It is renowned for its iconicKanaka Durga Temple, an important Hindu shrine that attracts millions of devotees each year.[10] Geographically positioned near the center of the state, Vijayawada is popularly described as the commercial, political, cultural, and educational capital of Andhra Pradesh.[11] It also serves as the administrative headquarters of the newly formedNTR district.[12] ThePrakasam Barrage across the Krishna River is a pivotal infrastructure asset that connects NTR withGuntur district.[13]
Vijayawada is recognized as one of India's fastest growing urban areas. 2023 Oxford Economics report ranked it among the top 10 fastest growing cities in the world.[14]
Vijayawada is considered to be asacred place due to it being home to one of the most visited and famous temples in Andhra Pradesh and India, theKanaka Durga Temple of theHindu GoddessDurga residing on the Indrakeeladri hill.[15] It also serves as the ritual host ofPushkaram (a river worshipping ritual in India) of theRiver Krishna.[16] There is a legend which says thatArjuna, one of theheroes of theIndian epicMahabharata, prayed on top of the Indrakeeladri Hill in the city and won the blessings of theLord Shiva to get thePashupatastra to win theKurukshetra War.[17] It was called Vijayavatika (meaning Land of Victory inTelugu) whenGoddess Durga killed the demonMahishasura and rested on the Indrakeeladri Hill by the River Krishna establishing thevictory overevil hence the place got its name Vijayavatika, "Vijaya" meaning victory, and "Vatika" meaning place or land inTelugu.[18]
The city is the third most densely populated urban built-up area in the world.[19] and is classified as aY-grade city by theSixth Central Pay Commission.[20] The city is thesecond most populous in the state with a population of more than one million.[21] It was recognised as a "Global City of the Future" byMcKinsey Quarterly, which expected an increase to GDP of $17 billion by 2025.[22][23] In October 2018, it was awarded withISO 37120 platinum level certification and has been added to the "Global Cities Registry".[24][25]
Due to the presence of several well-known educational institutions, the city has emerged as a major educational hub in recent times, with many of the nation's students studying in the city. It is predicted to be the world's, and India's, tenth fastest growing city economy through 2035 by an Oxford Economics report.[26] Due to its high ratings in entertainment, construction, food, education, health care, and transport,[27] it is ranked as India's ninth most liveable city as per Ease of Living Index 2018, and theMinistry of Housing and Urban Affairs[28] and the second most liveable city in the state ofAndhra Pradesh.[29]
There are many legends behind the origin of the name Vijayawada. It is said thatGoddess Durga killedMahishasura and relaxed at this place. As she was victorious, the place came to be known as Vijayawada (vijaya translates to victory[31] andwada as place, literally meaningThe Place of Victory).[32] The hill was called asIndrekeeladri since it was frequently visited byIndra and his affiliates.[33] The epicMahabharata refers to the Indrakiladri hills as the place whereArjuna securedPashupatastra fromLord Shiva. One of the names ofArjuna is "Vijaya" (invincible). Thus city thereafter came to be known asVijayavatika ('Vatika' translates to place in Telugu) and later as Vijayawada.[34]
A tale behind its acquiring the name Bezawada is that Goddess Krishnaveni (River Krishna) requested Arjuna to make a passage for her to merge into theBay of Bengal. Hence, Arjuna made abejjam (hole) through the mountains and the place came to be known asBejjamwada which later changed toBezawada.[35][36] Other names of Vijayawada were being Vijayavata,[35] Beejapuram, Kanakaprabha, Kanakapuram, Kanakawada, Jayapuri, Vijayapuri, Phalguna Kshetram and Jananathpura in the twelfth century CE.[37]
Bezawada (as Vijayawada was known then) was founded around 626 A.D. byParicchedi Kings. Vijayawada history reveals that Bezawada (Vijayawada) was ruled by King Madhava Varma (one of the kings ofVishnukundina dynasty).[38]Chinese Buddhist scholarXuanzang stayed a few years in Bezawada (Vijayawada) in around 640 A.D. to copy and study theAbhidhamma Pitaka, the last of the three pitakas (Pali for baskets) constituting the Pali canon, the scriptures ofTheravadaBuddhism.[39]
Mogalrajapuram hills have five rock-cut temples, built during the fourth–ninth centuries. Some of the caves can be attributed toVishnukundina dynasty.Akkana Madanna Caves, at the foot of Indrakeeladri Hill, is a monument of national importance.[40]
At the foot of Indrakeeladri hills is the temple of Malleswara. The temple has inscriptions dating back to ninth century AD to 16th century AD by various kings. There are ten pillars and a mutilated slab (recognised as monuments byArchaeological Survey of India) with inscriptions in the Telugu language. Of them, the inscriptions issued by Yudhamalla I and II ofEastern Chalukyas are important.[40]
Vijayawada lies on the banks ofKrishna river,[42] covered by hills and canals.[19][43] and at an altitude of 11 m (36 ft) above sea level. Threecanals originating from the north side of thePrakasam Barrage reservoir — Eluru, Bandar, andRyves — flow through the city.[44]
Vijayawada has atropical wet and dry climate (KöppenAw).[45] The annual mean temperatures range between 23.4–34 °C (74–93 °F); with maximum temperatures often crossing 40 °C (104 °F) in the month of May and the minimum in December and January.[46] The highest maximum temperature ever recorded was 48.8 °C (119.8 °F) in May 2002. May is the hottest and January is the coldest month of the year.[46][47] It receives rainfall from the South-west and North-eastmonsoons[45] and the average annual rainfall recorded is 977.9 mm (38.50 in).[46]
The city is the second most populous in the state and the third most densely populated urban built-up areas in the world, with approximately 31,200 people per square km.[52] As of 2011[update]Census of India, it had a population of 1,021,806, of which males are 524,918 and females are 523,322 — for asex ratio of 997 females per 1000 males — higher than the national average of 940 per 1000.[53][54] 92,848 children were in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 47,582 were boys and 45,266 were girls: a ratio of 951 per 1000. The average literacy rate stood at 82.59% (male 86.25%; female 78.94%) with 789,038 literates, significantly higher than the national average of 73.00%.[53][55]
The predominant language spoken by the city residents isTelugu.[58] In the 2011 census, the total number of language speakers in the city (including theoutgrowths) were 1,143,232. Telugu is spoken by 1,022,376 speakers, followed by 90,876Urdu. A small minority speakHindi,Tamil,Odia,Gujarati,Marathi andMalayalam.[57] In the same census, the total religious population in the city (including the outgrowths) was 1,143,232. It constituted 973,612Hindus (85.16%), 104,206Muslims (9.12%), 41,557Christians (3.64%), 5,722Jains (0.50%) and 18,135 (1.59%) did not state any religion.[59]
It was constituted on 1 April 1888 and was upgraded to selection grade municipality in 1960, and, to the corporation in 1981. The jurisdictional area of the corporation is spread over an area of 230 km2 (89 sq mi) with 64 wards.[61][62] The present Municipal Commissioner of the city is Sri Dhyanachandra H M,IAS[63] and the presentMayor is Rayana Bhagya Lakshmi.[64][65] Vijayawada is the headquarters ofAndhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority.[66]
Sri Kodanda Ramalaya KalaVedika, MuthyalampaduRythubazar, Kedareshwarpeta
Water supply from the 59 water reservoirs, maintenance of roads, sewerage, underground drainage, environment protection programs, recycling of solid waste and producing power are the services provided by theVijayawada Municipal Corporation.[71] There has been an underground drainage system in the city since 1967–68. Many green parks are maintained by the corporation to protect the environment such as Raghavaiah park, Rajiv Gandhi Park, Dr. B.R Ambedkar Park, Mahatma Gandhi Park etc.[72] The corporation won many awards and achievements such as National Urban Water Award (2009), Siti e-Governance Project,ISO 9001 certification forQuality Management System.[73]
The report on solid waste generation in 46 metro cities for the year 2015–16 shows Vijayawada produces 550tonnes of solid waste per day.[76] Vijayawada is one of the cities to be covered under the Solar/Green Cities scheme launched by theMinistry of New and Renewable Energy and is one of the 15 cities in the country listed in Pilot Solar Cities.[77]
In 2007, theAndhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) that operates the city's public transport system introduced less-pollutingCNG fuelled public transport busses in a drive to reduce the operational cost and protect the environment.[78] In 2019, with the cost of CNG and fleet maintenance on the rise, the APSRTC had begun replacing the CNG run busses with BS4 and BS6 standard diesel-fuelled buses.[79] However, APSRTC continues to be committed to alternative fuels for its fleet. It has since added moreelectric,[80] andbiodiesel fuelled busses.[81]
Likewise, the city has a large number of CNG fuelledauto-rickshaws that support public transportation needs. However, auto-rickshaw operators have frequently suffered disruption in CNG supply and usually endure long queues to refuel.[82][83] In February 2020,Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited launched the sale of electric auto-rickshaws in the city.[84]
Office of assistant commissioner of police, traffic division - III, Vijayawada city
TheVijayawada City Police has its own Police Commissionerate, which is responsible for an area of 1,211.16 km2 (467.63 sq mi),[85] is headed by aPolice Commissioner, who is anIPS officer ofAdditional Director General of Police rank along with one joint commissioner of police and four Deputy Commissioners of Police who are also IPS officers. The present Police commissioner is Bathini Sreenivasulu.[86]
As of 2020 GDP of Vijayawada city is $11.292 Billion .[87] Vijayawada is one of the rapidly growing urban markets of the country.[88] The sectors that contribute to the city economy are construction, education, entertainment, food processing, hospitality, registrations, transport, etc.[89] Based on the recommendations of theSixth Central Pay Commission, it is classified as one of the Y-grade cities of India.[20] According to one study, the GDP of the city in 2010 was $3 billion (Rs. 18,000 crore) and is expected to grow up to $17 billion (Rs. 1,02,000 crore) by 2025.[90] According to another by Oxford the GDP of the city in 2018 was $5.8 billion and is expected to grow up to $21 billion by 2035.[91]
Andhra Cements (1937) was the firstcement factory in Andhra Pradesh. Siris Pharmaceuticals was the firstpharma company in Andhra Pradesh and was established in 1950.[citation needed]
The city has trading and exporting markets for agriculture and industrial goods.[92] The NunnaMango Market is one of the largest mango markets in Asia, exporting to major cities in the country.[93] It is also a hub for storage, bottling, and transportation of petroleum products of all major companies likeBPCL,HPCL, andIOCL.[94]
The city is also attracting many international IT companies.HCL Technologies,Wipro, theNoida-based Indianmultinational is constructing its Vijayawada campus in Kesarapalli village, near to Gannavaram. In the first phase, HCL will provide employment to 5,000 students.[95]
There are two major IT parks one at Gannavaram and other in Mangalagiri there are big companies like TechMahindra, HCL, PI Data Center, VSoft, Efftronics, KJ Systems, and EPSoft. The city is also most preferred tier-two city destination for IT/ITES services. There is an APIIC Mega Food Park in Mallavalli near Gannavaram.
The growing population and economy have resulted in rising real estate prices.[96] There is also a cyber security office that is operating by Tech mahindra.And theWonderla an amusement park is trying to invest around 250 crores rupees to expand its branch in between guntur and vijayawada in 50 acres.
Kondapalli toys, craftwork from a suburb of VijayawadaNight view of Prakasam BarrageSri KodandaRamalayam, Near Upendra Chowk, Muthyalampadu
The city is known in the state for its cultural history,[97] whose residents are more often referred to asVijayawadians.[98] There are many religions, languages, traditions, and festivals.[99][100]Durga Pooja and a specialTheppotsavam inKrishna river are important events of theHindu festival ofDussera in the city, mainly due to the existence of self-manifestedKanaka Durga Temple.[101] Hazarat Bal Mosque is aMuslim shrine housing the holy relic of theProphet Mohammed.[102]Gunadala Matha Shrine is an important shrine forChristians and illuminates duringChristmas Eve[103] and Gunadala Matha annual festival which takes place on 9, 10 and 11 February each year.[104]
The city corporation organises "Happy Sunday," an event organised on the first Sunday of every month atM.G. Road for promoting activities such as sports, games, cultural events, and yoga.[106] The clothing of the locals includes traditional men wearingdhoti and women wearingsaree andsalwar kameez.western clothing is also predominant.[107]
The Vijayawada Art Society promotes Telugu arts.[108] The city hosted Poetic Prism 2015, a multilingual poet's meet on 19 September 2015.[100] All these activities are organised in collaboration with theCultural Centre of Vijayawada.
Kondapalli Toys — which were grantedgeographical indication in 2007[109] — are handmade by the artisans ofKondapalli, a suburb of Vijayawada.[110] Kondapalli toys, also known as Kondapalli Bommalu, are traditional wooden toys crafted by skilled artisans in Kondapalli, Andhra Pradesh, India. These toys are known for their intricate designs and vibrant colours, made from soft Tella Poniki wood and painted with natural dyes. They are safe for children to play with due to their non-toxic materials and lack of harmful chemicals. Originating from Rajasthan in the 16th century, Kondapalli artisans are considered 'Aryakhastriyas'.[111]
Vijayawada was paired as a sister city ofModesto, California in 1993.[112] The city has old and new town areas. TheOne Town area of the city is known as old city area, comprising areas such as Islampet, Jendachettu Centre, Kamsalipet, Rajarajeswaripet, Kothapet, Ajith Singh Nagar, and Winchipet.[113] The new city areas include areas such as Autonagar, Benz circle, Chuttugunta, Labbipet, Machavaram Down,Mogalrajapuram, NTR circle, Tikkle Road, Governorpeta, Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road and Suryaraopet.[113][114][115]
Vijayawada city from Gandhi hill
Brindavan Colony, Commercial Taxes Colony, Gunadala, Veterinary Colony are some of the residential areas.[114] Bank Colony, Bharati Nagar, Gayatri Nagar, Currency Nagar, Satyanarayana Puram, Gurunanak Colony, APIIC Colony, LIC Colony,Patamata andMG Road are the upscale residential areas.[116][117] The major commercial areas include the stretch of MG Road and fromBenz Circle toRamavarappadu Ring.[114][117] Other commercial centers are Besant Road, Rajagopalachari street, One Town market area covering Kaleswara Rao Market (KR Market), and Vastralatha.[118][119][120]
The city has many landmarks which include,Prakasam Barrage across theKrishna river;[121]Krishnaveni Mandapam (River Museum) depicting the history of Krishna river and a nearby idol of the river known as, Krishnaveni statue;Gandhi Hill, the first Gandhi Memorial in the country, located at an elevation of 500 feet (150 m) on a hill;Bhavani Island, one of the largest river island amidst Krishna river.[citation needed]
The seamless commuting in the city is supported by the presence of 16 bridges across the three canals of Bandar, Eluru, andRyves.[135]M. G. Road (Bandar Road) andEluru Road are the major arterial roads of the city,[136] with as many as 90,000 vehicles plying M. G. Road itself.[137] The city has a total road length of 1,264.24 km (785.56 mi),[138] used by 678,004 non-transport and 94,937 transport vehicles.[139] The heavy vehicles like lorries are used for freight transport and hold a share of 18% in the country.[140] Short distance commuting is served by 27,296auto rickshaws plying the city roads every day,[139] which include the women-driven 'She Autos' as well.[141] The city has a total road length of 1,264.24 km (785.56 mi), covering 1,230.00 km (764.29 mi) of municipal roads, 22.74 km (14.13 mi) of R&B (Roads & Buildings) department roads, 11.50 km (7.15 mi) of National Highways.[142]Benz Circle is one of the busiest road junctions in the city with an average of 57,000 vehicles crossing daily, The junction has the intersection of two national highways of NH 16 and NH 65.[143]
MG Road in Vijayawada is home to the Golden Mile Project, India’s first smart street initiative. Covering a 2.9 km stretch from the Police Control Room to Benz Circle, it was launched as a Proof of Concept for the Smart City initiative by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.[144] Supported byCisco Systems, the project provides facilities such as free Wi-Fi, intelligent street lighting, smart parking, and digital kiosks. The total cost of ₹7.83 crore was shared between Cisco, the Andhra Pradesh Urban Finance & Infrastructure Development Corporation, and theVijayawada Municipal Corporation. The project enables real-time monitoring through the City Digital Platform at the municipal office.[145] It includes 101 surveillance cameras, with some capable of calculating traffic density and providing live reports. Additionally, 35 Wi-Fi access points and 240 smart solar-powered lights were installed for public use. Parking sensors help reduce congestion, and motion sensors manage traffic and detect violations. The project also introduced Remote Expert Government Services, allowing citizens to communicate with officials via video calls.[146]
A 66 km light transit system is proposed to connect the city withAmaravati and its surrounding suburbs.The metro project is implemented by a special purpose vehicle named as, Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation.[161] Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation has been renamed as Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd after the Managing Director of AMRC suggested that it might be appropriate to change the name AMRC as APMRC so as to implement the Metro Projects in other parts of the State and the ruling government obliged.[162]
TheVijayawada Airport[163] atGannavaram provides air connectivity to major metropolitan cities of the country.[164] On 3 May 2017, the airport was upgraded fromdomestic tointernational. Currently, Air India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet are operating in the Vijayawada Airport.[165] International flights started from 4 December 2018 byIndigo Airlines toSingapore. The international flights to Singapore stopped after 27 June 2019 because the State Government stoppedviability gap funding in June 2019.[164] As of June 2019[update], it registered a domestic passenger movement growth rate of 70.0% with a total of 1,192,000 passengers in 2019.[166] Aircraft movement recorded a growth of 65.0%.[167]
NTR University of Health SciencesAdministrative office of V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College
The Primary and Secondary School Education is imparted by the Government, Aided and Private Schools, under the State School Education Department.[168][169] As per the school information report for the academic year 2015–16, the city has 133,837 students enrolled in 529 Schools.[170] The state andCBSE syllabus are followed by schools for theSecondary School Certificate.[171][172] The languages of instruction are English, Urdu and Telugu.[173]
For10+2 education, there are two government junior colleges, namely S.R.R. & C.V.R. Government College and Government Junior College (at Vinchipeta); a railway junior college; three co-operative, 12 private aided, including the oldest, S.R.R & C.V.R College (established in 1937),Andhra Loyola College (established in December 1953), Maria Stella College for Girls (established in 1962),KBN College (established in 1965),Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College (established in 1977), the oldest engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, and many private unaided colleges.[174]School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada (SPAV) was established in 2008, a higher education institute in Vijayawada. It is one of the three Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs) established by theMinistry of Human Resource Development in 2008 as an autonomous institute and a fully central funded institution.[citation needed]
The Sarvotthama Grandhalaya is a city library established on 30 March 1987. It serves an average daily readership of 200, equipped with 22,000 books related to many fields.[175] VMC & VBFS Research and Reference Library is a reader's room/library maintained by Vijayawada Book Festival Society.[176]
The only women's ODI was hosted on 12 December 1997, played as a group match of1997 Women's Cricket World Cup betweenEngland women's andPakistan women's teams.[185] Makineni Basavapunnaiah Stadium at Ajit Singh Nagar is another stadium that caters the sporting needs of the northern part of the city.[186] Indoor stadiums include Dandamudi Rajagopala Rao Indoor Stadium (DRRIS) at M. G.Road and Chennupati Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium (CRIS) at Patamatalanka. The DRRIS was named after the formerweightlifter,Dandamudi Rajagopal Rao, who participated in the1951 Asian Games and the1956 Olympics.[187] The DRRIS hosted several national and international sporting events, such as the 79th Senior Badminton Champions.[188]
Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) International Cricket Stadium is being built on a 30-acre (12 ha) site atNavuluru village,Mangalagiri Mandal ofGuntur district, 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city. It serves as the Andhra Cricket Association stadium.[189] Vijaya Madhavi Tennis Academy is in Loyola College. Loyola College Grounds hosted many national-level events which includes a Ranji match.[citation needed][190]
The Railway Sports Stadium, near the railway station, hosted several national level railway competitions such as bodybuilding competitions, Under-19Cricket championships and a few non-railway events. This stadium has a gallery facility of over 10,000 people. Makineni Basava Punnaiah stadium is another open stadium in the city. Dandamudi Rajagopal Rao Indoor Stadium is one of the notedBadminton stadiums in Andhra Pradesh. It has hosted several national level Badminton andTable Tennis championships.[191][192]
The Swachh Survekashan 2021 has identified Vijayawada as the third cleanest city in the nation. In the category of cities with more than 10 lakh inhabitants, the city rose from sixth place in 2020 to third place this year. A five-star designation for "Garbage Free City" has also been given to Vijayawada.[193] Such a good ranking can be accredited to policy measures such as the introduction of waste disposal vehicles in the city byN. Chandrababu Naidu.[194]
^P., Raghunadha Rao (1997).History and culture of Andhra Pradesh : from the earliest times to the present day. Sterling Publishers.ISBN9788120717190.OCLC46680300.
^"Economy of the City"(PDF).Cities Development Initiative for Asia. City Development Initiative For Asia. p. 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 17 July 2014. Retrieved31 May 2017.
^"School Education Department"(PDF). School Education Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 19 March 2016. Retrieved12 April 2017.
^"Student Information Report".Commissionerate of School Education. Child info 2015–16, District School Education – Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved8 November 2016.
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