Beaches

Imagine golden beaches that stretch as far as your imagination, green hills rising high on the other side, a city thriving on modern industry and commerce in the midst. Add to the scenario a generous mix of ancient Buddhist heritage, geological wonders, famous temples, inviting culture and mesmerizing arts & crafts. Visakhapatnam will better your imagination with all of these and more. It is a city keeping pace with the times, even while preserving its rich past. It is a city painted with industrial revolution, even as it retains its colours of nature. Welcome to one of the most beautiful imprints of civilization on the Indian soil - Visakhapatnam (popularly known as Vizag).

The second largest city of Andhra Pradesh and one of the fastest growing cities in Asia. Once a small fishing village, the city today is a busy port endowed with a natural harbor. A number of major industries, ship building yard, a mega oil refinery, a massive steel and power plant make Vizag one of the modern faces of India. However, all the industrial progress of Vizag has taken place in the midst of the awe-inspiring Eastern Ghats on one side and the blue waters of Bay of Bengal on the other, giving the city a magical touch. 

Beaches:
Bheemunipatnam - Known as a Bhimili for short. Bheemunipatnam, the second oldest municipality in the country, lies at the mouth of the Gostani river. The town is just 25km north of Vishakhapatnam and the road runs along the shoreline, providing breathtaking views at many spots. Bheemili beach is considered one of the safest for swimmers and surfers as the water shallow. 

Rushikonda:
Just 8Kms from Vizag, Rushikonda beach is a picture perfect setting with golden sands, surf, sea and hill cottages overlooking the grand vista. For lovers of swimming and water sports like skiing and wind surfing, Rushikonda is an ideal destination. At the end of a grueling session, one can always chillout at the bar cum restaurant attached to the cottage.

Lawson's Bay:
A beautiful beach that falls on the way to Kailasagiri Hill, Lawson's Bay is an ideal spot for sea bathing and surfing. Lawson's bay present a picturesque and beautiful scenic beauty. The vast stretch of water and the accompanying calm is in sharp contrast to the scurrying activity on the road and the apartments on the other side. On the shores, it is a virtual fair with a colorful crowd of tiny tots, young and old having a fun filled time on the sand bed. 

Araku Valley:
Soothe your sun tan in this cool hill station. It's a pleasant hill station with scenic gardens, green valleys, waterfalls and streams. 112 km from Visakhapatnam, the journey to Araku valley on the Eastern Ghats with thick forest on either sides is an exploration in itself. 3200 ft above the sea level, the climate here will make your trip worth every effort.

Highlights: Tribal Museum. Chaaparai - a picnic spot 15 km from Araku. A peak into the lifestyle of the aboriginal tribes living here keeping their tradition and culture alive. About 19 tribes inhabit this area. Sway to the beats of the Dhimsa dance, an age-old folk dance.

Panchadarla
About 52 km from Visakhapatnam, lies this quaint pilgrim centre, Panchadarla. Here one can view the oldest rock structure temple with water flowing in 5 directions, all 365 days, hence the name Panchadarla.

Mandasa fort:
The residential palace of erstwhile Jamindars of Mandasa is a majestic building which was built by Lakshmana Rajamani Deo in 1779. Mandasa fort is an inspiring structure exuding the grandeur of bygone era.

Kathanilayam, Srikakulam:
“KATHANILAYAM” a reference library of Telugu short stories, is the first of its kind in the modern world. Established in 1997 by Dr.Kalipatnam Rama Rao, famous short story writer, it is a repository of Telugu short story and allied literature.

Thotlakonda:
About 16 km from Vizag on Vizag-Bheemili beach road lies this Buddhist Complex on the hilltop of Mangamaripeta, popularly known as Thotlakonda, 128 m above the sea level.




Jagathimetta, Buddhist Monument:
On the banks of perennial river Vamsadhara a Buddhist site has been unearthed recently. The archaeological department is of the opinion that Jagathimetta is the earliest Buddhist site.

Kurupam Tomb:
It is beautiful structure tomb constructed by Kurupam Raja as a memorial for his wife. It is a 100 year old structure located at VUDA Park to Bhimili Road. This is called Visakha Taj Mahal.




Pavuralakonda:
Pavuralakonda or 'the hill of the pigeons' is a hillock on the west of Bhimli, 24 km from Vizag. Visit this place to witness the remains of the Buddhist settlements between 1st century BC to 2nd Century AD.




Anakapalli:
The place is famous for its Jaggery, one of the best in the country. Jaggery is exported to other states and foreign countries from here. Ahmedabad, Anakapalli, Bhagalpur, Kolhapur, Meerut and Muzafarnagar are some of the famous jaggery manufacturing centres in our country. Among them Muzarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, kolhapur at Maharashra and Anakapalli in Andhra are famous trade centres.

Bheemunipatnam:
En route to Bheemunipatnam, the journey is as charming as the destination. The 25 km stretch from Vizag never once lets go of the beautiful coastline. Be sure you don't miss out on 'Erramattidibbalu' - a very creative formation of red sand.
Stop by Bheemili, a sleepy little town with a rich colonial past. River Gosthani greets you as you enter Bheemili. While at Bheemili, visit the pilgrim centres, temples, old churches, clock tower, light house, and the port.

Deerghasi Sasanam:
There is one ancient inscription of 1075 A.D. at Deerghasi village of Polaki Mandal. The inscription granted land to a village deity Bhagavathi Devi by an army chief of Kalinga Ganga kings.

Buditi Handicrafts:
Buditi bronze work has made a place for itself in the national and international markets. The intricate waving in bronze is unique feature and the products are sought after by tourists as well as locals.

Bavikonda:
This important Buddhist heritage site is located on a hill about 15 km, north east of Vizag. Among other things you can discover here, the remains of an entire Buddhist complex, comprising 26 structures belonging to three phases. You can also view what is believed to be the mortal remains of Buddha.




Dantapuri:
Dantapuri is the most ancient capital of Kalinga Ganga kings with a setting of paddy fields, on the banks of river Vamsadhara. During recent excavations the statue of 2nd Theerthankara, Ajathanadh and the four Buddhist stupas were found. It is located at a distance of 23 km from Srikakulam.

Sankaram, more popularly known as Bojjannakonda:
This 2000-year-old Buddhist Heritage site was discovered in 1907. Located 40 km from the south of Vizag, three phases of Buddhism viz. Hinayana, Mahayana & Vajrayana flourished here. This complex is famous for its numerous Monolithic Stupas, Rock cut caves and structural edifices.




Padmanabham Village:
Situated on the bank of river Gosthani, 16 km from north-west of Bheemunipatnam, this is where the Zamindar of Vizianagaram Vijayarama Raju died during his heroic battle with British East India Company. Anantha Padmanabha Swamy is located on a steep hillock where annual Deepotsavam festival is held.

Salihundam:
It is one of the ancient Buddhist centres of India of second century B.C.





Gopalapatnam:
This is yet another destination with Buddhist imprints. Gopalapatnam, situated on the left bank of River Tandava, is a village surrounded by stupas, viharas and other Buddhist remains.

Kalingapatnam:
Srikakulam District has a sea coast of 193 km. A heritage town in Srikakulam district with the constructions of colonial rule is Kalingpatnam. It has a light house and from the top of it, visitors can enjoy the wonderful view of Sagar Sangamam of perennial river Vamsadhara.




Ross Hill:
Ross Hill (also known as Kanyamarykonda) is the highest hill on the Eastern Ghats and is named after Ross, an Englishman who built his house here in 1864. Later the house was converted into a Roman Catholic Chapel and named “Our Lady of the sacred heat”. The path leading to the chapel is strewn with Catholic icons. One can have an excellent view of the ship building yard from Ross hill.

Venkateswera Swamy Konda:
 The third important hillock of the city has a temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswera. According to the Telugu inscriptions, a British Captain Blackmoor built this temple in 1886. From here one can view the port channel which was the entrance of the inner harbor for ships and liners.

Masonic Temple:
Incepted during medieval times, Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. Its members are joined together by shared ideals, both moral and metaphysical in nature, and in most of its branches. By a common belief in a supreme being.
This age old group has been active in the city for the last 110 years. The Hamilton memorial on the beach road is being used as a Masonic temple where the freemasons gather regularly as a lodge.

Nadeeswaralayam, Bendi:
Historical evidence establish the fact that this was constructed by Cholas. It is a 50 ft, rock cut ancient temple with beautiful architecture which resembles Someswaralayam of Srimukhalingam.

Balaji Temple, Tarlakota:
It is the representation of the ancient cultural architecture of Odissi style gifted to Srikakulam district. This temple resembles the Radha Govindaswamy temple of Meliaputty.

Radhagovindaswamy Temple (Kajuraho OF AP):
Radhagovindaswamy temple at Meliaputti was built by Veeraveerendra Pratap Rudra Gajapathi Narayana Deo. Popularly known as Kajaraho of AP. The exquisite carvings on the temple walls convey the message of the Vedas. The dome is decorated with 108 lotuses of which every flower is unique in its shape.

St. Peter's Church:
Constructed during the British regime between 1859 & 1864, the cynosure of this church is unique with its crimson exterior with exquisite stained glass windows. Each of the windows depicts anecdotes from the Bible




Matsyagundam:
Matyagundam is known for its centuries old Sri Matyalingeswera Swamy Temple. The Mythological story is that a fight between the snakes (Sarparajulu) and fishes (Mastyarajulu) took place. The Mother fish brought all the fishes here from a place called “Gemmili” for safety from the snakes and ever since the fishes have lived here giving it the name Matsya Gundam. Maha Shivarathri is the biggest festival here, and is celebrated for three days. Celebrations include pujas and cultural programmes (locally called Jaatara).

Kalabharathi:
For the people of Vizag, Kalabharathi is a destination for culture and concerts. With a seating capacity of eight hundred, this comfortable air conditioned and sound proof hall is a popular destination for concerts, lectures, plays and dance recitals.




Surangiraja Palace, Itchapuram:
At the entrance of the Itchapuram town is the magnificent heritage building, the palace of Surangiraja. Walls of the building are adorned with beautiful paintings describing aesthetic values of the bygone era.

Visakha Museum:

Located in R.K Beach Road, Visakha Museum gives a vivid picture of its historic moorings through a rare collection of artifacts, inscriptions and previous historic documents.

Timings: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm
Entrance Fee: Adult Rs 5/- Children Rs 2/-

Baligattam:
One of the oldest temples of Lord Brahma Lingeswera Swamy. It's located near Narsipatnam Mandal at uttara Vahini River Side. Rock structured Mandapam is the highpoint of this Temple.

Simhachalam Temple:
Simhachalam temple is situated 16 km from Vizag amidst lush green hills. The beautifully carved 16-pillared dance hall and the 96-pillared cultural hall showcase the architectural brilliance of the era that used to be. The presiding deity is Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy.




Umalakshyeswaraswamy Alayam, Srikakulam:
This temple was constructed 150 years back on the south bank of river Nagavali in Gujarathipeta by a saint. It is believed that by worshiping these Nagabandhams, couples are blessed with a child.

Jagannadha Swamy Alayam, Tarlakota:
Situated at the main entrance of the once upon opulent palace of Tarlakota is the Jagannadha swamy temple. The majestic structures with numerous carvings of religious deities of yore that adorn the walls of the temple with a touch of erotica.

Sangamaiah, Sailada:
It is a cave temple where Sangameswera Swamy was found inside the cave near Amadalavalasa. At the time of pongal every year, a 3 day festivals is celebrated.

Ramakrishna Mission:
It has been more than a century since Swami Vivekananda gave his Chicago address. But his voice and message still reverberates throughout India, thanks to the Ramakrishna Mission that he started. This worldwide organization has a branch here too. Its ethnic architecture and its meditation hall exude peace. While its book store helps spread knowledge of our rich tradition and culture.



Tribal Museum:
Tribal museum was started in February 1996 to showcase the traditional living methods, cultural, social and economic conditions of native tribes. This Museum is aimed to focus and preserve the important traits of original tribal culture, traditional handicrafts, and fine arts of the Ancient tribes. The display of artifacts, ornaments and textiles of the tribes of Northern Andhra Pradesh is a real feast to the eyes. Various artifacts prepared by different artisan groups are also sold here.


Chitrangan Art Gallery:
Chitrangan is an avenue for young and promising talents to showcase their art for a nominal fee. They also get to exhibit this to an appreciating crowd. A God sent opportunity for budding painters and sculptors.




Eastern Art Museum:
Visakhapatanam hasn't forgotten its glorious past. You'll realize this after a visit here. The museum not only has a beautiful display of the art and sculptures of Andhra, but displays an array of exquisite antiques and beautifully crafted curios, which are for sale.