History Of Visakhapatnam
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HistoryCradled between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, Visakhapatnam boasts of a deep-rooted cultural and religious heritage. Its rich natural beauty and splendour have attracted people from within India and abroad over the ages. The earliest mentions of Visakhapatnam are found in the Mahabharata and Ramayana. In the Mahabharata, the location where Bheema vanquished the demon Bakasura is believed to be Uppalam, a village located merely 25 miles away from the city.
A stone structure which is believed to be Bheema’s club is frequented by believers to this day. In the Ramayana, it is believed that Rama travelled through the Eastern Ghats in search of Sita who was abducted by Ravana, and met his devotee, Shabari, who directed him to Hanuman’s abode. It is also believed that it was here that Rama met Jambavan, who later assisted him in his battle against Ravana.
Many dynasties have ruled Visakhapatnam over the centuries, including the Kalinga dynasty, the Andhra Rulers of Vengi, the Chanakyas, the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Rajahmundry Reddy Kings, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, and later the Mughals.
Buddhism flourished as a religion in this region during the Kalinga Dynasty. The proof of this lies in the excavated buddhist monuments belonging to the second century A.D. in Thotla Konda, Bojjanna Konda, Bhavi Konda and Salihundam around Visakhapatnam. In one of these buddhist excavation sites, among other things, a piece of bone believed to be Lord Buddha’s was recovered. Visakhapatnam has been mentioned in Hindu and Buddhist texts from the 5th and 6th centuries BC. It has also been mentioned by Sanskrit grammarians, Panini and Katyayana in 4th century BC.
There are two very interesting legends about how Visakhapatnam came to named so. The more popular theory of the two is that a King (9 - 11th century AD) on his way to Benaras rested here for a while. He was completely taken in by the natural beauty that surrounded him and ordered a temple to be built in honour of Visakha, his family deity. Visakha is the God of Valour and also the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. The other theory is that the city is named after Vaisakhi, a Buddhist monk who propagated Buddhism in this region.
In the British Era, Visakhapatnam immediately caught the attention of the East India Company owing to its natural harbour, one of the very few in the world. They set up factories here and named the city Vizagapatnam. To this day Visakhapatnam is also known as Vizag. The East India Company, and later European merchants, the French, and the Dutch, used this natural harbour to export muslin, tobacco, indigo, ivory and other products.
The Dutch had established colonies in and around Visakhapatnam in the 17th Century. The ruins of a fort, armoury and cemetery built by the Dutch are till today present at Bheemli, a sea-side town located 24 kilometers away from Visakhapatnam. The famous Visakha Museum on R.K.Beach Road is housed in a hundred and fifty year old Dutch bungalow.
In the 18th century, a region of Coastal Andhra known as the Northern Circars came first under French control and later that of the British. After India's independence Visakhapatnam was the biggest district in the country and hence was divided into the three districts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Visakhapatnam.
Visakhapatnam has always been embroiled in military activity even as far back as the battle of Kalinga. The city was targetted by enemy nations druing World War II, the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the Bangladesh Liberation War. During World War II, India was part of the British Empire and was hence attacked by the Japanese. The shell of an unexploded bomb dropped on Visakhapatnam by the Japanese during World War II is housed till today at the Visakha Museum. Pakistan sent PNS Ghazi, a submarine to destroy India’s only aircraft carrier, which was housed in Visakhapatnam. The submarine sank following a retaliatory attack by India’s destroyer, INS Rajput. Today, the remnants of the sunken submarine are housed as a tourist attraction on R.K.Beach Road. Also on the Beach Road is the Victory at Sea memorial commemorating India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971. Owing to it’s strategic importance, the Eastern Naval Command was set in Visakhapatnam.
Alongwith becoming a busy tourist hub owing to its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, Visakhapatnam has grown into a high-voltage economic zone following the growth of industeries such as the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels, Hindustan Zinc, Visakha Oil Refinery, Port Trust, Hindustan Ship Building Yard Ltd., Coromandel Fertilisers, Hindustan Polymers and more recently IT biggies such as Satyam Computers, IBM and Wipro Technologies.
Visakhapatnam is very aptly titled the ‘City of Destiny’ as people from all parts of the country came to Visakhapatnam over the years to make a living in one of its many industries and have eventually fallen in love with the city and making it their home for generations to come.
