Vijayawada earlier known as Bezawada, is the third largest city in
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , abbreviated A.P., is a state situated on the south-eastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, located on the banks of the
Krishna RiverThe Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India .-Course:...
and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. Vijayawada literally translates to "The Place of Victory". Its prominence as a major trading and business center has earned it the title of the "Business Capital of Andhra Pradesh”. Situated along the Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Delhi Railway route, this is the 3rd largest railway junction in the world. The city is located in the
Krishna DistrictKrishna District is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. It is named after the Krishna River which flows through the district. It has a population of 4,187,841 of which 32.08% is urban as of 2001....
, about from the state capital Hyderabad. Lying in the rich coastal delta of the state, the cuisine of Vijayawada is spicy and deliciously varied.
History
The discovery of Stone Age Artifacts remains along the banks of the river from
MachilipatnamMachilipatnam is a city and a special grade municipality in the Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The town has existed since the 3rd century BCE when, according to Ptolemy, it was known as Maisolos. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea calls it Masalia in the 1st century CE. The port is...
to
Nagarjuna SagarNagarjuna Sagar is an important Buddhist site, patronised by the rulers of the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty in the 3rd century, now a tourist attraction located 150 km from Hyderabad, ....
indicates that this area was inhabited at that time.
Vijayawada is also a centre of Andhra Politics, and is a business center. The Chalukyas of Kalyan once conquered this place, and the famous Chinese
XuanzangXuanzang [602/603? - 664 CE] was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator that brought up the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period....
(Hsuan-tsang) had visited this place in 639 AD when Buddhism was at its zenith in the region. Kings Choda Gangadeva and Ananga Bhimadeva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 12th century whose capital was in modern
BhubaneswarBhubaneswar is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Orissa. Once the capital of ancient Kalinga, the city has a long history of 3000 years and is today a center of economic and religious importance...
and who built the
Lingaraj templeLingaraaj Temple is a temple of the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of the Temple City Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Orissa....
had re-annexed considerable part of modern Andhra region and marched up to Godavari but could not cross the wide river bed. He established a town 'Vijaya Bahuda' which means 'return after winning' which became known as Vijayawada.
During the British Raj the city experienced significant growth. In particular, the completion of the Prakasam Barrage in 1959, and railway bridge on the Krishna River have helped the region expand its agriculture and commercial base. Vijayawada Railway station is one of the busiest railway junctions in India. The regions around the city have fertile soil and are irrigated by the river Krishna.
Etymology
- A legend narrates that during Dwapara Yuga, Arjuna
Arjuna, Arjun or Arjunaa is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' , was such a peerless archer that he is often referred to as Jishnu - the undefeatable...
(the Pandava prince in the Hindu epic MahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . The epic is part of the Hindu itihāsa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
) performed penance for Lord Shiva's Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine," e.g., of a god or a very holy person or artifact...
, to gain Pasupathashtra in this location. Lord Shiva, along with Parvathi, appeared in the form of a tribal couple and blessed Arjuna.
- Another legend states that Durga
In Hinduism, the Goddess Durga or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress"...
(the Hindu Goddess) rested here after killing a RakshasaA Rakshasa or alternately rakshas, is a demon or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Rakshasas are also called man-eaters or cannibals...
(demon) and since she was victorious (Vijaya), the place got its name, Vijayawada.
- Another legend states that this place was known as Vijaya-vatica, which translates to "Land of Victory" but this became "Vijayawada" over the ages.
- Another legend states that "Krishnaveni" (River Krishna) requested Arjuna to make a passage to the Bay of Bengal. Arjuna made a hole (Bezzam) through the mountains. Hence the name Bejjamwada came into existence. Bejjamwada became Bezawada over a period of time. In the 19th century, Bezawada was renamed as Vijayawada.
Geography
Vijayawada is bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the west and the Budameru River on the north. The Northern, North-Western, and South-Western parts of the city are covered by a low range of hills, while the Central, South-Western and North-Western parts are covered by rich and fertile agriculture lands with three major irrigation canals. The
topographyTopography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of Vijayawada is flat, with a few small to medium sized hills. The
Krishna RiverThe Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India .-Course:...
runs through the city. These hills are part of the
Eastern GhatsThe Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south. They are eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari,...
cut through by the Krishna river. They have very low elevation compared to the average elevation of the ghats. Three canals originating from the north side of the
Prakasham barrageThe impressive structure of the Prakasam Barrage stretches 1223.5 meter long across the Krishna River. The barrage serves also as a road bridge and spans over a panoramic lake. The three canals associated with the barrage, run through the city of Vijayawada criss crossing it and giving it a...
reservoir, Eluru, Bandar and Ryves, run through the city. Vijayawada is the only city in the world with two rivers, Krishna,
BudameruBudameru is a river in Krishna district which originates in the hills surrounding Mylavaram and empties itself into Kolleru Lake.Budameru is also known as sorrow of vijayawada.It forms the northern border of the city....
, and three canals.
Buckingham CanalThe Buckingham Canal is a 420 km long salt water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from the vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
originates from the south side of the reservoir. Due to the presence of the
Krishna riverThe Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India .-Course:...
the soil around here is very fertile and cultivated intensively.
The climate is tropical, with hot summers and moderate winters. The peak temperature reaches in May-June, while the winter temperature is 20-27 C. The average humidity is 78% and the average annual rainfall is 103 cm. Vijayawada gets its rainfall from both the south-west
monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
and north-east
monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
. It's nicknamed "Bezawada" for its scorching summer heat by the Britishers.
Kondapalli Forest
About 11 km from the western outskirts of Vijayawada lies the Kondapalli reserve forest, spread over . The forest provides Vijayawada with a "green lung". This pristine forest is home to leopards, wild dogs, jackals, wild boar, wolves etc. hills produce a soft wood is used for preparing toys of Kondapalli. They are of varied designs such as dancing toys, playing toys and so on.
There are several processes involved in the making of Kondapalli Toys. In fact it is very interesting to watch these beautiful toys being made. The craftsmen first carve the Puniki wood to give it the shape of a toy. One is amazed to learn that this white colored wood is specially grown in and around the village of Kondapalli for producing the Kondapalli Toys. The wood is stuffed with sawdust and tamarind seed paste.
When the right shape has been given by chipping the surface, the toys are painted. The Kondapalli Toys which are made for the international markets are painted with the traditional vegetable dyes. If the Kondapalli Toys are made for the domestic market, oil paints are generally used and if they are being made for a special occasion then enamel paints are used. The colored toys look very beautiful and no one can resist the temptation to purchase one or two as ornamental pieces.
Demographics
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh after Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. According to 2009 census, the estimated population of the city is 2,051,282(agglomeration 2,539,518).
Civic Administration
The city of Vijayawada is run by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation .The Municipality of Vijayawada (Bezawada) was constituted on 1st APR, 1888 and was upgraded as a selection grade municipality in the year 1960. The municipality was upgraded to a corporation in 1981. With the merger of Gunadala, Patamata and Bhavanipuram village panchayats and two villages payakapuram and Kundavari kandrika in the corporation in 1985. More than 200000 people in metro reside outside corporation limits. Many areas on outskirts or yet to be merged into corporation limits. The total area of the corporation is .
The city is divided into 59 political wards. An elected body headed by the Mayor performs the Administration of the Corporation. The Commissioner acts as the executive head, and oversees the day to day functioning of the local body. The commissioner who is a (IAS) officer of Joint collector rank is appointed by the state government. It has a dedicated Sub-Collector's office for Administration of State and Central Government Programmes. The staff strength of the corporation is just over 5,000. The Vijayawada City Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is an
Indian Police ServiceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India; other two being the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Forest Service...
(IPS) officer of DIG rank.
Economy
The region around the city has fertile soil and irrigation is supported by the river Krishna and its canals. Major crops include
sugarcaneSugarcane, or sugar cane, is any of six to thirty-seven species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six meters tall...
,
RiceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
and
MangoMangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent...
. Vijayawada is famous for
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
body building, garment,
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
and
hardwareHardware is a general term for the physical artifacts of a technology. It may also mean the physical components of a computer system, in the form of computer hardware....
small scale industries. Small scale automotive industries 'Jawahar Autonagar', was the largest automobile township in
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
for sometime. The main markets are situated in the old city (formerly called One Town) and near Besant Road. It is estimated that nearly
INR- Codes :INR is:* the ISO 4217 currency code of the Indian rupee* the FAA location identifier of the McKinley National Park Airport, McKinley Park CDP, Denali Borough, Alaska, United States* the ICAO airline identifier of Inter Air, Sweden- Organizations :...
10 crores of garment business takes place in the Vastralatha building alone in the One Town on a daily basis. Garments are mainly sold in Besant Road and Governor Pet, but now this activity is also happening in the malls that have come up in Labbipet and M.G. Road areas. The city has many wholesale businesses. They include garments, iron market, pulses, cereals, and other edible products, fancy markets, fertilizers,
mangoMangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent...
exports, pharmacy,
metalA metal is a chemical element that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat, forms cations and ionic bonds with non-metals. In chemistry, a metal is an element, compound, or alloy characterized by high electrical conductivity. In a metal, atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions...
and so on. The city is one of the busiest and crowded places due to its strong commercial hold in the entire state.
Vijayawada is called the 'Commerce Hub' of the Andhra state, for it provides the right environ for all the agricultural and industrial goods to be transported in/out and traded in one single place.
Vijayawada is the busiest railway junction in
South IndiaSouth India, also known as the Dravida in the Indian anthem, is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of area...
, and is the second biggest junction in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. The fact that Vijayawada is well connected through railways keeps it the main
hubHub means the center of a wheel. By analogy, it generally means 'center' or 'important place', and may refer to: -Technical meanings:* Wheel hub motor, electric motor incorporated into a hub of a wheel* Bicycle hub, the central part of a bicycle wheel...
of commercial activities.
Information Technology
The city has a strong educational infrastructure but the IT industry is yet to grow. There are about 32 IT firms in Vijayawada, which generated revenues of approximately Rs.56 crores (Rs 56,00,00,000) in 2007-2008 fiscal year. Some of the IT companies here are Efftronics, PB Systems, Gapvak technologies and The UX Group. The APIIC is setting up an IT park/SEZ at Gannavaram, 20 km from the city, next to the airport, to facilitate the growth of the IT industry in this region. The construction firm, L&T, was awarded the contract for developing this IT park with a budget of Rs 300 crores. The IT park can facilitate employment of up to 10,000 IT professionals. Another IT park with an area of is being set up by VGTM-UDA in Mangalagiri.
Transport
Vijayawada is an important link connecting the three regions of Andhra Pradesh and is a major transit point. Two National Highways, the NH-5 from
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
to
Kolkata, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...
and the NH-9 from
MachilipatnamMachilipatnam is a city and a special grade municipality in the Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The town has existed since the 3rd century BCE when, according to Ptolemy, it was known as Maisolos. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea calls it Masalia in the 1st century CE. The port is...
to
MumbaiMumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper is the most-populous in the world, with approximately 14 million inhabitants. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms the world's 4th largest urban agglomeration, with around...
pass through the city connecting it to other parts of the country. Another National highway 221 connects the city to Jagdalpur in Madhya Pradesh state. It is connected to other areas of the state, by state highways and district roads.
Air
The domestic airport located at
GannavaramGannavaram is a town and a Mandal headquarter located in krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, India, twenty kilometers from the city of Vijayawada on National Highway number 5 connecting Chennai to Kolkata...
, about 20 km, from the city connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad,
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
,
BangaloreBangalore , also known as Bengaḷūru , is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.Though historical references to the city predate 900...
,
RajahmundryRajahmundry is a city and a municipal corporation in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh state in India. Located on the banks of the River Godavari, it is the fifth largest city in Andhra Pradesh. It is known as the Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh since it has a rich cultural past...
and
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
.
Air DeccanKingfisher Red, known formerly as Simplifly Deccan and prior to that as Air Deccan, is a low-cost airline run by Kingfisher Airlines. It is headquartered in Bangalore, India....
(now Kingfisher Red), and
KingfisherKingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
Airlines operate flights from here.
Rail
Situated along the Chennai - Howrah and Chennai -
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
rail route,
Vijayawada JunctionThe Vijayawada Junction railway station is the major railway junction in Indian Railways serving the city of Vijayawada,Andhra Pradesh. The station falls under the South Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways...
is the 3rd biggest railway junction in the world and is the largest on the
South Central RailwayThe South Central Railway is one of the 16 railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Secunderabad and has the following divisions: Reorganized Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Guntakal , Vijayawada, Guntur and Nanded...
network. Vijayawada junction had been given A-1 status by the central government. Krishna canal junction, Madhuranagar, Gunadala, Rayanapadu, Kondapalli,
NidamanuruNidamanuru is a village in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a suburb located close to the Vijayawada city about a distance of 14 km on National Highway 5 . It is few kms distance from the Vijayawada Airport at Gannavaram...
, Gannavaram, Mustabada and Ramavarappadu are the other railway stations in the city. Vijayawada is the busiest railway junction in South India, and is second biggest junction in India. It has 10 platforms.It is the only railway station in south India that has escalators.
Road
Vijayawada is well connected to the rest of the country by National Highways: NH-5 and NH-9. Good motorways connect Vijayawada to all places within the state and also with major cities in India. Transport by road from Vijayawada to all the places of interest is available in the form of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses.
There are many buses that run between Vijayawada and Hyderabad 24 hours-a-day and
365 days-a-year, unlike the rest of transportation in the state.
Local commute within the city is a breeze as all major streets are connected with the Local Public Bus Transit (City Buses) operated by APSRTC. Motor driven (auto) rickshaws and manual driven (cycle) rickshaws are the other alternative means of transport within Vijayawada. Private lorries (trucks), cars and two-wheelers (motorcycles and scooters) abound as well. Public and private bus operators provide transport services to various parts of the country.
Vijayawada also has one of the biggest bus terminals in the country,
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Bus Station[PNBS] in Vijayawada is the second biggest Bus Stations in Asia after
CMBT in Chennai and is a major transit point. It was inaugurated on 23 September 1990 and was called
Telugu Satavahana Prayana Pranganam. Vijayawada is also called the
City that never sleeps with reference to its busy railway junction.
Culture
There are business groups like the
SindhiSindhi may refer to more than one article:*the Sindhi people, an ethnic group from the Sindh region in Pakistan.*the Sindhi language, an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Sindhi people.*a resident of Sindh province of Pakistan-See also:*Sindhu Kingdom...
and the
RajasthaniRajasthani is an adjective formed from the proper-noun Rajasthan.It can refer to:* Rajasthani language* Rajasthani architecture* Rajasthani cuisine* Rajasthani music...
in the city. They are concentrated in One-Town, the old town-nucleus. There are
TamilTamil people , are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil , with a recorded history going back two millennia. Emigrant communities are found across the world...
s and Malayaleess. There is a Tamil association operating here.Similarly the Malayalees too have got their cultural organizations in Vijayawada. A few students of
TibetanTibetan can refer to:*Of or relating to Tibet*Tibetan people, an ethnic group*Standard Tibetan language*Tibetan script, a writing system*Tibetan art*Music of Tibet*Tibetan culture*Tibetan food*Tibetan Spaniel dog breed*Tibetan Mastiff dog breed...
and Nepalese origin come to the city to study here. There a even many Nepal students studying in andhra loyola college,vja.
Education
Vijayawada, also called as "Vidyala wada" (Place of Education), occupies a large amount of the educational infrastructure of Andhra Pradesh. The city was named as "The Educational Sahara" by a foreign ambassador earlier during the century.
Education in the city is implemented by both the government and the private institutions. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation takes care of the government educational institutions.
Following are statistics of government schools:
- High Schools: 22(Including 1 Urdu
Urdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the two official languages of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of five Indian states...
Medium, 2 Schools both EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
& Telugu Media)
- Upper Primary Schools: 15 (Including Urdu Media) ( 3 Urdu Media)
- Elementary Schools: 52+10= 62 (10 Urdu Media, 2 English Media)
- Students: 30,000
- Teachers: 700
There are also “aided” schools in Vijayawada, meaning schools with both government and private partnerships as well, such as the Gollapudi high-school. Government schools are located at different places like the Jammichettu center, the Patamata high-school and Suryarao Peta, to name a few. Private schools are scattered all over the city. A majority of them implement the Andhra Pradesh State Syllabus for their students.The students, after studying their 10th class, take the Public Examination, which is equivalent of the school-leaving certificate. There are only a few schools accredited to the Central Board of Secondary Education in the city-meaning their class Ten students have to take the All India Secondary School Examination(AISSE) for their school-leaving certificate.
The first college built in Vijayawada was SRR & CVR college, almost 7 years before Andhra Loyola college was built. Siddhartha Academy has 18 colleges under its management in various disciplines like Arts, Science, commerce, management, law, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy catering etc.
Andhra Loyola CollegeAndhra Loyola College is a Jesuit educational institution founded in 1954. It is located in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India.-History:...
was established on a plot in the year 1953 (classes commenced on July 22, 1954) with Rev. Francis Theo Mathias, SJ, (now, Emeritus Professor, Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur) as its first Principal. The college was affiliated to Andhra University till December 1976 and to Nagarjuna University thereafter.When any person going by flight we can see the letters of loyola building built like that. KBN College is another popular college in Vijayawada. This aided college offers Intermediate, Graduation and Post Graduation courses in many disciplines. Also NIMRA Educational Institutions offers professional Education Services to the students. The college is located in outskirts of Vijayawada near Ibrahimpatnam. The first private engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, V R Siddhartha Engineering College, is located here. The South Indian branch of the School of Architecture and Planning has been allocated to Vijayawada.
The NTR University of Health sciences is the first medical university in India. It is a public university in the city of Vijayawada. It was first named as the "University of Health Sciences" and started functioning from 1 November 1986. After the death of its founder Sri N.T. Rama Rao, the university was renamed after him as "NTR University of Health Sciences", Andhra Pradesh with effect from 2.2.98.
Politics
Vijayawada is known as the political capital of Andhra Pradesh.Factionisam prevails here with lot of voilance, politically very active. The major political parties here are
Telugu Desam PartyTelugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N.T. Rama Rao on March 29 1982. Mr...
,
Indian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is a major political party in India. Founded in 1885 by Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Monomohun Ghose, and William Wedderburn, the Indian National Congress became the leader of the Indian...
, and the
Communist Party of India (Marxist)The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2008, CPI is leading the state governments in these three states. The party emerged out of a split from the Communist Party of India in 1964...
.
Lok SattaLok Satta is a non-partisan movement for democratic reforms in the country of India, led by Dr. Nagabhairava Jayaprakash Narayan, a former I. A. S. officer and renowned people's activist from Andhra Pradesh, India.- Introduction :...
and Praja Rajyam are relatively new parties. Earlier it was a strong center for Congress (I) and Communist Part of India (Marxist). With the entry of
Telugu Desam PartyTelugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N.T. Rama Rao on March 29 1982. Mr...
, the scenario has changed. After
Lok SattaLok Satta is a non-partisan movement for democratic reforms in the country of India, led by Dr. Nagabhairava Jayaprakash Narayan, a former I. A. S. officer and renowned people's activist from Andhra Pradesh, India.- Introduction :...
and Praja Rajyam parties entered the political scene, the political equations in Vijayawada changed yet again.
Vijayawada has three main assembly constituencies namely Vijayawada West,Vijayawada Central and Vijayawada East. Parts of the city are also present in Penamaluru, Mylavaram and Gannavaram assembly constituencies. Vijayawada has one
Lok SabhaThe Lok Sabha is the directly elected lower house of the Parliament of India. As of 2009 there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
seat.
Hotels and Movie Theatres
The
City of Victory is also well-known for its hotels and movie theatres. The star hotels of the city include The Gateway Hotel, Hotel Fortune Murali Park, Hotel Manorama, Hotel D.V.Manor, Hotel Mamata which are situated on M.G.Road, Hotel Ilapuram in Gandhinagar and Hotel Swarna Palace on Karl Marx Road.The Cross roads family restaurant is also very famous which is situated on the busiest besant road.
There are many movie theaters in and around Vijayawada. The Gandhi nagar area has some of the best movie theaters in the city. It is located very close to the railway station. Some of the theaters include INOX, Alankar, Swarna Palace, Venkateswara Palace, Annapurna, Sakuntala, Apsara, Raj and Yuvaraj.There are 25 new multiplex screens about to come in Vijayawada.Some of them have already started construction.One of the biggest multiplex chains coming in Vijayawada is PVR cinemas.
Media
Vijayawada is an important commercial, political, and cultural center in Andhra Pradesh. The print & electronic media industries have a major presence here.
Print Media
English newspapers The Hindu, Deccan Chronicle, The New Indian Express and a large number of Telugu newspapers/magazines such as Eenadu, Andhra Jyothi, Sakshi, Andhra Bhoomi, Andhra Prabha, Surya, Visalandhra and Prajasakti have editions here.
Prominent journalists from this city include Mutnuri Krishna Rao, C Raghavachari, Moturi Hanumantha Rao, Turlapati Kutumba Rao, Nanduri Rammohana Rao, Garapati Upendra Babu,
Syed AkbarSyed Akbar is a senior Indian science, health and political journalist from Hyderabad. He is a specialist-journalist in science, technology, health, politics, environment, development, wildlife, religion, communities, and consumer affairs.He is one of the few Indian Muslim journalists whose...
, AM Khan Yazdani, Kasinaduni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, Khadar Mohiuddin, Muhammad Vazeeruddin, R Ramprasad, K Sriramulu and Kuchi Gopalakrishna.
Radio
The All India Radio(AIR) has one of its AIR stations here with three transmitters ( 100 KW MW; 1 kW MW VB and 1 kW FM (Int. set up)). The FM radio channels broadcast in the city include AIR Rainbow Krishnaveni FM (102.2 MHz),
Radio MirchiRadio Mirchi is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the Entertainment Network India Ltd , which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group....
FM (98.3 MHz) and SFM (93.5 MHz).
Daily 6.45am All India Radio vijayawada Regional News Unit broadcasting 10min State News. 10min Reginol News in afternoon from 1.20pm to 1.30pm which covers costal Andhra & Rayalasema. Koppula SubbaRao,the Senior News Reader in Telugu still working in Vijayawada AIR. Now he have 60yrs. Still his voice is so sweet.
Television
TelevisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
Telecasting in the city is carried out by two means: The Cable TV and the Direct-To-Home Satellite TV. C-Channel (Hathway cable & data com pvt ltd)., Sity Cable., Local Tv ., are presented in vijayawada. Late Mr. Ramakrishna., Founder of Master channel was the brain behind Cable TV Network in Vijayawada, as well as in AndhraPradesh.
Film and Literature
'Popular Film Personalities'
Many popular and successful film personalities hail from here. They include, N T Rama Rao, Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu, a discipline of Susarla Dhakshinamurti - Musician, Great musicians - Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, Balanthrapu Rajinikanthi Rao, Annavarapu Ramaswami, Pemmaraju Surya Rao.Dr.Kasinadhuni Viswanath, a legend in the field of Indian cinema hails from a village called Peddapulivarru, but settled in Vijayawada.Legendary lyricist, Veturi Sundaram Murthy, is a native of Peddakallepalli in Krishna district and has settled down in Vijayawada. 'Sirivennela' Seetharama Sastry - Popular Lyricist.
Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao from Diviseema is also associated with Vijayawada as a singer. Film dialogue writer and director, the late 'Hasya Brahma' Jandhyala, is a very popular figure.Popular Writer "Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy" is also from here.
Kota Srinivasa Rao - Versatile actor turned politician, Ravi Teja - actor, Rambha, Laya - Actress, Gundu Hanumatha Rao - Actor, Girija Sri Bhagawan - Writer, C. Kowsalendra Rao and Hari Gopalakrishna Murthy-Producers
'Writers and Social Workers'
Vijayawada is a spectrum of many a literary and social activities. Here live a number of noted contributors to literature and social ideology. To cite a few of them M.D. Dinesh Nair, a well noted lecturer in English who is one of the most popular poets in English on www.poemhunter.com lives in Vijayawada.
Print
Vijayawada is one of the earliest and still continuing
publishingPublishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information – the activity of making information available for public view...
centers in
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , abbreviated A.P., is a state situated on the south-eastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad...
. Vague estimates say about 90% of the total volume of books in the state are printed or published from here. The annual book festival has been quite popular with publishers from around the country participating here.
The Vijayawada Book Festival is organized every year and is second largest book festival in the country after Kolkata. This book exhibition starts on every new year day (January 1), and lasts for 10 days.
Sports
CricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
is the most popular sport, with National level cricket matches played at Indira Gandhi Stadium. A new international stadium is being built in a site in Mangalagiri which will replace the local stadium as the venue for international and Ranji matches.
BadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
,
ChessChess is a board game played between two players. The current form of the game emerged in Southern Europe during the second half of the 15th century after evolving from a similar, much older game of Indian origin...
and
Volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
are also popular. The latest fad seems to be Archery.
Famous sports personalities from Vijayawada include
- Weightlifting - Dandamudi Rajagopal - Participated in 1948 and 1956 Olympics, Played Bhima role in various hit movies like Narthanasala.
- Chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy
Humpy Koneru is a chess grandmaster from India. Her October 2007 FIDE Elo rating was 2606, placing her number two in the world for women , breaking the record of 2577 set by Susan Polgar for the second-highest ranked female player in Chess history and becoming the second female player ever, after...
, Harikrishna
- Badminton -Chetan Anand
Chetan Anand is considered by many to be one of the best male badminton players to come from India. Chetan Anand is the current highest ranked player from India in the world of badminton. He has the Arjuna Award to his name in the country.-Family:Chetan Anand was born on the 8 July, 1980 to Mr....
- Volleyball-Guttikonda Pradeep
Guttikonda Pradeep born on October 27,1983 is an Indian Volley Ball player. He is a member of the team that came runner's up in the U-19 world youth championship...
Religious
- Kanaka Durga Temple
Kanaka Durga Temple is a famous Hindu Temple of Goddess Kanaka Durga located in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is located on the Indrakeeladri hill, on the banks of Krishna River....
: One of the most popular temples in Andhra Pradesh, it is located on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the city as well as the River Krishna. One can either motor up the ghat road or take to the steps on foot. Inscriptions of different dynasties are found in the temple. During Dasara Festival, thousands of devotees from the city and its environs throng the temple after a holy dip in the River Krishna close by the temple.
- Gollapudi Ayyappaswami Temple: One of the most popular temples which was located in Gollapudi, Vijayawada.
- Old Sivaalayam Temple: One of the popular temples in Vijayawada which was located at Canal Road, Vijayawada.
- Machavaram Sri Hanuman Temple: One of the most popular temples in Vijayawada. Which was located in Elure Road., Nearby SRR & CVR GOVT College.
- Mangalagiri
Mangalagiri is a town, and a mandal of Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, India. Mangalagiri is a part of Vijayawada urban agglomeration. It is situated on thedfadf Guntur-Vijayawada road, to the south-east of Vijayawada and to the north-east of Guntur City...
: Located in GunturGuntur is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the capital, New Delhi. The city has an estimated population of 818,330 with an Urban Agglomeration of approximately...
DistrictGuntur District is located in Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of Bay of Bengal. The district has a coastline of around 100 kilometers. Guntur City is the largest city in the district and administrative center of Guntur District...
, 12 km from Vijayawada is the renowned temple of Lord Narasimha in Mangalagiri, on a hillock. The unique feature of this temple is that the mouth of the idol accepts half the quantity of panakam (jaggery dissolved in water) offered by devotees, irrespective of the size of the vessel.
- Amaravati
Amaravati may refer to:* Amaravathi, Surname/Family Name among the 'Kshatriya/Rajus' caste in Andhra Pradesh. They belong to the 'Atreya' Gotra. See Raju_surnames for more details.* Amaravathi, a 1993 Tamil language film....
: Amaravati in guntur district, formerly called as Dhanyakataka and Andhranagari, is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the country. Acharya Nagarjuna constructed the country's largest stupa here, 2,000 years back. Amaravati is considered the most sacred pilgrim center for Buddhists in South India. It also has an Amareswara temple.
- Hinkar Thirtha (Jain Temple), Mangalagiri: A Jain temple here with great artistic work, it is slated to be the biggest Jain temple in the region.
- Hazarat Bal Mosque: A holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed is kept here which is displayed once a year. A large number of non-Muslims too join the celebrations.
- Gunadala Matha Shrine: In 1925, Rf. Arlati, the Rector of St. Joseph's Orphanage at Gunadala, installed a statue of Our Lady and later a church was built and consecrated in 1971, now popularly known as St. Mary's church. Since then the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became an annual event here, attended by lakh's of people. The church is situated on a hillock on the eastern side of the city.
- Marakata Rajarajeswari Temple: Unique temple of goddess completely built with stone with intricate architecture symbolizing SRICHAKRA - the abode of mother Goddess.This temple is located in the premises of Sri Ganapati Sachidananda Swamy Ashram in Patamata. The ambience in the temple premises gives a pleasant and peaceful feel to the visitors.
- Subramanya Swamy Temple: One of the most popular temples in Vijayawada, it is located on a hill (Indrakeeladri) overlooking the city as well as the River Krishna. One can take to the steps on foot. During Skanda Shashti Festival, thousands of regular devotees will come from Tamil Nadu. This Temple is being maintained by Iddipilli Family.
- Sri Nagarala Sri Maha Lakshmi Ammavaru Temple: One of the most popular temples in Vijayawada, it is located in the area of Chiitinagar. During Dasara Festival, thousands of devotees from the city visit this temple. It is maintained by the Nagaralu community.
- Chilakalapudi Panduranga Swamy Temple: One of the most popular temples Nearby Vijayawada. It was situated in Machilipatnam the district headquarters & 70km from Vijayawada. Here The God Vishnu called as Panduranga Swamy. Here The Statue of Panduranga Swamy is as same as look like in Pandaripuram MAHARASTRA.
Others
- Prakasham Barrage
The impressive structure of the Prakasam Barrage stretches 1223.5 meter long across the Krishna River. The barrage serves also as a road bridge and spans over a panoramic lake. The three canals associated with the barrage, run through the city of Vijayawada criss crossing it and giving it a...
: Built across the river Krishna connecting GunturGuntur is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the capital, New Delhi. The city has an estimated population of 818,330 with an Urban Agglomeration of approximately...
DistrictGuntur District is located in Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of Bay of Bengal. The district has a coastline of around 100 kilometers. Guntur City is the largest city in the district and administrative center of Guntur District...
, Prakasham BarrageThe impressive structure of the Prakasam Barrage stretches 1223.5 meter long across the Krishna River. The barrage serves also as a road bridge and spans over a panoramic lake. The three canals associated with the barrage, run through the city of Vijayawada criss crossing it and giving it a...
has created a panoramic lake. Its three canals that run through the city give Vijayawada a Venetian (VeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto, a population of 271,367 . Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area . The city historically was an independent nation...
) look.
- Manginapudi Beach: Located about 70 km from Vijayawada.
- Undavalli caves
The Undavalli Caves, and example of Indian rock-cut architecture are located in the village of Undavalli in Guntur District, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India....
: Located in Guntur district, five kilometres from Vijayawada, these caves are said to have been carved in the 7th century A.D. Buddhist monks used this two-storeyed cave structure as a rest house during the monsoon. A huge monolith of Lord Buddha in a reclining posture is a magnificent sight here.
- Rajiv Gandhi Park: Created by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation with great care, this park welcomes tourists at the entrance of the city with its impressive horticultural network. A mini zoo and a musical water fountain are added attractions.
- Gandhi Hill: The first Gandhi Memorial with seven stupas in the country was constructed on this hill at a height of . The stupa was unveiled on 6 October 1968 by Dr. Zakir Hussain, then President of India. Gandhi Memorial Library, a Sound and Light Show on Mahatma Gandhi's life and a planetarium are the other attractions. Gandhi Hill is open to the public every day between 4pm and 8.30pm except on Tuesdays. The Planetarium show runs everyday at 6.30pm except on Tuesdays. There is also a toy train on top of the Gandhi Hill that goes around the hill and gives a bird's eye view of the entire city.
- Victoria Museum: A place for archaeology lovers, Victoria Museum has a carefully preserved collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery and inscriptions.
- Mogalarajapuram Caves: These caves are said to have been excavated in the 5th century A.D. The caves are reputed to be the first of their kind in South India. The idols of the Hindu Gods Nataraja, Vinayaka and Arthanareeswara are carved here, but none of the statues are available here.
- Bhavani Island: Perhaps one of the largest islands on a river, Bhavani Island is located on the Krishna River close to the city. AP Tourism is converting this 133 acre (54 hectare) island into an attractive tourist spot and a River Front Resort. The island currently has some cottages to stay in and some good adventure and fun sports. Journey to the island by boat is very pleasant.
- Kondapalli Fort
Kondapalli is an Industrial town near Vijayawada city, Andhra Pradesh, India with population of nearly 38000. It is 16 km by road from Vijayawada on National Highway 221 and on Hyderabad –Vijayawada railway line.....
: Kondapalli village is situated from Vijayawada. A 7th century fort on the hill with an impressive three storeyed rock tower was witness to the glory of many dynasties. This fort was built by King Krishna Deva Raya. It served as a business centre. Finally the fort was used as a military training base by the British rulers. A good picnic spot, the village is famous for toy making with light-weight wood available on the hill forest. These toys are famous the world-over as "Kondapalli toys".
- Haritha Berm Park: Haritha Berm Park which is also known as the Punnami Beach Resort, is located quite close to the Prakasm Barrage. The resort has both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned boats and organizes a trip every evening across the river and around the Bhavani island. The trip lasts around one hour and is really enjoyable.
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