History Of Visakhapatnam


According to the history, the city was named after the god of 'Valor-Vishakha'. It was a part of the Kalinga Kingdom, under Ashoka's rule in 260 B.C. It passed on later to the Andhra Kings of 'Vengi'. After this Pallava, Chola and Ganga dynasties ruled the city. In the 15th century, Vishakhapatnam became a part of the Vijayanagar Empire.





The city derives its name from the God Visakha in Hindu mystology, or the God of courage.

It has great geographical significance as it as fourth largest harbour in India and also is a industrial sector. The beaches, flora and founa are fantastic.

Visakhapatnam Shopping

Despite of being a highly industrial & harbour city, Vizag has decent bazaar and shops and few shopping malls. You can also buy good quality of gold from these market. Tourists interested for wall hangings, handicrafts, or wooden toys can visit government run Lepakshi or the Eastern Art museum.

Visakhapatnam Nightlife

Visakhapatnam has a very average nightlife.
Demography of Visakhapatnam District

Vizag is a cosmopolitan mix of people from various parts of the country. From a population of a few thousand locals during the 18th century and early 19th century the population grew steadily every decade. The city doubled its population from 1990–2000 owing to a large migrant population from surrounding areas and other parts of the country coming to the city to work in its heavy industries.

According to the 2001 India census, Visakhapatnam had a population of 969,608 and that of urban area 1,329,472. After the state government approved the formation of Greater Visakhapatnam with the merger of Gajuwaka municipality and 32 villages in the vicinity in the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, the population of the city and the metro area swelled present population may be between 1.6 to 1.8 million[citation needed]. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. The city has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 74% and female literacy is 64 %. 10% of the population is younger than six. Visakhapatnam is listed as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Cities of the World.

Hinduism is practised by the majority of citizens, followed by Islam and Christianity. The city patronised Buddhism for 2 millennia as evident from the presence of many Buddhist sangharamas in the outskirts. The Buddhist population has however waned since. All the religions co-exist peacefully; Visakhapatnam never witnessed communal riots during its entire history.

General Information about Vishakhapatnam
  • Climate: Tropical
  • Temperature Range (deg C):
    • - Summer- Max 36, Min 25
    • Winter- Max 28, Min 19.6
  • Altitude: 15 feet above sea level
  • Clothing: Light Cottons in summers and light woollens in winters
  • Best Season: August to October and January to March
  • Languages Spoken: Telugu, Hindi, English
  • STD Code: 0891
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