Visakhapatnam also called as Vaishakhapuram  is a major port city on the south east coast of India. It is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. It is located 625 kilometers east of the state capital Hyderabad. Visakhapatnam is home to several state-owned heavy industries, a major steel plant, and has one of India's largest sea ports and its oldest shipyard. It has the only natural harbor on the east coast of India. Visakhapatnam was named after Visakha, the Hindu god of valor. The city is nestled among the hills of the Eastern Ghats and faces the Bay of Bengal to the east.

It is the administrative headquarters of Visakhapatnam district and is also headquarters to the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. Visakhapatnam is often referred to as The City of Destiny and more recently also as the Goa of the East Coast. Just like its west coast counterpart, it offers attractive beaches, laterite hillocks, and a dramatic landscape. It is also the focus of rapid urban and tourist development. Visakhapatnam is predominantly Telugu speaking. The Telugu spoken by the middle classes is a standard dialect, while a significant population who have settled down in the city from the adjoining villages and neighboring districts of East Godavari, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam speak Uttarandhra Mandalikam dialects.

Visakhapatanam History

Inscriptions indicate that the District was originally a part of Kalinga Kingdom subsequently conquered by the Eastern Chalukyas in the 7th Century, A.D. who ruled over it with their Head Quarters at Vengi.  This District was also under the occupation of various rulers such as the Reddy Rajahs of Kondaveedu, the Gajapathis of Orissa, the Nawabs of Golkonda and the Moghal Emperor Aurangazeb through a Subedar.    This territory passed on to French occupation in view of succession dispute among Andhra Kings and finally it came under the British Reign.   There were  no geographical grafting till 1936 in which year, consequent  on the formation  of  Orissa  State the  Taluks namely Bissiom, Cuttack, Jayapore,  Koraput, Malkanagiri, Naurangapur, Pottangi and Ryagada in their entirety and parts of Gunpur, Paduva and Parvathipur Taluks  were transferred  to Orissa  State.  

The Visakhapatnam District   was reconstituted with the remaining area and residuary portions of Ganjam District namely Sompeta, Tekkali and Srikakulam Taluks in entirety and portion of Parlakimidi, Ichchapuram, Berahmpur retained in Madras presidency.   With the passage of time, the reconstituted District was found administratively unwieldy and therefore it was bifurcated into Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts in the year 1950.     The residuary district of Visakhapatnam was further bifurcated and the Taluks of Vizianagaram, Gajapathinagaram, Srungavarapukota and portion of Bheemunipatnam  Taluk  were  transferred  to the newly created Vizianagaram District in the year 1979.

Visakhapatanam Climate

The district has differing climatic conditions in different parts of it.    Near Coast the air is moist and relaxing, but gets warmer towards the interior and cools down in the hilly areas on account of elevation and vegetation.   April to June is warmest months.   The Temperature gets down with the onset of South West Monsoon and tumbles to a mean minimum of 21.0o C by December after which there is reversal trend till the temperature reaches mean maximum of 32.6o C by the end of May

Visakhapatanam Tourism

Tourst places in Visakhapatanam
Simhachalam
Visakhapatnam
Kailasagiri
Vuda Park
Lumbini Park
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Mission Beach
Mudasarlova
DolphinS Nose
Victory At Sea
Ali Temple
Kurupam Tomb
Submarine Musuem
Visakha Museum
Yarada Beach
Gangavaram Beach
Mutyalampalem Beach And Creek
Ushikonda Beach
Totlakonda
Bavikonda
Pavurala Konda
Bheemunipatnam
Bheemili Beach
Geo Park (Erramatti Dibbalu)
Araku Valley
Borra Caves
Tyda
Ananthagiri
Paderu
Lothugedda
Rajendrapalem
Appikonda
Etikoppaka
Upmaka
Gopalapatnam
Baligattam
Panchadarla
Kondakarla Ava
Sankaram
Padmanabham
Matsyagundam