Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam is a coastal port city on the Bay of Bengal in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The place is known by the shortened name Vizag, derived from the deity Visakha. The Dolphin's Nose promontory projects into the sea south of the entrance channel.

The Port of Visakhapatnam handles iron ore and container freight across deepwater berths. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, a public steel manufacturer, produces steel billets and wire rods under the Vizag Steel brand. Hindustan Shipyard builds ocean vessels and offshore support craft at coastal docks. Bharat Heavy Electricals maintains a heavy engineering plant that manufactures pressure vessels and industrial heat exchangers. Dredging Corporation of India operates trailing suction hopper dredgers to clear maritime navigation channels.

The territory formed part of Kalinga in the 3rd century BCE under Emperor Ashoka. Rulers of the Eastern Ganga dynasty governed the coastal strip during the 11th century and sponsored regional temples. The British East India Company established a fortified trading station in the town in 1682. Control shifted between French and British forces during the Carnatic Wars before Britain secured permanent possession late in the 18th century. Commercial shipping accelerated after the formal opening of the inner deepwater harbor in 1933. Maritime traffic and dockyards expanded throughout the mid-20th century as the settlement grew into a regional administrative center.

Simhachalam Temple stands on a forested hill ridge, where medieval stone carvings in the Kalinga architectural style decorate shrines dedicated to the deity Narasimha. Kailasagiri park crowns a coastal bluff overlooking the Bay of Bengal and showcases monumental white sculptures of Shiva and Parvati beside gardens and a scenic tramway. Andhra University conducts academic instruction in science, literature, and pharmaceutical studies across campuses first opened in the 1920s. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park provides naturalistic habitat reserves for deer and regional birds within the Kambalakonda forest.