Visakhapatnam's history stretches back to the 6th century BCE and the city finds mention in ancient texts such as the 4th century BCE writings of
Pāṇini and
Katyayana. Historically considered part of the
Kalinga region, Legend has it that
Radha and
Viśakha were born on the same day and were equally beautiful. Sri Visakka Sakhi is the second most important
gopi of the eight main gopis. She carries messages between Radha and Krishna and is the most expert Gopi messenger. Residents believe that an Andhra king built a temple to pay homage to his family deity Viśakha. This is now inundated under seawater near
R K Beach. Another theory is that it is named after a woman disciple of Buddha named
Viśakha. Later it was ruled by
Kingdom of Jeypore (1535–1571),
Qutb Shahis (1571–1674) and (1674–1711),
Mughal Empire (1711–1724) and
Nizam (1724–1757). The
French (1757) and
British (1765) established Factories and influence over the city. In 1794 the
Battle of Padmanabham occurred between the
Zamindari of Vizianagaram and the East India Company. after the battle,
Vizianagaram estate was acquired by the East India company in 1802. The
British East India Company fought the 1804
Battle of Vizagapatnam and it remained the under
British colonial rule until
Indian independence in 1947 which was a part of the
Northern Circars.
Buddhist influence Hindu texts state that during the fifth century BCE, the Visakhapatnam region was part of
Kalinga territory, which extended to the
Godavari river. Relics found in the area also prove the existence of a
Buddhist empire in the region. Kalinga later lost the territory to
King Ashoka in the bloodiest battle of its time, which prompted Ashoka to embrace
Buddhism. Ancient Buddhist sites, recently excavated, are scattered across Visakhapatnam, reflecting the region's Buddhist legacy.
Pavurallakonda near
Bheemunipatnam|alt=eramic sculptures of guardian Yakshas
Pavurallakonda ("pigeon hill") is a
hillock west of Bhimli, about from Visakhapatnam. The Buddhist settlement found here is estimated to date back from the first century BCE to the second century CE. On the hillock (which overlooks the coastline) are 16 rock-cut
cisterns for collecting rainwater.
Gopalapatnam, on the Tandava River, is a village surrounded by brick stupas,
viharas, pottery and other Buddhist artefacts.
Sankaram at
Bojjannakonda near
Anakapalle In 1907 British archaeologist Alexander Rea unearthed Sankaram, a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site. The name "Śankaram" derives from the
Sangharama (temple or monastery). Located south of Visakhapatnam, it is known locally as
Bojjannakonda and is a significant Buddhist site in Andhra Pradesh. The three major schools of Buddhism (Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana) flourished here. The complex is known for its monolithic
stupas, rock-cut caves and brick structures. The primary stupa was initially carved out of rock and covered with bricks. Excavations yielded historic pottery and
Satavahana coins from the first century CE. At Lingalakonda, there are also rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows spread over the hill. The vihara, a monastery, was active for about 1,000 years.
Bavikonda stupas|alt=Bavikonda Buddhist Complex Bavikonda is an important Buddhist heritage site located on a hill about , northeast of Visakhapatnam city. Here the Buddhist habitation is noticed on a 16 ha flat terraced area. The Hinayana school of Buddhism was practised at the monastery between the 3rd century B.C. and the 3rd century A.D. Bavikonda has remains of an entire Buddhist complex, comprising 26 structures belonging to three phases. A piece of bone stored in an urn recovered here is believed to belong to the mortal remains of the
Buddha. The word
Bavikonda in
Telugu means "a hill of wells". Fitting its name, Bavikonda is a hill with wells for the collection of rainwater. It is located from Visakhapatnam and is a significant Buddhist site. Excavation carried out from 1982 to 1987 revealed a Buddhist establishment including a mahachaitya, also referred to as a grand stupa, embedded with relic caskets, a large Vihara (monastery) complex, numerous votive stupas, a stone-pillared congregation and rectangular halls and a refectory. Artifacts recovered from the site include Roman and
Satavahana coins and pottery dating from the third century BCE to the second century CE. A significant finding was a piece of bone (with a large quantity of ash) in an urn, which is believed to be the remains of the
Buddha. The Bavikonda site is considered one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Asia. It is a reminder of the Buddhist civilisation which once existed in southern India, and also reminiscent of
Borobudur in Indonesia.
Thotlakonda |alt=Corner of light-coloured, angular stone ruins About from Visakhapatnam is
Thotlakonda, a
Buddhist complex situated on top of a hill. The Buddhist complex on the Mangamaripeta hilltop, locally known as
Totlakonda, lies about from Visakhapatnam on Visakhapatnam-Bheemili Beach Road. After its discovery (during an aerial survey), the Government of Andhra Pradesh declared the 48 ha site as a protected monument in 1978. Excavations from 1988 to 1992 exposed structural remains and artefacts, classified as Religious, Secular, and Civil. These structures include the Stupa, Chaityagrihas, pillared congregation halls, bhandagaras, refectory (bhojanasala), drainage, and stone pathways. The site covers an area of , and has been declared a protected area by the government of Andhra Pradesh. Excavations have revealed three kinds of structural remains: religious, secular, and civil. Structures include a mahastupa, 16 votive
stupas, a stone-pillared congregation hall, eleven rock-cut cisterns, well-paved stone pathways, an
apsidal chaitya-griha, three round chaitgya-grihas, two votive platforms, ten
viharas and a kitchen complex with three halls and a refectory (dining hall). Apart from the structures, Buddhist treasures excavated include nine
Satavahana and five Roman silver coins,
terracotta tiles, stucco decorative pieces, sculptured panels, miniature
stupa models in stone, Buddha
padas depicted with
ashtamangala symbols (i.e. the eight auspicious symbols of Swastika, Shrivasta, Nandhyavarta, Vardhamanaka, Bhadrasana, Kalasha, Minyugala and Darpan) and early pottery.
Later history The territory of Visakhapatnam then came under the Andhra rulers of
Vengi, and
Chalukyas and
Pallavas ruled the land. The region was ruled by the
Eastern Ganga king and the
Gajapati kings from the 10th century to the 16th century CE. Based on archaeological evidence, the
Prabhakar and the Eastern Ganga Kings built temples in the city in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the late 16th century, it came under the direct rule of the
Suryavanshi king,
Maharaja Vishwanath Dev Gajapati of
Jeypore. However, from 1571 to 1674 it fell under the control and administration of the
Qutb Shahi kings of
Golconda who appointed a governor or
Faujdar to collect taxes in the region. This Faujdar governed the area from
Srikakulam or Chicacole as it was then known. In 1674, the Maharaja of Jeypore, Vishwambhar Dev defeated the Foujdar and claimed sovereignty from the deteriorating Qutb Shahis. Vishwambhar is also said to have defeated the Dutch East India Company who allegedly abducted locals, mostly fishermen living by the sea-shore. Later his descendant, Maharaja Raghunath Krishna Dev defeated the Seer Lascer appointed by the Mughals and maintained his rule over the region. Therefore, Visakhapatnam remained a part of the
Kingdom of Jeypore until the death of Maharaja Ram Chandra Dev I in 1711 after which it was taken over by the
Nizam of Hyderabad who could only govern it for a few decades before transferring it to the British. Even in the colonial era, the kings of Jeypore were referred to as the Maharaja or Raja of Vizagapatnam. European merchants from France, Holland and the
East India Company used the natural port to export tobacco,
paddy, coal, iron ore, ivory,
muslin and other textile products. The British developed Visakhapatnam as a prominent harbour on the east coast. The old port in
Jalari Peta was built and used by the Maharaja of Jeypore who also owned several ships. During the
First World War,
Maharaja Vikram Dev III sent his fleet of ships to aid the British and later donated the port to the British government of Madras. During the 18th century Visakhapatnam was part of the
Northern Circars, a region comprising
coastal Andhra and southern coastal Odisha which was first under French control and later British. Visakhapatnam became a district in the
Madras Presidency of
British India. In September 1804, British and French squadrons fought the
Battle of Vizagapatam near the harbour. After India's independence, it was the largest district in the country and was subsequently divided into the districts of
Srikakulam,
Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. Part of the city is known by its colonial British name, Waltair; during the colonial era, the city's hub was the Waltair railway station and a part of the city is still called Waltair. On 7 May 2020, the city suffered an industrial accident when a polymer plant leaked toxic
styrene gas, as it restarted operations after the
Coronavirus lockdown. This
gas leak killed at least eleven people, and drew comparisons to the
Bhopal disaster. == Geography ==