BY TTT NEWS NETWORK
KOLKATA, 31 JANUARY 2023
Vishakhapatnam or Vizag, the most populous and the largest city in Andhra Pradesh will be the new capital of the state, announces Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy today at the national capital.
“Here I am to invite you to Visakhapatnam which will be our capital in the days to come. I will also be shifting to Visakhapatnam in the months to come”, said Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at International Diplomatic Alliance meet in Delhi.
Visakhapatnam is also known as Waltair. It is situated between the eastern ghats and the coasts of bay of Bengal.
In 2016 it was 9 th largest contributor to India’s gross domestic output (GDP).
The city is also home to the oldest shipyard and the only natural harbour on the east coast of India. Visakhapatnam Port is the fifth-busiest cargo port in India. The city is a major tourist destination and is known for its beaches, ancient Buddhist sites, and the natural environment of the surrounding Eastern Ghats.
It is nicknamed as the “City of Destiny” and the “Jewel of the East Coast”. According to the Swachh Survekshan rankings of 2020, it is the ninth cleanest city in India among cities with a population of more than 1 million. In 2020, it was a finalist in the Living and Inclusion category of the World Smart City Awards.
About nine years ago (2014) , Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated into two states – Andhra Pradesh and Telengana. While Hyderabad was made the capital of Telengana, Amaravati ( on the banks of River Krishna) was announced as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.
HISTORY-
Visakhapatnam’s history dates back to the 6th century BCE, when it was considered part of the Kalinga Kingdom, and later ruled by the Vengi, the Pallava and Eastern Ganga dynasties. Visakhapatnam was an ancient Port city which had trade relations with the Middle East and Rome. Ships were anchored at open roads and were loaded with cargo transported from Visakhapatnam shore by means of small Masula boats. A reference to Vizagapatam merchant is available in the inscriptions of Sri Bheemeswara Swamy temple (1068 CE), East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. During 12th century CE, Vizagapatam was a fortified merchandize town managed by a guild. The city’s control was alternating between the Chola dynasty and the Gajapati Kingdom in 11th and 12th centuries, until its conquest by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, after the decline of the Vijayanagara empire and the Gajapatis, the coastal region of North Andhra, including Visakhapatnam, was annexed by the Jeypore Kingdom and remained part of it until the arrival of the British in 1711. Evidently, the Maharaja of Jeypore was commonly referred to as the Maharaja of Visakhapatnam until the dissolution of the princely state in 1947. European powers eventually established trade operations in the city, and by the end of the 18th century it had come under French colonial rule. Control passed to the East India Company in 1804 and it remained under British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947.
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