Visakhapatnam (Telugu: వశఖపటనం (Hindi: िवशाखपटनं pronunciation

(help·info)) (also Vizag, shortened and anglicised: Visakha/Vizag or Vasaka) is a major

port and the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India
with a population of approximately 1.3 million. It is located 710 kilometres (441 mi) east
of state capital, Hyderabad. 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 home to the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian
Navy. Visakhapatnam is often referred to as The Jewel of The East Coast or The City of
Destiny.Vizag is sometimes referred to as the "Goa of the East Coast." Just like its west
coast counterpart, it has beautiful virgin beaches, laterite hillocks, smooth roads and
stunning landscape. Health-tourism is a fast developing industry. Visakhapatnam is
variously referred to as Jewel on the Coramandel Coast or Steel city.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Overview
• 2 Name and history
o 2.1 The epic city
o 2.2 Buddhist influence
o 2.3 Later history
• 3 The city
• 4 Strategic importance
• 5 Demographics
• 6 Language
• 7 Climate
• 8 Transport
o 8.1 Air
o 8.2 Road
o 8.3 Rail
o 8.4 Sea
o 8.5 Education
• 9 Economy
• 10 Tourism
o 10.1 Buddhists sites
• 11 Retail and Entertainment
• 12 Sports
• 13 Steel Plant Township
• 14 Members of Parliament
• 15 Members of Legislative Assembly
• 16 Notable residents
• 17 References

• 18 External links
 [edit] Overview

The "City of Destiny"

Aerial view of Visakhapatnam port

Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is second largest city in Andhra Pradesh with an area of 550 km².
It is primarily an industrial city, apart from being a port city. It is also home to the
Eastern Naval Command. Visakhapatnam has seen rapid development in the past decade.

The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) will get a new master plan
consequent to the increase in its purview from 170 km² to 550 km². The earlier master
plan was approved by the government in 2006. VUDA’s jurisdiction has been expanded
in mid-2008.

The city sometimes goes by its now mostly defunct colonial British name, Waltair.
During the colonial era, the city's hub was the Waltair railway station, and that part of the
city still is still called Waltair. It is sometimes referred to as the "City of Destiny"[citation
needed]
.

Visakhapatnam is home to several state-owned heavy industries, one of the most

advanced steel plants and has one of the country's largest ports and its oldest shipyard. It
has the only natural harbour on the eastern coast of India.

[edit] Name and history

3rd century BC Buddhist ruins of Thotlakonda

Visakhapatnam was ruled by King Visakha Varma during BC's, according to Hindu
Puranams. Another story of this place is it was named after the deity of valour, the second
son of Lord Shiva. The other story is that the beauty of the place was compared to the
beauty of Sakhi Visakha. The legend is that Radha and Visakha were born on the same
day and were equally beautiful. The local people believe that an Andhra king, impressed
by the beauty, built a temple to pay obeisance to his family deity, Visakha.

[edit] The epic city

The city has been mentioned in the Indian epics Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata, as well as
the forests of the Eastern Ghats where the two brothers Rama and Lakshmana wandered
in search of Sita, wife of Lord Rama. According to the epics, Rama formed his army of
monkey men in the region with the help of Hanuman and Jambavant. The monkey army
of Rama later defeated the demon King Ravan to claim back his wife Sita. An episode of
Mahābhārata when Bheema killed the demon Bakasura, was believed to have happened
in the village Karmanvati, just 40 km from the city.

[edit] Buddhist influence

The religious Hindu texts mention that the region of Visakhapatnam in the 5th century
BC was part of the vast Kalinga territory which extended up to the Godavari River. The
relics found in the area also prove the existence of a Buddhist empire in the region.
Kalinga later lost the territory to King Ashoka in the bloodiest battle of the time which
prompted him to embrace Buddhism.

[edit] Later history

The territory of Visakhapatnam then came under the Andhra rulers of Vengi. Then
Chalukyas, Pallavas ruled over the placid land. This region was under Eastern Ganga
Kings, Surya Vamsi Gajapati kings of Orissa from 10th century to 16th century AD. This
region came under Hyderabad rulers in 16th century. The Chola kings and Eastern Ganga
Kings of Orissa built the temples in the city in 11-12 century AD as established by
archeological findings. The Mughals ruled this area under the Hyderabad Nizam in the
late 15th and early 16th century. European merchants from France, Holland and the East
India Company used the natural port to export tobacco, ivory, muslin and other textile
products.

Local legend states that an Andhra king, while on his way to Benares, rested there and
was so enchanted with the sheer beauty of the place. He ordered a temple to be built in
honor of his family deity, Visakha. Archaeological sources however reveal that the
temple was possibly built between the 11th and 12th centuries by the Cholas. A shipping
merchant, Sankarayya Chetty, built one of the mandapams (pillared halls) of the temple.
Although it no longer exists (it may have been washed away about a hundred years ago
by a cyclonic storm), elderly residents of Vizag talk of visits to the ancient shrine by their
grandparents. Noted author Ganapatiraju Atchuta Rama Raju contradicted this.[1]

In the 18th century, Visakhapatnam was part of the Northern Circars, a region comprising
Coastal Andhra and southern costal Orissa that was initially under French control and
later the British. Visakhapatnam became a district in the Madras Presidency of British
India. In September 1804, British and French squadrons fought the naval Battle of
Vizagapatam off the harbour. After India's independence it was the biggest district in the
country and was subsequently divided into the three districts of Srikakulam,
Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

The city has the tomb of the Muslim saint Syed Ali Ishak Madina, located atop the
dargah-hill near the harbour in old city, which is dated to 18th century, where Hindus
make vows at it as often as Muslims. The saint is considered to be all potent over the
elements in the Bay of Bengal. Many old residents say that every vessel passing the
harbour inwards or outwards used to salute the saint by hoisting and lowering its flag
three times, and that many ship-owners offer chadar at the shrine after a successful
voyage. It's been said that the name Visakhapatnam is named after him i.e. Syed Ali
Ishak Madina, the saint. Initially it was Ishaqapatnam which has been modified into
present Visakhapatnam may be because of mispronunciation of an Arabic world by the
local people.

[edit] The city

The city overlooking the Beach Road

From a small fishing village in the 20th century, Visakhapatnam has grown into an mega-
industrial hub. Its saga began when the British needed a suitable port that could serve
move the rich mineral wealth from the countryside. Unlike the western coast of India, the
east coast has natural harbours. Vizag is the most protected natural harbour in Asia.[citation
needed]
They started building the harbour in 1927; in 1933 it was opened to traffic.

One important milestone is the setting up of the Scindia Steam Navigation Co., later
known as Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in 1940. With the construction of the K.K. line
connecting the iron ore mines of Bailadila in M.P. (present day Chattisgarh), its
importance grew. In the 1950s and 1960s the government and the private sector set up
large scale basic industries like Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels (B.H.P.V.), Hindustan
Zinc Ltd., Caltex oil refinery (later acquired by government as H.P.C.L.), Coromandel
fertilizers, and Andhra Polymers (now LG Polymers). The 1980s saw a major
development with the development of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and other major
industries. Economic liberalization in the 1990s brought a modest growth to the city but
not as much as it did to Hyderabad. However, some industries sprang up like Rain
Calcining Ltd., expansion of HPCL, setting up of Vizag Export Processing Zone, and the
Simhadri Thermal Power plant of N.T.P.C. Visakhapatnam was declared one of ten
fastest growing cities of the world in a recent study conducted by the [[United Nati

Ramakrishna Mission near RK Beach

Due to the presence of the Eastern Naval Command, Steel Plant and H.P.C.L., the city
has been the home to people from different parts of the country and due to this the city
has a cosmopolitan nature.

The Gateway Hotel

The city's main commercial and shopping centres are in the Dwarakanagar-R.T.C.
complex area and Jagadamda Junction area. It even has 2 newly built inox namely varun
beach and cmr central completely funfilled. Since 2000, the Dwarakanagar-R.T.C.
complex area has transformed into a commercial hub with new shopping malls and
complexes springing up within a radius of 2-3 kilometers. The city is home to many five-
star hotels such as Taj group, ITC-WelcomGroup and Park Hotels.

There has been a rise in the real estate prices attributed to the Telangana movement for a
separate Telangana state, fueling speculation that Visakhapatnam will become the next
capital. Recently various large and small software and BPO companies have announced
plans for starting development and outsourcing centres in Vizag, which has also
contributed to the rise in real estate prices. Inflows from Non-resident Indians (NRIs)
from Vizag have further added to this rise.

The city also owes its economic growth to the availability of an educated English-
speaking workforce. English is the first language in many places of higher education in
the city. This availability of a highly educated workforce allowed the entry of many
B.P.O. companies such as HSBC, thus providing the roots for the beginning IT/ITES
industry in the city. The city registered over 100% growth in the I.T. sector over the last
year, contributing millions of dollars to the economy. The city has around 50 small and
medium software and call centre units, of which about 10 units started their operations
during the year 2005-07. Software exports from the Visakhapatnam in 2007 were worth
Rs. 245 crores - an increase of over 100% over the previous year.

Various national and international I.T. and banking giants have set up or will be setting
up offices in the city. These include Mahindra Satyam, Tata Consultancy Services,
HSBC, Wipro, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Oracle Corporation, ABN AMRO, Patni
Computer Systems, Hexaware Technologies, iSOFT, Sankhya Technologies, Infosys,
iFlex, HCL Technologies, EDS, Datasoft Comnet Pvt. Ltd., Sutherland Global Services,
Kenexa, E Centric Solutions Pvt Ltd, OpenWindow Technologies Inc., and Kanbay. The
Andhra Pradesh government provided infrastructure and land for these companies to set
up their development centers in the city outskirts.

Many Vizag-based SME's such as Prospecta Technologies, Symbiosys Technologies,

Xinthe Technologies, NuNet Technologies,Jain Infotech, Sankhya Technologies, Manuh
Solutions, Patra, Acclaris, Samudra Software, etc., have been providing IT and ITES
services. Many of these companies have formed an association called Visakhapatnam
Information Technology Association (VITA) to help promote IT in Vizag as well as
bridge the Industry-Institution gap. To help companies in and around Visakhapatnam
build their human capital, companies like IndiGenius have been providing Human
Resource (HR) consulting services such as recruitment, temporary staffing and training.
Training companies like Conduira and TIME have been helping students prepare for
higher studies in reputed educational institutions.

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park was set up in 1972 on the coastal hills north of the city.
The Zoo Park features some of the rarest species in India.

[edit] Strategic importance

Many battles have been fought in the city during such conflicts as World War II, the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was only the second
region in South Asia to be attacked by Japanese fighter planes during World War II.
Recognising the strategic importance of the city and the role it played during the
Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistan sent its submarine, PNS Ghazi to destroy India's
only aircraft carrier. The submarine sank off the coast (Pakistan claims, accidentally
hitting one of the mines it laid; India claims, from a depth-charge dropped by the
destroyer INS Rajput). The remnants of the submarine are on display on the beach road.

Victory at Sea 1971 commemorating victory over Pakistan

The city was so important during times of war that the Indian government decided to set
up the Eastern Naval Command, overlooking the more populous Chennai and Kolkata,
and developed Vizag during that period. The establishment of the E.N.C. soon after the
construction of the ship building yard firmly secured Vizag's place in the annals of the
Indian Navy. Some of the defence related establishments are N.S.T.L. (Naval Science
and Technology Laboratories), which is responsible for the development and testing of
warship technology, equipment and weapons and Bharat Dynamics Ltd is coming up for
Manufacturing heavy and light weight Torpedoes. The navy also has a Naval dockyard
[started in 1949] in the City where recently India's first Nuclear Submarine was launched.
The navy has plans to set up submarine base in the City at the alternate ENC base in
Rambilli near Vizag.

The famous submarine museum near "Victory At Sea", Visakhapatnam

The Navy is also constructing a second base as the current base is overpopulated and not
sufficient to meet the needs of the E.N.C. Despite its importance, the Naval establishment
has become a hindrance for the development of Visakhapatnam. The harbour is not open
to the general public for reasons of security, while in Mumbai and Kochi, the entire port
along with Naval docks are opened for boating and tourism.
Visakhapatnam is surrounded on three sides by the overlapping mountain ranges, and the
southeastern city is safeguarded by the Bay of Bengal. Vizag is far away from any
international border, both land and sea, making it the choice for strategic placement of the
headquarters of the eastern naval command.

[edit] Demographics
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.

Aerial view from Kailasgiri Hills during night.

According to the 2001 India census,[2] Visakhapatnam had a population of 969,608 and
that of urban area 1,329,472.[2] 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.[3]

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.

[edit] Language
This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may
be challenged and removed. (January 2010)
Visakhapatnam is predominantly a Telugu-speaking city, but English is equally well
understood as there are a lot of tourists. 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 neighbouring districts of East Godavari, Vizianagaram and
Srikakulam speak Uttarandhra (North Coastal) Mandalikam dialects. The native Muslims
of Visakhapatnam speak Urdu language. There are a few Urdu medium schools in the
city.

Historians[who?] believe that centuries ago, when Uttarandhra was part of the Kalinga
Empire, Buddhist missionaries and merchants might have taken Telugu (derived from
Brahmi script) script to Southeast Asia from the shores of Uttarandhra where it parented
into the scripts of Mon, Burmese, Thai, Khmer, Siam, Javanese and Balinese languages
and even Sinhala of Sri Lanka.[citation needed] Their similarities to Telugu script can be
discerned even today.

Visakhapatnam is home to small Gujarathis, Oriya, Maharashtrians, Bengali and

Malayalee communities; their migration is recent. Due to the naval presence and high
concentration of public sector industries, Visakhapatnam has a significant Urdu & Hindi
speaking population.

[edit] Climate

A NASA Satellite Image Showing Visakhapatnam Experiencing Monsoon in 2010

Visakhapatnam experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification

Aw) with little variation in temperature through the year. May is the hottest month with
average temperatures around 32oC (90oF), while January is the coolest month with
average temperatures near 23oC (73oF).

As the city is located on the Bay of Bengal, the humidity remains high throughout the
year. The total annual rainfall is around 945 mm (38 inches), the bulk of which is
received during the south-west monsoon. October is the wettest month with around
204 mm (8 inches) of rainfall.
The months from November to February are the best times to visit the city, with moderate
temperatures and little precipitation.

[hide]Climate data for Visakhapatnam

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average 28.9 31.3 33.8 35.3 36.2 35.3 32.9 32.7 32.5 31.7 30.4 28.9 32.5
high °C (°F) (84) (88.3) (92.8) (95.5) (97.2) (95.5) (91.2) (90.9) (90.5) (89.1) (86.7) (84) (90.5)
Average low 18.0 19.9 23.0 26.1 27.7 27.3 26.1 26.0 25.6 24.3 21.6 18.6 23.7
°C (°F) (64.4) (67.8) (73.4) (79) (81.9) (81.1) (79) (78.8) (78.1) (75.7) (70.9) (65.5) (74.7)
Precipitatio 11.4 7.7 7.5 27.6 57.8 105.6 134.6 141.2 174.8 204.3 65.3 7.9 945.7
n mm (0.449 (0.303 (0.295 (1.087 (2.276 (4.157 (5.299 (5.559 (6.882 (8.043 (2.571 (0.311 (37.232
(inches) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
Source: [4]

[edit] Transport
[edit] Air

Visakhapatnam Airport

The Visakhapatnam Airport is the busiest Airport in Coastal Andhra. Visakhapatnam is

well connected with daily flights from Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru,
Tirupati and Kolkata. Visakhapatnam Airport has recently received permission to operate
night flights and now the airport is working up to 22:00. A new 10,000 foot [3 km] long
runway became operational to accommodate international flights and larger aircraft. The
airport was one of the few chosen by the center for modernization including facilities like
aerobridges and immigration booths. The new terminal was inaugurated on 21 March
2009. Very soon vizag airport would get International TAG.

[edit] Road
Visakhapatnam seaport; harbour interchange fly-by road can be seen here

Visakhapatnam is one of the major cities on the east coast of India connected by NH5, a
major national highway and a part of the Golden Quadrilateral system of Indian highways
connecting Chennai and Kolkata. The section of Golden Quadraleteral(NH5) from
Kolkata to Chennai connects Visakhapatnam to the North-East and to the South. The
highway is an important route for transporting cargo and people from these cities to and
from Vizag. Visakhapatnam has a good network of roads. There are frequent buses to
Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Araku and Rajahmundry. There are even bus services to
Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and few other
parts of Orissa and Karnataka.

Residents of Visakhapatnam make use of extensive public transport provided by the

APSRTC, which runs metro buses across various routes across the city and its suburbs.
The APSRTC complex at Asilametta is the hub for most of these buses causing major
traffic jams during rush hours on the heavily populated, congested Asilametta Junction.
The city corporation is planning to dig subways, construct pedestrian overpasses and
flyovers to address the traffic woes.

A Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) was approved for the city under the JNNURM.[5]
This will make use of dedicated lanes for buses allowing for an efficient and high speed
mode of transport for the public and significantly reduce traffic congestion, improving
safety. This project is under construction and will be completed by the end of 2010.

[edit] Rail

Vishakapatnam Railway station

The railway station at Visakhapatnam is under the control of East Coast Railway of
Indian Railways. It stands on the Chennai Central - Howrah Station route, though the
mainline bypasses the Central Station. Consequently a suburban halt on the mainline near
Vizag Steel Plant, known as Duvvada, is being developed into a major station to improve
services for the city.

There are direct rail links to Vijayawada Junction, Secunderabad Railway Station,
Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Bangalore Bhopal Junction, Gwalior, Chennai Central, Howrah
Station, New Delhi Railway Station etc., and also has direct services to Indore, Ujjain,
Coimbatore and Jaipur amongst other major cities.

[edit] Sea

Visakhapatnam Port.

Situated on the east coast of India, Visakhapatnam serves as the gateway for waterways
for the state of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam has one of the country's largest ports and
its oldest shipyard. It has the only natural harbour on the eastern coast of India. The
Visakhapatnam port is one of the busiest ports in India. The shipbuilding yard situated at
Visakhapatnam is the largest in India. Situated on Chennai - Kolkota corridor, the city is
also a hub of on-ground traffic. The Gangavaram Sea Port is India's deepest sea port. In
December 2010, Coal India agreed a deal that would allow an additional berth to be built
at the port.[6]

[edit] Education

File:IMU V.jpg
Indian Maritime University, Visakhapatnam (a Central University)

Visakhapatnam is considered a centre for education in Andhra Pradesh. There are several
primary, high school and college institutions in the city. Apart from state-run schools for
the poor, there are many private institutions, missionary schools and colleges.

The IMU has been established as a Central University by the Government of India under
an Act of Parliament, namely, the Indian Maritime University Act 2008. The Indian
Maritime University, established through an Act of Parliament on 14/11/2008 as Central
University, is poised to play a key role in the development of required human resource
for the maritime sector. The Indian Maritime University, being the first of its kind in the
country will cater to the educational requirement of the maritime fraternity. It is a
teaching and affiliating University which will offer degree, post graduate degree and
research programmes in all disciplines of maritime sector. The city also has National
Institute of Oceanography.

Andhra university, college of engineering.

Established in 1878, A.V.N. College is one of the city's oldest educational institutions.[7]

The town contains some premier institutes like VITAM (Viswanadha Institute Of
Technolofy & Management).Visakhapatnam is the home of Andhra University (AU)
which was established in 1926.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, before he became the President
of India, worked as the Vice Chancellor of the University between 1931 and 1936. AU
and its affiliated colleges provide education to thousands of students from the state. Post-
graduate and graduate courses are offered in various branches like arts, commerce,
science & technology, engineering, IT, business management, law and pharmacy. The
AU college of pharmacy is the second oldest pharmacology institute in India. The
university is in the process of obtaining IIEST status and there is also a proposal for
setting up an IIM at Visakhapatnam.

Andhra Medical College, established in 1902, is the home of various teaching hospitals.

The GVP College of Engineering (GVP Official Site) which recently attained
autonomous status , is one of the renowned educationaly institutes of Visakhapatnam.

The Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) recently attained the
status of a deemed university.

GVP College Of Engineering, Visakhapatnam

Some of the other engineering colleges in Vizag city: Chaitanya Engineering College,
Raghu Engineering College, Vignan's Institute of Information Technology Sanketika
Vidya Parishad college of engineering,Pothinamallayapalem, Pydah College of
Engineering and Technology, Vignans Institute of Engineering for Women, Al Ameer
College of Engineering & Technology, Avanthi Institute of Engineering & Technology,
Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology & Sciences and VITAM College of
Engineering. Graduation Degree Colleges: VIPS, Pydah, Gayatri, AVN, VS Krishna, etc.

GITAM University, Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishna central library

Schools: St. Aloysius Anglo Indian High School is the oldest school in the district and
one of the oldest schools in the country. It was established in 1847 and is in the old town
region and affiliated to ICSE.D.A.V Cent.Public School,Delhi Public School,S.F.S.
School, St.Anthony's high school Bethany School, Visakha Valley School, Timpany
School are the best schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Other schools include Public
School at MVP Colony, Pollocks School, Kotak Salesian School, St. Joseph's sec school,
Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Siva Sivani,
Little Angels, Little Flowers,Visvodaya High School and Pavani School. The city has
around 10 Kendriya Vidyalaya's with total student strength of 18000. Timpany School
has three branches — one affiliated to ICSE and the other two to CBSE. Vikas
Vidyaniketan is the largest CBSE +2 residential school affiliated to CBSE Visakha
Valley School and Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir are affiliated to CBSE.

The International Science Congress (I.S.C.) was hosted by Andhra University in 1976
and again in 2008. It is the largest congregation of scientists from different disciplines in
the world. Over 8,000 people participated in the I.S.C. in 2008, including prominent
Nobel Prize winners from around the world.

link title

[edit] Economy
Fishermen in Visakhapatnam.

Megadri River Channel that connects Outer Harour of Visakhapatnam Port with Inner
Harbour

Naval warship

Vizag City economy

From being a tiny hamlet of local fishing communities during the early days of the Indian
Independence Struggle and for a few decades later, the city exploded economically, in
fact the rise has been so dramatic that the city was identified as one of the ten fastest
growing cities in the world economically and demographically.[citation needed] Various factors
contributed to the city's growth economically, including the natural harbor, its location
between Madras and Calcutta, access to the NH5 (a major National Expressway) and the
developed network of railways which metamorphosed the village into a burgeoning
industrial city.[citation needed]
Visakhapatnam Outer Harbour

The city has developed into a hub for many heavy industries. The Visakhapatnam Port,
the largest in the country, was the ideal gateway contributing to the development of
petroleum, steel and fertilizer industries. The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant [recently
expanded from 3.1 to 6.3 MT]and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. were the
two multi-billion dollar investments which put Vizag on the country's industrial map. The
city also has two N.T.P.C. power plants to satisfy the huge power needs of the industries.
Visakhapatnam also houses the headquarters of the Dredging corporation of India.

It is hub for iron ore and other mineral exports of India, where iron ore from Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh is transported to the
Visakhapatnam port by means of both Rail transport & Road transport and from here
minerals are exported using ships to China and other countries. Visakhapatnam district
and its surroundings have Bauxite reserves of 1,000 MT, magenese ore and titanium
reserves in the beach sand.[citation needed]

The city also owes its economic growth to the availability of an educated English-
speaking workforce. English is the first language in many places of higher education in
the city. This availability of a highly educated workforce allowed the entry of many
B.P.O. companies such as HSBC, IBM Daksh, Sutherland thus providing the roots for the
beginning IT/ITES industry in the city. The city registered over 100% growth in the I.T.
sector over the last year, contributing millions of dollars to the economy. The city has
around 50 small and medium software and call centre units, of which about 10 units
started their operations during the year 2005-07. Software exports from the
Visakhapatnam in 2007 were worth Rs. 245 crores (2.45 GRs) and 502 Crores in 2008,
900 Crores in 2009 - an increase of nearly 90% every year. Various national and
international I.T. and banking giants have set up or will be setting up offices in the city.
Some IT companies started already are Mahindra Satyam, Kenexa,
Infotech,Softsol,Miracle Softwares and Wipro has finished construction of its campus
and yet to start operations. The Andhra Pradesh government provided infrastructure and
land for these companies to set up their development centers in the city outskirts. The
Andhra pradesh govt has also started an ITSEZ in rushikonda hills at Vizag. Real IT
development is still in process and once the city Airport gets International Status it is
believed that IT development would grow at a faster pace. The city has a skilled work
force shinning in national exams like IIT.
Satyam Development Center

The growing population and economy have resulted in the revamping of the real estate
prices with prices at some prime locations in the city quadrupling over the past couple of
years. Various real estate companies are setting up housing projects in the outskirts of the
city which is being touted as the future I.T. destination of the country.

The fishing industry is also on the rise with both foreign and domestic exports of tuna
doubling over the past decade. The city has a port called as Vizag Port started in 1933
and a second port called as Gangavaram Port started in 2008 [15 km from Vizag Port ]
has started with an investment of 2 billion dollars it is deepest port in the country with the
ability to handle the larger international vessels -http://www.gangavaram.com/. Vizag
Port is also expanding and planning to set up a Satellite Port at Bhimli 20 km away from
Vizag.

The City has APIIC Industrial Park at Autonagar and VSEZ called as Vizag Special
Economic Zone started in 1989. The exports from VSEZ stood at 918 Crores in 2009
-http://vsez.gov.in/index.htm.

Multi ProductSpecial Economic Zones (SEZ) called as APIIC SEZ has been sanctioned
for the city and this is coming up in 5770acres at Atchutapuram, Vizag. Some of the
Industries coming up in this SEZ are WS Industries, Pokarna limited, Uniparts,
Confidence Petroleum, Southern Online Bio, Nagarjuna AgriChem, Anjaney Alloys,
Maithon Alloys, Abhijit Ferro Alloys etc and railway line is being laid connecting this
SEZ with Gangavaram Port.

Brandix apparel City has started recently in the city. This is specifically a textile based
SEZ spread out in 1000Acres. The aim of this project is to provide 60000jobs to the local
people. It is expected that exports would reach upto 5500 Crores once it is fully
operational -http://www.brandixapparelcity.com/default.htm.Currently this has foreign
textile manufacturers like Pioneer Elastic Fiber, Ocean India,Quantum Clothing,Fountain
Set group,Limited Brands etc

Piklington an automotive glass manufacturer and Jawarhlal Nehru Pharmacity has

recently started in city and Pharmacity is only the Pharama SEZ in the country, and
currently Pharmacity has 38 pharma companies with international pharma players like
PharmaZell of Germany and Japan's Essai Pharma and US-based Hospira Chemicals has
purchased land for setting up plant in the pharmacity -
http://www.ramky.com/jnpc/aboutus.html.

Companies like Reliance, Brandix and HPCL have purchased huge areas in the SEZ for
setting up their industries and Aluminium refineries like Anrak Aluminium, Jindal
Aluminium are coming up in the city because of availability of Bauxite reserves around
Vizag, Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) plans to set up its second research
facility in the country after Trombay in this region. The city was one of the five in the
country selected to hold strategic crude reserves for the nation in times of national
emergency.

Other heavy industries include Hindustan Zinc Limited,GAIL,IOC Bottling Unit,BPCL

Bottling Unit, Synergies Castings Ltd., Rain Calcining Limited, Coromandel Fertilizers,
Hindustan Ship Yard and Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Limited (B.H.P.V.), Visakaha
dairy, Vizag profiles, Essar Pellet Plant, Andhra Polymers [now called as LG Polymers],
Andhra cements, Andhra petrochemicals, Andhra Ferroalloys which contribute to the
economy of the City. The city also has some Ferro Alloy units because of availability of
Managenese Ore around Vizag. The city is the headquarters for Waltair division of East
Cost Railway. The Waltair division has generated 3483 Crore revenues in 2009-2010
and is one of the Highest revenue grosser in the Country
-http://203.199.89.157:41140/ecor-waltair/Achivements/Achievements.html.

Its traditional importance in shipbuilding is confirmed by the fact that India's first ship,
the "Jala Usha", was launched in Visakhapatnam. It is also one of India's main fishing
ports, has a dedicated harbour for the fishing industry and handles a large percentage of
India's seafood exports.

The Vizag Special Economic Zone plays a vital role in the industrial growth of the city.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has started its operation at autonagar (temporary)
while the construction for the center is taking on currently. It is expected to be completed
soon, the second only cenre for India after Mumbai. Nuclear power technologies are to be
set up at this centre including a University of its own by BARC.

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has awarded the bid to
construct a Knowledge City to Unitech Limited in an area of 700 ha, with an investment
of Rs. 35 thousand crore (350 GRs).

India aims to build its first strategic oil reserve facility at Visakhapatnam by October
2011.

HPCL Petro-Chemical Complex

Hindujas have also started construction of Thermal Power Plant in Vizag district, HPCL
is also expanding Vizag Oil Refinery from 7.5 MT to 15 MT with an investment of
13000 Crores. NTPC is expanding from 1000 MW to 2000 MW, Vizag Steel Plant
completed its expansion from 3.1 MT to 6.3 MT, Vizag Port is expanding with
3000 Crores to increase its capacity to handle load upto 80 MT per year, HSL has been
transferred to Defence Ministry recently.

Naval Establishments :- The city has Eastern Naval Command [ENC ]office and NSTL
Labs, Naval Docky yard [started in 1949] and nearly some 05 Naval bases like INS
Kalinga,INS Samudrika,INS Satavahana,ENC Base, INS Dega etc are present in the city.
A new base called INS Rambilli is being constructed in 5000acres and it is believed to be
a dedicated submarine base in India. Recently India's first nuclear submarine INS Arihant
was launched in Naval dockyard Vizag and Bharat Dynamics Ltd has started recently in
the city for manufacturing of Torpedoes.The city also has Indian Coast Gurad offices.

[edit] Tourism
This section is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this section
from a neutral point of view. (December 2010)

A park on RK beach

A view of the Beach Road from Kailashagiri

Visakhapatnam has a range of tourist attractions including beaches, cliffs, parks on the
hilltop facing the sea, long drives along the beautiful beach road, a zoological park and
wildlife sanctuary, a submarine museum, hill stations, limestone caves, mountain ranges
and colourful valleys, all within 100 km from the city. There are two five-star hotels, The
Taj and The Park, and a full range of other accommodation[citation needed]
Kailashagiri is a park developed by VUDA on a hilltop adjacent to the sea offers views
of the Bay of Bengal, Vizag city and the Eastern Ghats. A ropeway connects this park
from the bottom of the hill.[citation needed]

The Beach Road from East point colony to Coastal battery is studded with parks, statues,
etc., is a favorite evening gathering point. Along the road can be found India's only
submarine museum, INS Kursura, as well as the Visakha museum and Matsyadarsini (an
aquarium). VUDA park, at the beginning of the Beach Road, has a musical fountain, and
entertainment for children. It has a roller skating ground, which has served as the venue
for several national and international skating competitions.[citation needed]

Rushikonda Beach, 6 km away from Vizag city, has become a favorite evening spot.
Bhimili-Vizag beach Road, 30 km long, offers one of the best views of the sea, sand,
hills and greenery. Many parks are constructed adjacent to this road. Tenneti park beach
park is constructed on the cliff of Kailashagiri. There are several points from which the
beautiful rocky beach beneath can be seen. Many Telugu, Tamil and Hindi movies were
filmed here.[citation needed]

Simhachalam Temple

Simhachalam is a hill shrine of Lord Narasimha 16 km north of the city. The beautifully
carved 16-pillared Natya mantapa and the 96-pillared Kalyana mandapa are highlights at
the Simhachalam temple. It was constructed by Gajapathi Kings of Orissa before 1500
AD. Mr. Poosapati Ananda Gajapati Raju (heir to His Highness Maharaja Vijayram
Gajapati Raj Bahadur of former Vizianagaram princely state).[citation needed]

The city has Ramanaidu Film Studios which has started

recently .http://www.ragalahari.com/functions/2741/rama-naidu-film-studios-photo-
gallery-at-visakhapatnam.aspx[citation needed]

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park: Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, between the National
Highway 5 and Beach Road, spreading over an area of 250 ha, exhibits about 700
animals belonging to about 89 species.
Araku-valley

Outside the city, 112 km from Visakhapatnam, Araku Valley is an important tourist
destination http://www.go2india.in/ap/araku-valley.php. It is a pleasant hill station at an
elevation of over 1000 m. famous for its scenic gardens, valleys, waterfalls and streams.
[citation needed]
.On the way to Araku Hill station we could find Borra Caves
http://www.go2india.in/ap/borra-caves.php which are naturally formed and they were
discovered by British Geologist William King in 1807.

The Marriage Bureau For Rich People series of novels, written by Farahad Zama and
published worldwide in over twelve languages, are set in Visakhapatnam and feature
many landmarks of the city and its surroundings.[citation needed]

[edit] Buddhists sites

Buddhist stupa at BojjannaKonda

Visakhapatnam is surrounded by ancient Buddhist sites, most of which have been

excavated recently. The imprint of Buddhist legacy is so strong here that the interest of
archeologists in this area is growing by the day.

The Buddhist Complex on the Mangamaripeta hilltop, locally known as Thotlakonda, lies
about 16 km from Visakhapatnam on Vizag Bheemili Beach Road. After its discovery
(during an aerial survey), the Government of A.P declared the 48 ha site as a protected
monument in 1978. Excavations in 1988 to 1992 exposed structural remains and artifacts,
classified as Religious, Secular and Civil. These structures include the Stupa,
Chaityagrihas, pillared congregation halls, bhandagaras, refectory (bhojanasala), drainage
and stone pathways.
Bavikonda is an important Buddhist heritage site located on a hill about 15 km, northeast
from Visakhapatnam city. Here the Buddhist habitation is noticed on a 16 ha flat terraced
area. The Hinayana school of Buddhism was practiced at the monastery between the 3rd
century B.C. and the 3rd century A.D. Bavikonda has remains of an entire Buddhist
complex, comprising 26 structures belonging to three phases. A piece of bone stored in
an urn recovered here is believed to belong to the mortal remains of the Buddha.

In 1907 a British archaeologist, Alexander Rea, unearthed Sankaram, a 2000-year-old

Buddhist Heritage site. Located 40 km from South of Vizag, it is known locally as
Bojjannakonda. The three phases of Buddhism flourished here, viz. Hinayana, Mahayana
and Vajrayana. This complex is famous for its numerous monolithic votive stupas, rock-
cut caves, and brick structural edifices. Excavations yielded several historic potteries and
Satavahana coins dating back to the 1st century A.D. Similarly at Lingalakonda, there are
innumerable rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows spread over the hill. The Vihara was
active for about 1,000 years, spanning the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana phases of
Buddhism.

Pavuralakonda, or 'the hill of the pigeons', is a hillock lying to the west of Bhimli, at
about 24 km from Vizag. The Buddhist settlement found here is estimated to have
witnessed human habitation between 1st century BC to 2nd century AD. Sixteen rock-cut
cisterns for impounding rainwater are found on the hillock, which offer a panoramic view
of the coastline.

Gopalapatnam, situated on the left bank of River Tandava, is a village surrounded by

brick stupas, viharas and other Buddhist remains. Ancient pottery was also excavated
from these sites.

[edit] Retail and Entertainment

Shopping Malls

The City has seen a rapid growth in Retail and Entertainment sectors during the last
decade.Vizag is dotted with a number of shopping malls.Recently Vizag Central has
started.

Entertainment The City has seen a new high in the entertainment sector with INOX, a
famous Indian Multiplex chain, setting up 10 screens here. The multiplex in the city
constitutes 6 Screens at Varun Beach and 4 screens at CMR Central Mall. Few more
mutiplex chains evinced interest in this fast growing city, most of which would complete
construction in the next 2 years. Vizag has a good number of outlets for famous brands
like Fabindia, Lee, Levis, H&A, United Colours Of Benetton, Pepe Jeans etc. in Waltair
uplands and Siripuram.

Hotels: The city has some good hotels like ITC Welcome group, Grand Bay,Green Park,
Royal Fort, Daspalla, Dolphins, Palm Beach, The Park etc. Novotel is also coming up.
[edit] Sports

Rajashekar Reddy-ACA-VDCA stadium at Madhurawada hosting the India-Sri Lanka

ODI.

Cricket is the most popular game followed by tennis and football. The city is home to a
number of local cricket teams participating in various district and zonal events. Gully
cricket - a form of cricket played in empty streets or maidans is a popular pastime for
local school/college going kids in the evenings. Vizag also co-hosted the 32nd National
Games along with the state capital. Vishakapatnam has 7 cricket stadiums which are used
for Ranji Trophy matches. However only 2 of these stadiums have been used for One
Day International matches.

• Indira Priyadarshini Stadium (5 ODI Matches): Also known as the Municipal

Corporation Stadium, it hosted the first ODI match on 9 December 1988 and the
last of the 5 on 3 April 2001. The stadium has discontinued hosting ODI matches
in favor of the newer ACA-VDCA Stadium, which is situated in the satellite
township of Madhurawada. The stadium is set amidst the hills and offers a scenic
view.
• Rajashekar Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium:(3 ODI Matches): The ACA-VDCA
Stadium has recently hosted 3 ODIs with India winning against Pakistan in the
first and against Sri Lanka in the second and Australia in the third. Now this
stadium is upgraded to host day/night matches. It has the most advanced flood
lights in India after Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi. This stadium is recently
named as YS Rajasekhar Reddy Stadium. Its one of the luckiest ground for Indian
Cricket Team.

The city of Visakhapatnam has never hosted a Test Match. The ACA-VDCA Stadium
was recently awarded Test status. This makes the ACA stadium the ninth stadium to have
a Test status in the country and the second in Andhra Pradesh.

• Port Stadium : It is the second largest stadium in Visakhapatnam city.

[edit] Steel Plant Township

Main article: Ukkunagaram

Jagannath temple in Ukkunagaram

The beautiful and well planned township for the employees of the Visakhapatnam steel
plant is called Ukkunagaram (ukku in Telugu for steel, nagaram in Telugu for town).

The design of the Township itself is state-of-the-art. The designers followed the Roman
Circular design for the layout of homes and roads to keep the distances equal between
any two points within the township.

There are 11 sectors in the Township, oldest of them being sectors 1, 2 and 3, and Sector
7 which is the exclusive domain of the directors and the chairman's homes. Other sectors
came into being as the plant's staffing matured. On the average, each sectore consists of
about 300 housing units, which vary from multi-storied quarters (3 floors) to single
family homes. There are also bungalows exclusively for the directors of the plant.There
are 5 types of housing units viz. A Type,B,C,D & director's bungalow

Sector 1 used to house the Russians who came to erect and commission the first blast
furnace "Godavari", The RMHP, Sinter, and Coke Oven Batteries I & II.

The beauty of the Township is that it sits in the cradle of the unspoilt forest belt starting
at the Valleys of Araku through Yelamanchili to Narsipatnam. The township comes
under the mandate of the Town Administration. The continued afforestation efforts of the
management has ensured a green and pollution-free environment and thereby creating a
unique ecosystem in itself. The township has well kept roads, regulated traffic. The
township also has all market places, parks, clubs, sports facilities exclusively for the
employees and their dependents.

Last but not the least is the vistas that the Big Kanithi Balancing reservoir offers. This
large mass of water reservoir is for the captive consumption of the plant and the township
alike and sits between the Township and the NH5. It draws its water from a special canal
built exclusively for it from the River Yeleru, a tributary of the great river Godavari.

The road that leads from the plant plaza main gate into the township actually travels
ahead as a bypass to the busy NH5 and skips Anakapalli directly to Yelamanchili and
Tuni, cutting almost 30 km on the road route from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada.

[edit] Members of Parliament

 • Daggubati Purandeshwari (INC)-Visakhapatnam
• Sabbam Hari (INC)-Anakapalli
• V Kishore Chandra Deo (INC)-Araku

[edit] Members of Legislative Assembly

• Visakhapatnam South :- Dronamraju Srinivas(INC)

• Visakhapatnam East :- Rama Krishna Babu(TDP)

• Visakhapatnam North :- T. Vijaya Kumar(INC)

• Visakhapatnam West :- Vijaya Prasad(INC)

• Pendurthi :- Panchakarla Ramesh(PRP)

• Gajuwaka :- Chintalapudi Venkataramayya(PRP)

[edit] Notable residents

• Alluri Sita Rama Raju - Revolutionary, Freedom Fighter.
• His Highness Dr. PVG RAJU - Maharaja Of Vizanagaram, Ex-Parliament
Member and Minister.
• Srirangam Srinivasa Rao (Sri-Sri) - Telugu poet.
• Tenneti Viswanadham - revolutionary.
• Goutami - Ex-Heroine.
• Subhalekha Sudhakar - Ex-Artist, Actor.
• Sri Malla Appala Naidu - Founder Ammaji Music College, Sponcer Somalinga
Temple, Somalingapalem
• Sir C.V. Raman - Nobel Prize Winner, Physicist and a Great Scientist.
• Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - Former President of India, ex-Vice-Chancellor of
Andhra University, philosopher.
• Raa.Vi ( Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry)- Telugu contemporary writer
• Daspalla Maharani- Former Princely State of Daspalla,Orissa
• Professor Nemani Krishna Murthy - Renowned Artist, Scientist, Andhra
University
• Devika Rani- Bollywood actress, first Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner.

KARWAR
Karwar (Konkani: कारवार , Kannada: ಕರವರ) is the administrative headquarters of
Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of
the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15
kilometres south of the Karnataka-Goa border and 519 km north-west of Bangalore.
'Karwar' also refers to the encompassing Taluk which includes the surrounding villages.
The city has parallel and perpendicular concrete roads.

Contents
• 1 Etymology
• 2 History
o 2.1 Portuguese
o 2.2 British
o 2.3 Sultan of Mysore
o 2.4 Maratha Empire
o 2.5 The British Empire
• 3 Geography
• 4 Demographics
• 5 Language
• 6 Border Issues
• 7 Communities
• 8 Notable people
• 9 Industry
• 10 Project Seabird
• 11 Karwar port
• 12 Tourism
• 13 Karwar cuisine
• 14 Karwar Taluk
• 15 Festivals
• 16 Quote
• 17 Rail connectivity
• 18 From other cities in India
• 19 News and media
• 20 Schools in Karwar
• 21 Colleges in Karwar
• 22 Others
• 23 See also
• 24 External links

• 25 References

[edit] Etymology
The name 'Karwar' is a misnomer. It is derived from a nearby village called Kadwad (the
British, probably, had trouble pronouncing "d" and replaced it with "r"). The present
Karwar town is entirely a new settlement. Karwar used to be written as "Carwar" earlier.
[1]

[edit] History
Kali River & Sadashivgad Fort as seen from Nandangadda Village

Karwar was an ancient site of sea trade visited by the Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French
and later the British. Ibn Battuta passed through this route during one or more of his
journeys.

Significant and picturesque, the Sadashivgad fort of historical importance is now a

popular tourist destination located by the Kali river bridge, which has been built at the
confluence of the river and the Arabian Sea.

[edit] Portuguese

Cintacora as known to the Portuguese was a very old port and was also known as
Chitrakul(Chittakula) and Sindpur. When Sadashivgad was built in this area, the village
also came to be known by that name.

A fort existed at Cintacora which was captured and burnt by the Portuguese in 1510.
They called it Pir fort due to the Muslim Dargah(Tomb of a Sufi Saint Shahkaramuddin)
they found there - & was known in Portuguese language as Forte de Piro or Pito.

The creek at the mouth of the Kali River was a trading center from early days. It came
into greater prominence after Sadashivgad was built and the Portuguese realized the
advantages of its sheltered harbor.

[edit] British

In 1638 a rival English trading body, the Courteen Association, established a factory at
Karwar (actually the village named Kadwad, situated 6 km eastwards on the banks of the
Kali river). It was a trade port frequented by traders from Arabia and Africa. Baitkhol
port (the current civil port of Karwar) was famous for its natural harbor. The name
Baithkhol is an Arabic term, Bait-e-kol, meaning bay of safety. Muslin was the chief
commodity purchased but Karwar was also a source for pepper, cardamom, cassier and
coarse blue cotton cloth. Situated on India's west coast, 50 miles south-east of Goa,
Karwar was noted for its safe harbour. In 1649 the Courteen Association united with the
British East India Company and Karwar became a Company factory.
[edit] Sultan of Mysore

In the Treaty of Mangalore signed in 1784, between Tipu Sultan and the East India
Company, one finds reference to Karwar and Sadashivgad written as Carwar and
Sadasewgude respectively.[2]

[edit] Maratha Empire

Karwar was a part of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century. After the defeat of the
Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, it became a part of British territory. It was a
part of the Bombay Presidency until 1950.

[edit] The British Empire

The British made Karwar their district headquarters in 1862. Since 1862, the time from
which it came under Bombay Presidency, Karwar was described as a first rate harbour
between Bombay and Colombo.

The renowned Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Karwar
in 1882, dedicated an entire chapter of his memoirs to this town.[3] The 22 year old
Rabindranath Tagore stayed with his second brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was the
district judge in Karwar.

[edit] Geography

Coconut palms on the beach, Karwar

The town is sandwiched between the sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other.
It is rich in flora and fauna.

Kali river (Kalinadi) is a west flowing river which takes its birth at a height of 600 m in
the Western Ghats at the village of Bidi. Kali River is a prime source of irrigation in
Karnataka and has a total length of 153 km. The Kali river flows through Karwar town
and finally empties into the Arabian Sea.

[edit] Demographics
As per the 2001 India census[4], Karwar had a population of 62,960. Males constitute 52%
of the population and females 48%. Karwar has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher
than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 75%. In
Karwar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Majority of the local population is Hindu.[citation needed] The prominent castes and subcastes
include Daivadnya Brahmin, Konkan Maratha, Kshatriya Komarpanth, Vaishyavani,
Harikantra, Konkan Kharvi, Halakki Vokkaliga, Gouli, Bhandari, Kunbi, Padthi, Ram
Kashtriya, Havyaka Brahmin and Gaud Saraswat Brahmin.[citation needed] In the 17th century,
due to rampant persecution by the Portuguese, over 20% of Goans migrated to Karwar.
[citation needed]

Halakki Vokkaligas living in the foot of Western Ghats are known as the "Aboriginals of
Uttara Kannada". They have an administrative system of their own and the headman is
called "Gouda".[citation needed] Their way of living is still ancient; the women adorn
themselves with beads and necklaces, heavy nose rings and distinct attire. Goulis are a
nomadic tribe who migrated to Karwar from Maharashtra.[citation needed] They are mainly cow
and goat raisers. They stay on the fringes of the forest. Some have taken up agriculture.
Kunabis are said to be the most backward of the tribes of Uttara Kannada district. They
live in small groups deep inside forests in bamboo huts built in a row sharing common
walls. Not having access to medical facilities due to seclusion, mortality rate among them
is very high.[citation needed]

Partly due to the presence of the British, who had a major presence in this town and by
virtue of being next to the then Portuguese-controlled Goa state, Christianity has been in
existence here since the 18th century. A majority of the Christians here are converts who
fled the Portuguese Inquisition, which demanded complete severance from the native
rituals practiced by the converts.[citation needed]

Muslims, mainly forming a part of the trading community, came down from the Deccan
(Bahamani) kingdoms to Karwar, and are known to be sea-farers.[citation needed] It is due to
Muslim influence that the Karwar port is known as "Baithkol" meaning the House of
Safety, or Place of Safety ("Bait-e-kol" in Arabic).[citation needed] Major villages of Muslims
were Shiveshvar, Kadwad, Sunkeri, Chittakula, Sawar Pai and Hotegali.[citation needed] It is
believed that two brothers who were descendants of Prophet Mohammed's son-in-law Ali
were settled in Shiveshvar and this village became a citadel of Islamic learning.[citation needed]
In this village three shrines of Muslim Saints (Gaiby Pir, Nizam Pir and Shamshuddin
pir-In Kot) are visited by worshippers.[citation needed]

[edit] Language
Konkani is spoken as a local language in Karwar.[5]. Konkani is spoken by almost 95% of
karwarians.Kannada, being the state language is also widely spoken. Marathi is widely
understood in Karwar due to the prevalence of Marathi literature and arts in the area[6] .
Urdu and English are also used in social communication.
[edit] Border Issues
Uttara Kannada district was a part of Bombay Presidency during the British rule. Before
reorganization of the States, the district was in Bombay State. The local Konkani-
speaking people had close connections with Mumbai then. They had matrimonial
relations also with the people in Bombay. Many Marathi-medium schools had also been
established in Karwar and Joida taluks. Marathi films were released often in Karwar. The
visit of Marathi drama troupes from Mumbai and Pune was an annual feature. However,
Konkani-speaking people were disenchanted when Marathis began to claim that Konkani
was a dialect of Marathi. They disputed it and asserted that Konkani had independent
status as a language. It was the Konkani-speaking people led by late P.S. Kamat who
argued before Mahajan Commission that Karwar was an integral part of Karnataka. [7]

The Goa State Konkani Ekikaran Manch (GSKEM) was launched with Asha Palankar as
convener in Sadashivgad in 2006. According to members of the Ekikaran Manch, their
aim is to organize the movement for the unification of Konkani language speaking
Karwar and Joida taluks with Goa. The local unit of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi
(MES) at Sadashivagad and its leaders like Vishnu Kalgutkar and Shivanand Rane joined
hands with the GSKEM and said they would dissolve the MES unit and fight for merger
of Karwar and Joida in Goa. MES had a long history of pursuit for Karwar alongside
Nippani and Belgaum in their quest to merge these areas into the state of Maharashtra.
The activists said that Karwar and Joida, with 90 per cent of Konkani speaking people,
should be merged with Goa, the only Konkani state in the country. [8]

[edit] Communities
[Kshatriya Konkan Marathas] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konkan_Maratha

[edit] Notable people

Major Rane

• Major Rama Raghoba Rane (Param Vir Chakra Awardee - 1948) from Chendia,
Karwar.
 • Jayshree Gadkar (Noted Marathi movie actress and a star of Marathi cinema in
the 1960s) from Kanasgiri, Karwar.

[edit] Industry

Karwar is rich in flora and fauna

A major industry in Karwar is fisheries. Though the district is located along the coast, its
marine products are not much renowned. But activities connected with fisheries are
carried out on a large scale by the fishermen communities like Harikanth, Konkan
Kharvis, Gabiths, Ambigas.

A majority of the population lives in rural areas, undertaking agriculture as the main
occupation.

The main traditional occupations are agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, sericulture,
horticulture, beekeeping and leather works.

Solaris Chemtech (previously BILT - Ballarpur Industries Ltd.) at Binaga manufactures

caustic soda, chlorine, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid. NPC's nuclear power plant
at Kaiga is around 50 kilometres away from Karwar town. Karwar is situated on the
Konkan Railway route. The railway station is located at Shirwad, 6 km away from
Karwar town.

[edit] Project Seabird

A bay near Binaga has become a new naval base for the Indian Navy called INS
Kadamba, as part of Project Seabird. Thus, its beautiful beaches like the Casurina Beach
(at Binaga) - now christened as Kamat Bay by the navy - and the Arga Beach are now
transformed with shore infrastructure built by the Indian Navy and are out of bounds for
the common man. However, the navy opens its portals for one and all during the Navy
Week in December and for educational institutions and groups visiting the base.

[edit] Karwar port

Karwar port is located in Baithkol area of Karwar town on the edge of Karwar bay. The
bay's mountain range opposite the port towards the Arabian Sea protects the ships berthed
at the port from the sea waves, which makes Karwar among the best natural harbours in
the world.

Karwar port is one of the main ports of Karnataka, serving the hinterland of northern
Karnataka, Goa and southern Maharastra, with a total length of 355 meters. The quay has
two berths with a draft capacity of 9.25 meters each for berthing of deep ocean going
ships. It is maintained and operated by the Government of Karnataka with all necessary
facilities. The Government of Karnataka has a proposal to develop Karwar port on Public
Private Partnership (PPP) basis for 6 additional berths, a container port terminal, and a
rail link from Karwar port to Shirwad railway station for transport of cargo by railway
wagons. The port has been declared by Government of India as handling all types of
commodities, including "B" and "C" classes of petroleum products.

At present Iron ore Fines (IOF) is the prime cargo handled by the port. The cargo lorries
plying on the National Highway 17 to the port play havoc during arrival of ships, due to
discharging and dumping of cargo in and around the port area. This leads to regular
protests and agitation by local residents and NGOs. The locals argue that the authorities
are not taking enough measures for safe movement of vehicles and also that dumping of
cargo in and around the port area leads to pollution of the area which in turn, is hazardous
for human habitation. Karwar port also has arrangements for berthing of coastal vessels.
A fishing jetty is attached to the port which is used to berth fishing boats. Karwar port
plays a major role in the sea trade, fishing and maritime services of the nation.

Karwar Port is also the headquarters for the Department of Ports & Inland Waterways,
Government of Karnataka. This department is headed by a Principal Director who is in
charge for all maritime and inland waterway activities of Karnataka state (excluding New
Mangalore Port - being a major port, it is under Central Government control).

There are rumours that the National Highway 17 passing adjoining to the port will be
closed and diverted through another part of the town due to security reasons.

[edit] Tourism

Karwar Evening
Bridge on River Kali, Karwar

Kali river bridge, Karwar, Karnataka

Prominent places of tourist interest in Karwar are:

• Oyster Rock Lighthouse

• Karwar Beach (Rabindranath Tagore Beach)
• Devbagh Beach
• Kurumgad Island
• Kodasall
• Binaga Beach
• Tilmatti Beach
• Majali Beach
• Guddahalli Peak
• Hyder Ghat Pass
• Shirve Ghat
• Devkar Falls
• Anshi National Park
• Durga Devi Temple
• Naganath Temple
• Shahkaramuddin Dargah, Sadashivgad (Tomb of a Sufi Saint)
• Kot Shiveshvar
• Mudgeri Dam
• Jamiya Mosque,Shiveshvar
• Chaitanya Park
• Jamba
• Sadashivgad Fort
 • High Church
• Maruti Temple
• Kali Bridge
• Chendia Falls - Nagarmadi Falls (a small waterfall which passes under a huge
rock)
• Habbu Mountain (opp. Venkateshwara Gas Agencies)
• Shri Kshetra Gurumath, Baad,Karwar
• Shri Ayyappa Temple, KEB Road
• Jai Santoshi Maata Temple, Nanadangadda, Karwar

[edit] Karwar cuisine

Kurle Ambat

Karwar is famous for a variety of seafood delicacies. Fish curry and rice is the staple diet
of the locals, cashews and coconut

• Kurle Ambat – Crab prepared in coconut, red chillies and tamarind paste.
• Bangada Fry – Mackerel fried in masala (spices) and semolina.
• Gojju – A vegetable dish made of capsicum, carrot, cucumber and eggplant fried
in butter.
• Kalwa Sukka
• Tisaryachi Ekshipi – Clams with one shell on.
• Masli Kadi – Fish cooked in coconut gravy.
• Miri Phanas Chi Bhaji – Breadfruit cooked with grated coconut, spices and either
shellfish or shrimp.
• Shagoti – Chicken or mutton cooked in coconut gravy and shagoti masala.
• Sukhe Masli – Dried, salted fish like mackerel (bangada), Bombay duck (bombil),
sardine (tarle) and others.
• Paez – Parboiled rice (ukhde tandul) cooked in water and salt. Is eaten with
ambat or masli kadi.
• Sutryan – Boiled rice shaped into a disc or vada-like form. Is eaten with prawn
(zinge) gravy.
• Kakadi chi Roti
• Mungachi Kheer
• Sakhroli
 • Chile
• Ghavane
• Shevaya – Vermicelli noodles made from boiled rice. Is eaten with coconut milk
and jaggery.
• Patoli – A sweet prepared by wrapping the ingredients in turmeric leaves and
steaming them.
• Patrado
• Sukrundo – A sweet prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi. People believe that this is
Lord Ganesh's favourite.
• Bhinda Kadi – A drink prepared from the kokum fruit.

[edit] Karwar Taluk

Karwar Taluk/Tehsil comprises the following blocks/villages: Kathinkon, Kinner, Siddar,
Halga, Ulga, Asnoti, Bhaire, Balni, Kharga, Kadra, Hankon, Baad, Kolage, Majali,
Hosali, Bhaire, Gopashitta, Sunkeri, Amdalli, Arga, Chendia, Kerwadi, Karkal, Gotegali,
Hotegali, Bore, Mallapur, WailBalni, Upper Makeri, Lower Makeri, Hapkarni, Kunnipet,
Sanmudageri, Mudageri, Kaiga, Harwada, Hosalli, Devabag, Hotegali, Thoralebag,
Sadashivgad, Angadi, Birtulbag, Hankon, Ambrai, Shejebag, Halebag, Sakalbalni,
Kodibag, Nandangadda, Kajubag, Baitkol, Binaga, Nargeri (area around the Konkan
Railway Station), Shirwad, Shejwad, Kadwad.

[edit] Festivals
Ganesha Chaturthi Festival is one of the major festival season of Karwar. It is
celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Two to three months prior to Ganesh
Chaturthi, life-like clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled
artisans. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size
of these statues may vary from 3/4th of an inch to over 25 feet.Ganesh Chaturthi starts
with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially
erected temporary structures mantapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are
erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary
contributions. The mantapas are decorated specially for the festival, either by using
decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which
depict religious themes or current events. The statues are worshiped with families and
friends.

Diwali is also celebrated by Karwarians with lot of spirit. Diwali is celebrated as return
of Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya after
14 years exile, and a war in which he killed Ravana. It is also called the Festival of
Lights. All homes, shops, establishments & offices are decorated & special arrangements
are made at night for lighting.

Muslims community of Karwar celebrates Id-ul-Fitar (Ramdan Id) on the completion

of Ramadan month & Id-ul-Adha (Bakri-Id) in the rememberance of Prophet Abraham's
sacrifice of his son Prophet Ismail to the will of Almighty Allah and completion of Haj
rituals at Mecca.

Christian community of Karwar celebrates Christmas Day on 25 December being

birthday of Jesus Christ.

Every year, a festival called the "Karavali Utsav" is held on the Rabindranath Tagore
Beach, lasting 3 to 4 days. It is organised by Uttar Kannada District Administration as a
cultural-social festival of district level. Many shops and stalls are installed at the Tagore
Beach Karwar, people from all parts of district and all over the state and neighbouring
Goa state participate in the festival. Many cultural events are held at evening time in
which artist of regional, national and international level present their shows, they include
Bollywood stars, Kannada film stars, Goan artists and local artists.

[edit] Quote
The sea beach of Karwar is certainly a fit place in which to realize that the beauty of
Nature is not a mirage of the imagination, but reflects the joy of the Infinite and thus
draws us to lose ourselves in it. Where the universe is expressing itself in the magic of its
laws it may not be strange if we miss its infinitude; but where the heart gets into
immediate touch with immensity in the beauty of the meanest of things, is any room left
for argument?

– Rabindranath Tagore[3]

[edit] Rail connectivity

Karwar Railway Station

Karwar is well connected to Madgaon (Goa),Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mangalore,

Cochin,Trivandrum and other important places through the Konkan Railway. The three
railway stations falling under Karwar Taluka on Konkan Railway route are Asnoti,
Karwar (Shirwad) and Harwada. The Nearest Goan station is the Canacona station after
the asnoti station at a distance of 36 km. The next being the Madgaon station towards the
North. Karwar is 68 km from Madgaon.
[edit] From other cities in India
• Karwar is 13 km from Goan border (Polem) and 1 hour by train from Madgaon,
12 hours by bus from Bengalooru and 12 hours by train from Mumbai on Konkan
Railway route.
• Karwar is 107 kilometres from Panaji (Goa), 540 kilometres from Bengalooru,
117 kilometers from Dandeli, 881 kilometres from Chennai, 701 kilometres from
Mumbai, 268 km from Mangalore.

[edit] News and media

• Karwar eNews (http://www.karwarenews.com) is the major online local
newspaper in the region.
• Karavali Munjav, a Kannada daily published from Karwar is the most popular
local daily amongst the masses of Uttar Kannada district. Karavali Munjav has
circulations in every nook & corners of the district.
• Karwar also have a District Press / Media Center (Zilla Varta Kendra) near DC
Office, NH-17.
• There is a Government District Library Near District Court next to Mitra Samaj
attracting people from all ages and groups. It is a favourite spot for reading in the
city and has a public reading room and a collection of books on various subjects.

[edit] Schools in Karwar

• Hindu High School, Karwar
• St. Joseph's school, Karwar
• St. Michael's Convent School, Karwar
• Kendriya Vidyalaya, Arga, Karwar
• Balmandir School
• New High School
• Sadashivgad High School
• Shivaji High School, Karwar
• Shivaji Girls High School, Karwar
• Santeri High School, Hankon
• Swami Vivekananda High School
• Unity High School
• Government High School
• Balbhavan School
• Nirmala Rani School, Sunkeri, Karwar
• Shivaji Secondary School, Ulga, Karwar
• Modern High School, Halga, Karwar
• Amruta Vidyalayam, Sadashivgad
• Sacred Heart School Sadashivgad
[edit] Colleges in Karwar
• Shivaji College, Karwar
• Government Arts and Science College
• Government Polytechnic
• Divekar College of Commerce
• Shivaji B.Ed. College, Karwar
• Shivaji Teachers Training institute (D.Ed.), Karwar
• Bapuji College
• Smt Amrutha Teachers Training Institute (D.Ed.), Shirwad, Karwar
• Department of Marine Biology, Kodibag
• Government Industrial Training Institute
• Union High School, Majali

[edit] Others
• A Part of the 2008 Hindi Picture film Golmaal Returns was shot in KARWAR
port.

• Jayshree Gadkar, a noted Marathi movie actress and a star of Marathi cinema in
the 1960s, was born in a Konkani speaking family at Kanasgiri village very close
to Sadashivgad, Karwar.

• Carwar Street now Karwar Street (constructed in 1888) located in Ballard

Estate, Fort, South Mumbai near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was named after
Karwar, which was the chief town of the North Kanara district in British India.

• Real TV's reality show, Sarkaar Ki Duniya was shot at Ambe Joog island which is
surrounded by Kali river in Siddar near Karwar.(Island in Konkani language translates to
Joog).