The Many Facets Of Vizag

Visakhapatnam is the location for IATO’s annual convention in September. The city has emerged as an important tourism destination in the country in recent years due to focused strategy of the state government and the industry stakeholders.

Visakhapatnam, which is popularly referred to as Vizag, is named after God Vaishaka. The city is a port city, located along the shores of Bay of Bengal and is headquarters to the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. Although considered to be an industrial city, Vizag has a rich and vibrant culture and heritage. The city was part of the ancient Kalinga Empire and was ruled by renowned kings, such as Ashoka and Krishnadeva Raya. During the 18th century, the city was a Dutch colony. Today, Vizag embraces its past and present seamlessly, making it an interesting and attractive city to spend holidays.

Vizag is blessed with natural beauty, with hill ranges, pristine beaches along its coastline and lush, natural valleys. The city is surrounded by three hills, Sri Venkateswara Konda, Ross Hill and Dargah Konda. Each hill is home to a shrine, dedicated to three different religions. The Venkateswara Konda is home to the Vekateswara Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva; Ross Hill houses the Church of Virgin Mary; and the Dargah Konda is home to the tomb of a Muslim saint called Baba Ishaq Madina Dargah.

Borra Caves

These caves are located 1,400 metres above sea level in Visakhapatnam's Anantagiri area. The caves are famous for their beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations. Borra Caves have both religious and historical significance. The locals flock to the caves to worship a Shivalinga and an idol of Kamadenu, the divine bovine goddess of Hindu mythology. This idol is located deep inside caves. The rock formations inside the caves look like udders of a cow and hence, these caves also are called Gosthani William King George belonging to the Geological Survey of India was instrumental in discovering Paleolithic implements in 1807. It is believed that these implements were about one million years old.