MUSEUMS in Vizag

MUSEUMS

Vishaka Museum

Located on the shores of Ramakrishna Beach has a historical treasures and antiques. This Museum is kept at 150 year old architecturally impressive Dutch Bungalow. It was opened in 1991. The collection of the museum includes ancient armory, crockery, coins, silk costumes, j

ewelry, stuffed animals, portraits, Shell of an un exploded bomb dropped by the Japanese during World War II, manuscripts, letters, diaries, scrap books as well as periodicals, maps etc which chronicle the lives of the early settlers.

Submarine Museum

INS Kurusura, a Russian built forth submarine of the Indian Navy was turned to a museum on 27th Feb 2001. It had been in use by the Indian Defense since its arrival in Vizag in 1970. The Submarine was brought from the sea, to the sands of the Ramakrishna Beach and positioned on concrete foundation to set up as a museum. The museum is the first of its kind in Asia and second in the world. It has been established with the aim to create awareness among the public to know how the submarines work during wartime and for show casing the life inside the submarine, etc.

 It is opens for public from 11 am to 9 pm.

Anthropology Museum

The department of Anthropology in the Andhra University has its own specialized anthropology Museum. The museum was established in the year 1961.

Garden- Parks in Vizag.

 GARDENS

Vuda Park

Vuda Park, which is also known as Taraka Rama Park, located near the Rama Krishna Beach is one of the most attractive leisure spots in Visakhapatnam. The park, named after the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Sri N T Rama Rao, has boating and swimming facilities, a roller skating rink, camel and horse riding, artificial caves, beautiful lawns, flower gardens and a children's park. The playpen for children has 3000 plastic balls and boxing bags. The dancing musical fountain in the Vuda Park provides wholesome entertainment to visitors.

Sivaji Park

Sivaji Park is an ideal picnic spot sprawling over 3 acres. It has many attractions like fountains, skating rink, children’s play area, beautiful gardens, food court, etc. In the fountain area, there are three fountain hubs dancing according to the music played. The park opens for the public only in the evenings.

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park

The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, stretched over 635 acres is located 9 kms from the city. The zoo which houses around 80 species of birds and animals is bound by the Eastern Ghats on three sides and the Bay of Bengal on the east . It is one of the largest zoos in Andhra Pradesh. The well-planned layout of the Indira Zoo Park has a wide a variety of animals living in the natural habitat. The wildlife variety ranges from common langurs, mandrills, olive baboons, wolves, jackals to the Himalayan black bear, terrapins, water monitor lizards, crocodiles and hippopotamuses. The zoo also has a varied collection of birds like grey pelicans, rosy pelicans, pied horn bills, painted storks, peacocks, budgerigars, etc. Other attractions in the zoo are mini-train and the zoo van drive which facilitates people to watch the wild life in their own natural habitat.

The park is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m on all the days except Mondays. Entry Fee is Rs. 5 for children, Rs.10 for adults and for taking the car in with five occupants, you have to pay an additional Rs.200.

Visakhapatnam @ History

 Visakhapatnam was ruled by King Viśakha Varma before it was a part of the Kalinga Kingdom under Ashoka's rule in 260 BC, and until the 16th century AD it was part of the Utkala Kingdom. The city passed later to the Andhra Kings of Vengi and after that to the Pallavas. Another story is it was named after Subrahmanyeswara, the deity of valour and second son of Lord Shiva. His beauty was compared to that of Sakhi Viśakha. Legend has it that Radha and Viśakha were born on the same day, and were equally beautiful. Local residents believe that an Andhra king, impressed by their beauty, built a temple to pay homage to his family deity Viśakha. Latterly it was ruled by Qutb Shahis, Mughal Empire(between 1689-1724), Nizam (1724-1757) and France (1757-1765) before being captured by the British in 1765.

CLIMATE

Visakhapatnam has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), with little change in temperature throughout the year. May is the hottest month with an average maximum temperature about 36 °C (97 °F), and January is the coolest month with an average maximum temperature near29 °C (84 °F).

With the city's location on the Bay of Bengal, the humidity is high throughout the year. Total annual rainfall is about 945 millimeters (37.2 in), most of which falls during the southwest monsoon. October is the wettest month, with about 204 millimeters (8.0 in) of rainfall. November through February is the best time to visit Visakhapatnam weather-wise, since temperatures are moderate.

Beaches in Visakhapatnam ( Vizag) , Andhra Pradesh, India

Rama Krishna Beach

Rama Krishna Beach also known as R.K. Beach is located on the east coast at a distance of about 5 km from the centre of the city. This beach occupies the largest part of the seafront and is a great spot to spend leisure time. The R.K. Beach was jointly developed by the Greater Vishaka Municipal Corporation of Visakhapatnam (GVMC) and the VUDA.

The Submarine Museum, Vishaka Museum, Sri Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, an aquarium, the Kali Temple, statues of prominent personalities, roadside restaurants and parks are the added attractions of the R.K. Beach. The war memorial called 'Victory at Sea' on the seashore was constructed to pay homage to the soldiers of the 1971 war is worth visiting.

Rushikonda Beach

This beach is located 13 kms, from Visakhapatnam and is an ideal tourist destination. Rushikonda is a thickly covered hill. This lovely beach with golden sands and vast stretches of water is the best beach in Vizag. It is an ideal destination for lovers of nature especially water sport enthusiasts. Tourists can enjoy water skiing, sunbathing, wind surfing and swimming. The tourist complex here is well equipped with a tourist lodge, individual rental cottages, a restaurant and other amenities. The 14th century Sri Sapta Rusheswara Temple surrounded by seven hills is located in Rushikonda.

Lawson's Bay Beach

Lawson's Bay Beach with golden sands and lush green vegetation is located a little ahead of the RK Beach on the way to Kailasgiri Hill. The shallow crystal clear water of the beach is ideal for sea bathing and surfing. Sometimes known as Peddawaltair Beach, it presents a picturesque and scenic beauty of nature.

Konda Karla Ava-LAKE

Konda Karla village situated in Achyutapuram mandal lies about 48 kms from Visakhapatnam. It is famous for the biggest fresh water lake in the state, Kondakarla Ava. The serene water of the lake surrounded by coconut trees on one side and green hills all around provides a picturesque locale. The Bird Sanctuary here, located in lush green surroundings has a rich variety of bird species.

Bheemunipatnam Beach

The beautiful beach at Bheemunipatnam also known as Bheemli, located at the mouth of the river Gosthani, is considered to be one of the safest and calmest beaches for swimmers. The beach with its invigorating climate coupled with the pleasantness provided by the lush green palm groves makes it a popular sea side resort.

Yarada Beach

Yarada Beach, located 15 kms away from Vizag city offers a fabulous landscape with its exotic blend of golden sands and the lush green stretch of hills. Nestled between the hills on all the three sides and the Bay of Bengal on one side, this beach could be an ideal spot for a day out.

Gangavaram Beach

The beautiful Gangavaram Beach, lined with palm trees is located near the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), at a distance of about 26 kms south of Vizag. The beach has a beautiful coastline which attracts number of tourists and film makers.