Vijayawada

There are many tales behind the origin of the name Vijayawada.At first it was named as Chandrala which comes under the family of Gajapathis which means victory and later Legends have it that this was the place where Arjuna was blessed by Shiva, on Indrakiladri Hill. In another legend it is stated that Goddesses Durga killed the demon and relaxed in this place for some time. As she was victorious (Vijaya), the place got the name as Vijayawada (vijaya: victory and wada: city/place/location) which literally means "City of Victory". The Epic of Mahabharata refers to Indrakiladri hills as the place where Arjuna secured “Pasupathastra” from Lord Siva.^[7]

In some legends, Vijayawada was referred to as Vijayavata and Rajendracholapura.^[8]

A tale behind its acquiring the name "Bezawada" is that Goddesses Krishnaveni (River Krishna) requested Arjuna to make a passage for her to merge into the Bay of Bengal. Hence Arjuna made a bejjam (hole) through the mountains and the place came to be known as Bejjamwada which later changed to Bezawada.

Vijayawada was referred as Blazewada (city of high temperatures), during British rule..

Vijayawada is surrounded by the Krishna river on the east and west and the Budameru River on the north. The northern, northwestern, and southwestern parts of the city are covered by a low range of hills, while the central, southwestern and northwestern parts are covered by rich and fertile agriculture lands with three major irrigation canals. The topography of Vijayawada is flat, with a few small- to medium-sized hills. The Krishna River runs through the city. These hills are part of the Eastern Ghats cut through by the Krishna river. They have very low elevation compared to the average elevation of the ghats. Three canals originating from the north side of the Prakasham barrage reservoir, Eluru, Bandar and Ryves, run through the city. Thanks to these canals, Vijayawada is in the race for the title of ‘Venice of the East’, competing with Alleppey of Kerala and Kampong Ayer of Brunei. Several bridges have been built across these three canals over the decades making eligible to vie for the exotic title. ^[9]

Buckingham Canal originates from the southmate, with hot summers and moderate winters. The peak temperature reaches 47 °C (117 °F) in May–June, while the winter temperature is 20–27 C. The average humidity is 78% and the average annual rainfall is 103 cm. Vijayawada gets its rainfall from both the southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon. It was nicknamed "Blaze-wada" for its scorching summer heat by Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy.

You can get the latest updates of Vijayawada from the site www.bezawadatoday.com ^[10]

About the western outskirts of Vijayawada lies the Kondapalli reserve forest, spread over 121.5 square kilometres (30,000 acres). The forest provides Vijayawada with a "green lung". This pristine forest is home to leopards, wild dogs, jackals, wild boar, wolves etc.^[13] The hills produce a soft wood which is used in the manufacture of Kondapalli Toys.

As per provisional data of 2011 census, Vijayawada urban agglomeration had a population of 1,491,202, out of which males were 750,770 and females were 740,432. The literacy rate was 81.60 per cent. Vijayawada municipal corporation had a population of 1,048,240.^[14] The city's population is expected to reach 2.5 million by 2025.^[5]

Average literacy rate is 82.59 percent. The sex ration of Vijayawada city is 997 females per 1000 males. Number of children forms 8.86 percent of total population.^[15]

Vijayawada's population has historically been Telugu speaking. Hindi and English are also spoken and understood by many of its residents. Hinduism is practiced by majority of its citizens followed by Christianity,Islam and Sikhism. Vijayawada is home to a growing Assamese, Bengali,Gujarati, Jain, Malaya lee,Oriya, Punjabi, and Tamil Communities.

The city is run by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.^[16] The Municipality of Vijayawada was constituted on 1 April 1888 and was upgraded as a selection grade municipality in the year 1960. The municipality was upgraded to a corporation in 1981. With the merger of Gunadala, Patamata and Bhavanipuram village panchayats and two villages payakapuram and Kundavari kandrika in the corporation in 1985. More than 200,000 people reside outside corporation limits. Many areas on outskirts or yet to be merged into corporation limits. The total area of the corporation is 61.8 square kilometres (23.9 sq mi) and the population of the whole city (along with Vijayawada sub-urban and Vijayawada rural) is more than 2.5 million.

The city is divided into 59 political wards. Each ward of the Municipal Corporation is represented by an area corporator. An elected body headed by the mayor performs the administration of the corporation. The commissioner acts as the executive head and oversees the day-to-day functioning of the local body. The commissioner is an IAS officer of joint collector rank appointed by the state government. It has a dedicated sub-collector's office for administration of state and central government programmes. The staff strength of the corporation is just over 5,000. Vijayawada is one of the three cities in Andhra Pradesh to be provided with its own police commissionerate. The Vijayawada City Police is headed by a police commissioner, who is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of DIG rank.

The region around the city has fertile soil and irrigation is supported by the river Krishna and its canals. Major crops include sugarcane, rice and mango. Vijayawada is famous for automobile body building, garment, iron and hardware small scale industries. The Jawahar Lal Nehru Auto Nagar Industrial Estate in Vijayawada is one of the largest hubs of automobile industry of Asia.^[17] There are about 1500 automobile accessory units in the city and near about 100,000 workers are employed in these industries. Apart from workers of the city, people from other parts of the state come to work in the industrial estate. The main markets are in the old city (popularly known as One Town) and near Besant Road. It is estimated that nearly INR 10 crores of garment business takes place in the Vastralatha building alone in One Town daily. Garments are mainly sold in Besant Road and Governor Pet, but most upmarket stores have shifted their shops to Bandar Road. The city has many wholesale businesses. They include garments, iron market, pulses, cereals, and other edible products, fancy markets, fertilizers, mango exports, pharmacy and metal.

The total urban market size of Vijayawada for 2008 was estimated at Rs 5526 crores.^[18] The GDP of Vijayawada was $3 billion (Rs. 16,06,500 crore) in 2010 and is projected to grow to $17 billion (Rs. 91,03,500 crore) by 2025.^[5]

The industrial estate in Kondapalli, an industrial suburb, is spread over 450 acres (1.8 km²) and is base to more than 800 industries.^[19] In addition a 1800MW Vijayawada thermal power project (VTPS) and 368.144 MW gas-based LANCO power plant which is under expansion to 768.144 MW are located here.^[20] In March 2011 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) announced that it signed an agreement with APGENCO for setting up a 182 MW plant at Vijayawada as a technology demonstration project.^[21] Kondapalli suburb also houses Andhra Pradesh Heavy Machinery & Engineering Limited (APHMEL) factory besides being a hub for storage, bottling and transportation of petroleum products.

The fact that Vijayawada is well connected through rail and road makes it one of the main hubs of commercial activities. The second largest wagon workshop of Indian railways is at Rayanapadu near Vijayawada.^[22]

Property prices in Vijayawada are very high and are comparable with top cities of India.

According to the data prepared by the NHB, the property prices^[23] increase was observed in Pune, by 10.5%, followed by Bangalore (8.7%), Patna (8.6%), Ahmedabad (6.4%), Ludhiana (5.3%), Lucknow (4.1%), Mumbai (3.7%), Delhi (2.6%), Kolkata (2.6%), Bhubaneswar (1.7%), Bhopal (1.7%), Chennai (1.7%), Surat (1.2%), Guwahati (1.2%), Vijayawada (1.1%), and Kochi (1.1%).

Vijayawada is an important link connecting the three regions of Andhra Pradesh and is a major transit point. Two National Highways, the NH-5 from Chennai to Kolkata and the NH-9 from Machilipatnam to Mumbai, pass through the city connecting it to other parts of the country. National Highway 221 connects the city to Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. It is connected to other areas of the state by state highways and district roads. Pandit Nehru bus station is the second largest bus station in Asia next to Chennai.^{[citation needed]} The APSRTC-run city buses (Metro Express, City Sheetal (A/C Buses) and Ordinary) and auto rickshaws are the main mode of public transport. A BRTS project is under construction as well.

Vijayawada is well connected by air. The domestic airport at Gannavaram, about 19 km from the city, connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi. Vijayawada Airport is served by Jet Airways, spicejet and Air India. Annually, about 180,000 passengers use this airport.

A Vijayawada based aviation company, Aircosta (http://www.aircosta.in) is going to start its flight operations to destinations like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Visakhapatnam.

Vijayawada Junction is the biggest railway junction in India and contributes the highest revenues in the South Central Railway region. Situated along the Chennai – Howrah and Chennai – Delhi rail route, Vijayawada Junction is the largest railway junction on the South Central Railway network. Vijayawada junction had been given A-1 status by the central government.^[24] Madhuranagar, Gunadala, Rayanapadu, Kondapalli, Nidamanuru, Krishna canal junction Ramavarappadu,Kolanukonda,Mangalagiri,Gannavaram are the other railway stations in the city. The railway station has ten platforms for passenger trains and is the only station to have five entrance gates with booking counters in India and it is the buissest station to handle more than 270 trains per day next to Howrah and Mumbai.

Vijayawada is well connected to the rest of the country by National Highways: NH-5(new no NH-16), NH-9(new no NH-65) and NH-221(new no NH-30).^[25] Transport by road from Vijayawada is available in the form of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses. Private bus operators also provide transport services to parts of the country.

All major streets are connected with the Local Public Bus Transit (City Buses) operated by APSRTC. It is the first city in the south to introduce CNG buses in its fleet. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is planning to launch Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with dedicated bus corridors.^[26] The initiative, however, is mired in procedural delays.^[27] Motor-driven auto-rickshaws and manual-driven cycle-rickshaws are the other alternative means of transport within Vijayawada. Private lorries, cars and two-wheeled vehicles are common.

Vijayawada has the fourth biggest and busiest bus terminal in the Asia,^[28] next to Chennai(CMBT). It was inaugurated on 23 September 1990 and is officially named as Telugu Satavahana Prayana Pranganam with its current name of Pandit Nehru Bus Station.

Vijayawada is home to many leading hospitals and clinics, with world class facilities to serve various patient needs round the clock, with best in class pharmacy, diagnostics and blood banks etc.

There are sixty parks in Vijayawada city,and the main parks to be mentioned are

Rajiv Gandhi Park - It has roller skating rink, Bungee Trampoline, and a garden. K.L.Rao Park - It has Boating, swimming pool, and a garden. Dr.B.R.Ambedkar & Raghavaiah park - The main attraction is the hanging bridge connecting the two parts of the park on ether side of the canal. Mahatma Gandhi park - This is the oldest park in the city located in I town. The park is fully crowded in the evenings .It has a gym, used by a lot of people. G.V.S Sastry park - This park is located near Satynarayanapuram old Railway station and the park is done in an innovative way. The main attraction is the skating ring used by many children in this park. ^[29]

Water, drainage and waste collection services are provided by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.Fire fighting services by the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services department.There are at present five fire stations here. India Post provides physical mail services as well as many private courier service providers. Other Utility companies serving Vijayawada inclued Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum ( Petrol,Diesel, Gas); Southern Power Distribution Company (electricity); Bhagyanagar Gas Limited( CNG, PNG);^[30] Airtel, AirCel, BSNL,Idea, MTS, Reliance Communications, TATA DOCOMO, Uninor, Vodafone (Mobile Phone Service, Land line telephone, Broadband, 3G, DTH etc.);

Vijayawada, also called "Vidyala wada" (Place of Education), occupies a large amount of the education infrastructure of Andhra Pradesh. The city was named "The Educational Sahara" by a foreign ambassador.^[who?] Education in the city is implemented by the government and private institutions. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation takes care of the government educational institutions.

Government schools in the city are:^[31]

• High schools: 28 (including 1 Urdu medium, 2 schools English/Telugu medium, 1 Tamil medium), 1 Bengali medium)
• Upper primary schools: 15 (including 3 Urdu medium, 1 Tamil medium & 1 Bengali medium)
• Elementary schools: 65+10 = 75 (10 Urdu medium, 2 English)
• Students: 28,450 (as of 30 June 2009)
• Teachers: 622

There are “aided” schools in Vijayawada, meaning schools funded by government and private partnerships, such as the Gollapudi High School. Government schools are in areas such as the Jammichettu center, the Patamata high school and Suryarao Peta. Private schools are scattered all over the city. A majority of them implement the Andhra Pradesh State Syllabus for their students. The students, after studying their 10th class, take the Public Examination, which is equivalent of the school-leaving certificate. There are only a few schools accredited to the Central Board of Secondary Education in the city, meaning their class 10 students have to take the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE) for their school-leaving certificate.One of the most finest schools of all the central board educations i.e. N.ST.MATHEW'S PUBLIC SCHOOL is located here.It was started in 1974 and well known for its best education and discipline.Education with extra circular activities like Sports,Music,Drawing,Karate,Dance,etc. are also taught to the children which help them in overall growth.

The first college built in Vijayawada was SRR & CVR Government College. Andhra Loyola College was established in 1953 with Rev. Francis Theo Mathias, SJ as its first principal. KBN College is another popular college in Vijayawada. The first private engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College, is here.

The NTR University of Health Sciences is the first medical university in India.^{[citation needed][32]} It is a public university in the city of Vijayawada. It started functioning 1 November 1986.

Dr Nori Ramasastry Government Ayurvedic College, popularly known as Dr NRS Government Ayurvedic College is located in Vijayawada, Krishna District. Dr NRS Government Ayurvedic College was established in the year 1956 and is affiliated to NTR University of Health Sciences and is approved by All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE). The college conducts courses in Ayurveda at Bachelor’s level.

NTR College of Veterinary Science at Gannavaram was established in 1998 affiliated to Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University offers both UG and PG level courses in Veterinary Science. ^[33]

Acharya Nagarjuna University located to the south of city on NH-5 is around 23 km from the city.It offers UG, PG and Doctoral corurces in many subjects.

Regional Research Center of the Central Institute of Fresh Water Aqua Culture is located here.^[34]

Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao Government College of Music and Dance, a premier institute in Vijayawada provides interested students in the performing arts of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Supported and guided by renowned personalities from the field of music and dance, it offers rigorous training in traditional musical instruments of Saraswati veena, Tabla, Mridangam, Nadaswaram, Violin, Vocal Music, dance form of Kuchipudi and other traditional dances. After successful completion of the various courses, the institute honors the students with certificates with a proper grading system. The Institute organizes several cultural events to display the artistic caliber and creative imagination of the excellent performers of the city. ^{[35] [36]}

Vijayawada is home for many colleges imparting education in various subjects like hotel management, Pharmacy, Law, Medicine, Ayurveda, Nursing, Polytechnic etc.

Madonna School for Deaf and Dumb imparts training for differently skilled students, is located here.

In 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India established School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada as an autonomous institution. SPAV is a premier centrally funded technical institution (CFTI) under the MHRD, for excellence in the fields of planning and architecture.

Cricket is the most popular sport, with national-level matches played at Indira Gandhi Stadium.^[37] A new international stadium is being built in a 20-acre (81,000 m²) site in Mangalagiri which will be the venue for international and Ranji matches.^[38] Only one international cricket match was played between India and West Indies on 24 November 2002 at Indira Gandhi stadium. It was won by West Indies. On 12 December 1997 Women's Cricket Worldcup only a group match was played between England Women's Cricket Team and Pakistan Women's Cricket Team, and it was won by England.

Badminton, volleyball and chess are also popular.

The city includes many tourist attractions. Some famous landmarks and places to visit in Vijayawada are:

• Prakasham Barrage: Built across the river Krishna connecting Guntur District, Prakasham Barrage has created a panoramic lake. Its three canals that run through the city give Vijayawada a Venetian look.

• Kanaka Durga Temple: One of the most popular temples in Andhra Pradesh, it is located on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking the city as well as the River Krishna. It was built after 12th century by Maharaja Poosapati Madhava Varma, the ancestor of Vijayanagaram Poosapati Kings, according to History. He is the builder of Modern Vijayawada kingdom.

• Gandhi Hill: The first Gandhi Memorial with seven stupas in the country was constructed on this hill at a height of 500 ft (150 m). The 52 ft (16 m) stupa was unveiled on 6 October 1968 by Dr. Zakir Hussain, the President of India. Gandhi Memorial Library, a Sound and Light Show on Mahatma Gandhi's life and a planetarium are the other attractions.

• Mogalarajapuram Caves: These caves are said to be excavated in 5th century A.D. The caves are reputed to be the first of their kind in South India. The idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka & Arthanareeswara are carved here, but none of the statue are available here.
• Victoria Museum: A place for archaeology lovers, Victoria Museum has a carefully preserved collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, and inscriptions.

• Hazarat Bal Mosque: A holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed is kept here which is displayed once a year. A large number of non-Muslims too join the celebrations.
• Rajiv Gandhi Park: Created by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation with great care, this park welcomes the tourists at the entrance of the city with its impressive horticultural network. A mini zoo and a musical water fountain are added to it.

• Gunadala Matha Shrine: In 1925, Rf. Arlati, the Rector of St. Joseph's Orphanage at Gunadala, installed a statue of Our Lady and later a church was built and consecrated in 1971, now popularly known as St. Mary's church. Since then the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became an annual event here, attended by hundreds of people. The church is situated on a hillock on the eastern side of the city.

• Bhavani Island: Perhaps one of the largest islands on a river, Bhavani Island is in Krishna River close to the city. AP Tourism is converting this 133-acre (54 hectare) island into an attractive tourist spot and a riverfront resort. The island has some cottages to stay in and some good adventure and fun sports. The journey to the island by boat is very pleasant.
• Mangalagiri: Mangalagiri is a near by town which is a famous pilgrim centre for its Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Temple which is one among the tallest temple towers of the India. Mangalagiri is also famous for its traditional textiles.
• Namburu: Namburu is a suburban of Guntur and Vijayawada. Though a village, it gives an ornate urban living because of well-established townships. Nambur is famous for spiritual centres namely Kaligardens, Hreenkar theerth (Jain temple) which is one of the master piece for its architecture. Acharya Nagarjuna University is in Nambur.

Vijayawada is well connected to nearby tourist attractions like Amaravati, Namburu, Kuchipudi, Kondapalli, Gudivada, Chodavaram, Krishna district, Undavalli caves and Machilipatnam.

  Modesto, California ^[39]

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  Benz circle Vijayawada
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  Prakasam Barrage view from Padmavati ghat
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  A canal of river Krishna in Vijayawda

• Vijayawada
• Vijayawada Municipal Corporation website
• Vijayawada Kanakadurgamma temple official website