landscape, rich cultural heritage and it has tremendous business potential. The three majestic rocky ranges-The Kailasha Hill, The Porupalam Hill , The Yarada Hill form an excellent backdrop and enhances the charm of this beautiful port city. As one enters the harbour, the three magnificent hills instantly catch  our attention as they exhibit the secular flavour of the town. Each one of them is adorned with a place of worship. A Roman Catholic Church perches atop the Kanyamarykonda( Ross Hill), the Durga Konda has a shrine of a Muslim saint Ishaque Madina, while a temple nestles over the Venkateswarakonda.

INDUSTRIAL VISAKHAPATNAM

Visakhapatnam, the industrial hub has a lot to its credit. If it were not for the port of Vizag which was opened way back in the October of 1933, Vizag would still be a sleepy fishing village. The port of Visakhapatnam handled about 35.65 MT of cargo this year. This happens to be the maximum amount handled in the country. Now this port promises to become one of  Asia's major ports by the 21st century.

• The opening of the Shipyard in the early 40's by Seth Walachand Hirachand laid the early foundation for industrialisation in Visakahapatnam. This later became nationalised and  renamed as Hindustan Shipyard Limited.

• Next we have the opening of the 60,000 tpa oil refinery by Caltex. This too was nationalised and renamed as Hindustan Petro Chemicals Limited.HPCL now operates a 4.5 mtpa refinery.

• Wholly Government owned Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels(B.H.P.V) enjoyed a sunny harvest during its inception in the early 70's and 80's, but later lost out to more eager and competitive rivals like Larsen & Toubro, Tata etc.

• By far and large the biggest Industrial investment in Visakhapatnam is the Rs8529 crore Steel Plant which became operational in 1981, though the foundation stone was laid in 1971.

  The Export Processing Zones have a good infrastructure for software exporters.

   Other important industries include

• Hindustan Zinc
• Visakha Oil Refinery
• Port trust
• Coramandel Fertilisers
• LG Polymers
• Dredging Corporation Of India

  Power Projects

• 'Navratna' National  Thermal Power Corporation- With a 1000 MW plant
• Hindujas with a 1040 Thermal Plant
• Simhadri Thermal Power Project is well under way
• Another Hinduja  Project is to start later this year.