| Visakhapatnam
was named after the God of valor, Visakha. Once a small fishing village, it formed part of
the Kalinga empire, under Ashoka in 260 BC, passing successively from the Andhra kings of
vengi to the Pallavas, Cholas and Gangas. In the 15th century, Visakhapatnam became part of the Vijayanagar empire. It was transformed into a port town under the British. Now a bustling industrial and commercial city, it is the site of the country's largest shipbuilding yard. The most famous landmarks at Visakhapatnam are the Dolphin's Nose,Ramakrishna Beach and Rishikonda another beach.
6.4 km the
nation's biggest ship building yard is located at Gandhigram at Visakhapatnam. The ship
yard has four berths, each 167.6 meters long a good educational and entertaining visit.
Visiting days are Monday to Saturday between 4 p.m and 6 p.m.
The port was
opened to ocean going vessels in 1933. Mineral resources like Manganese and Iron ores are
stored and shipped to foreign countries. Visiting hours : Tuesday to Thursday, between 4
p.m. and 6 p.m.
Situated 8 km from Visakhapatnam, the Refinery is situated here on account of the advantageous position of the harbor. Visiting days : Monday and Friday, between 1.30 p.m. and 3.00 p.m.
A bold headland 174 metres
high and 358 metres above sea level in the southern part of Visakhapatnam breaks the
coastline and is so called because its shape resembles a dolphin.
4 km from Visakhapatnam. The massive stone buildings of the Andhra University on the uplands of Visakhapatnam were opened in 1926.
5 km from Visakhapatnam. A mount in the Eastern Ghats was cut into three and they house the following places of worship.
The highest mount, named after Mr. Ross, local authority, who built a house on it in 1864. This was later converted into a Roman Catholic Chapel and named 'Our Lady of the Sacred Heart'.
There is a mosque and a shrine of a Muslim sage Iashaque Madina, who was revered for his prophecies.
The temple was built by Captain Blackmoor in 1886, according to the Telugu inscriptions.
The Ramakrishna Beach,
the Rishikonda Beach and the Lawsons bay are a great attraction for
tourists. Other places of interest are VUDA Park, Indra Gandhi Zoological Park and the
Aquarium.
Araku valley is about 115 km from Visakhapatnam. The valley is situated at an altitude of 915 mts above sea level.The journey to valley on ghat roads with thick forests on either side is in itself exhilarating.The araku valley with bracing climate and anathagiri hills,which presents an enchanting view. |
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24 km from Visakhapatnam, located at the
mouth of river Gosthani. Once a Dutch settlement the ruins of a fort and cemetery are
still seen. The beach is one of the safest for swimmers. The road between Visakhapatnam
and Bheemunipatnam is exhilarating. |
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| Flights available from Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar and Calcutta. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Visakhapatnam is well connected with all important cities of India by rail through the Visakhapatnam (Waltair) railway junction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flights available from Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar and Calcutta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
16 km. from Visakhapatnam is Simhachalam,
the 'Hill of the Lion', famous for its 11th century hilltop temple of Lord Narasimha. The
deity is always covered with sandalwood paste, giving it the appearance of a sandalwood
Shiva Linga. During the Chandanayatra festival celebrated here with great pomp in
March-April, the real shape of the deity can be seen. |
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| Simhachalam is easily accessible from Visakhapatnam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The nearest railhead is Visakhapatnam at a distance of 16 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The nearest airport to Simhachalam is Visakhapatnam at a distance of 16 km. |
