About Vizianagaram District :

Vizianagaram district was formed on 1st June 1979, with some parts carved from the neighbouring districts of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam. The District is bounded on the East by Srikakulam District on the West and South by Visakhapatnam Districts, on the South East by the Bay of Bengal and North West by Orissa State. Vizianagaram District extends over an area of 6539 Sq.Kms. The District can be divided in to two distinct natural divisions i.e Plains and Hilly regions. The Agency area covers Pachipenta, Gummalaxmi Puram Mandals fully and Salur, Makkuva, Rambhadrapuram, Parvathipuram and Komarad Mandals partly. The District is having the population of 22.45 lakhs (As per 2001 Census). Administratively the District is divided into 2 Revenue Divisions and 34 Mandals . It is predominantly an agricultural district as 68.4% of the workers are engaged in Agriculture and about 82% of the population of the District is living in Rural areas. Many eminent personalities have added new dimensions of glory to Vizianagaram. Nestling between the Bay of Bengal and the eastern Ghats, the landscape of Vizianagaram with its captivating intensity would undoubtedly attract the overwhelming response of tourists.

District at a Glance :

District – Vizianagaram
Headquarters – Vizianagaram
State – Andhra Pradesh

Area in Sq Km (Census 2011)

Total – 6539
Rural – 6398.94
Urban – 140.06

Population (Census 2011)

Population – 2344474
Rural – 1853563
Urban – 490911
Male – 1161477
Female – 1182997
Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 males) – 1019
Density (Total, Persons per sq km) – 359

Constituencies (ECI)

Assembly – 9
Loksabha – 2

Official Website – http://vizianagaram.nic.in

Tourist Places :

GantaStambham
During the British Raj, the Kings of Vizianagaram made frequent visits to London. The Big Ben in London inspired them to make a replica in the town. The Ghanta Stambham (Clock Tower) originally had a sandstone finish with a white top and has now been painted cream and red. This 68 feet high octagonal building was built at a cost of only Rs.5,400. in 1885 and is located very close to the fort, right in the heart of the city .
Motimahal
The Moti Mahal was constructed in 1869 by Vijayarama Raju-III as the Maharaja�s court. The monument echoes memories of a grand past wherein a resplendent king assisted by richly dressed courtiers held court and administered the kingdom in their collective wisdom and goodwill. The main door is decorated with two exquisite marble statues which speak of the good taste as well as the wealth of the occupants. The Moti Mahal is the main and most prominent building in the Vizianagaram fort. It was donated to the MANSAS Trust by Dr. P.V.G Raju. Today, it serves the noble purpose of furthering education by housing a college meant exclusively for women on the first floor. The link with its past is maintained through a display of artifacts in a museum on the ground floor of Moti Mahal.
OUDH KHANA
It offers a glimpse into the fascinating style in which the royalty of Vizianagaram lived. It is an octagonal stone structure, which stands adjacent to the Phool Bagh Palace. It was built exclusively for the Maharajah to bathe. It is a 50 feet high stone structure with spiral steps leading to the water tank on top to which water was pumped from a nearby well
ALAKANANDA PALACE
The Alaknanda Palace was built in 1857 for the royal guests. This opulent palace provided its occupants with all comforts of life in the lap of natural and man-made beauty. The area around the palace is well laid out with walkways and gardens. A runway, built in the grounds, enabled the royal visitors to alight straight from their aircraft into the palace. At present, the Alaknanda Palace is used as the headquarters of the 5th Battalion of the Andhra Pradesh Armed Reserve Police.
KORUKONDA PALACE
A little further away from Alakananda palace, the Korukonda Palace stands majestically amidst open playgrounds and well-laid gardens. The Palace and the surrounding 1,000 acres of land have been developed into a premier educational institution by the Indian Navy, which runs a school for children aspiring to join the armed forces.
PERLA HOME
The Perla Vari home was also built in 1895 and is one of the best-preserved old buildings in the city. It was the first building to have electricity in the region. Amongst other things, the master bedroom of their house boasted of a bed covered with silver. The building had an attached library that is still functional. The main hall is adorned with beautiful chandeliers and period furniture brought from Europe as well as numerous artifacts collected from all over the world.
MR Institutions
The Music College established in 1919 by Vijaya Rama Raju with Adibatla Narayanadas as Principal, with the express purpose of promoting Classical music, Vocal, Veena, Violin, Mrudangam, Nadaswaram and Harikatha were taught. Students from all over the state and also from Southern states like Tamilnadu and Kerala came and joined in the Music College. Sri Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, Saluru Rajeswara Rao and Smt.P.Suseela, famous cinema singers came from this college and served the country through their concerts and renowned like a shining stars.
Maharaja college was the second Degree College in the Composite Madras State covering the entire South India dating back to 1857. It was started by Vijayarama Raju-III as a middle school to promote modern education in Vizianagaram and was upgraded to a college in 1871. The college came under the aegis of MANSAS in 1958,. The centenary celebrations of the college were held in 1971 and were inaugurated by His Excellency V.V.Giri, the then President of India.
Sanskrit College is a major seat oriental learning devoted to the study of Vedas and their interpretation. It was established by Vijayarama Raju-III who had spent a part of his life amidst Sanskrit Scholars at Varanasi. He has established a Sanskrit School in Vizianagaram in 1860 AD, which was later upgraded to a college in 1900. The first principal of the college, Kilambi Ramanujachari was a great Sanskrit Scholar of those times. At its inception, the college was attached to the Beneras Hindu University, but in 1926 it became affiliated to regional Andhra University.
Gurajada Apparao House in Vizianagaram Town
Bobbili Fort
The Bobbili fort is situated in this ancient town. It is associated with the historic battle between the Raja of Bobbili and Zamindar of Vizianagaram, who is aided by the French. The fierce war established this as a land of heroism, bravery and courage. The impressive Bobbili fort stands as a silent testimony to this hard fought battle, who saw the Raja of bobbili lay his life fighting rather than surrendering. The Venugopala Swamy temple here is quite famous as also the oldest in the district. Located at 60 Kms away from Vizianagaram
Raj Mahal
The Bobbili Rajas built a number of palaces to lavish hospitality on their guests. The Raj Mahal, also known as the Chikkavaram Guest House, is one such palace. It is situated in isolated splendour on the outskirts of modern day town. Visitors to the palace have to traverse a long driveway to reach the palace premises. It was built in 1888 by Maharaja Venkata Swetha Chalapati Ranga Rao.
Bobbili Guest House
Another visible symbol of royal propensity for expenditure on magnificent buildings can be seen in the form of the Guest House which was built by the Raja of Bobbili in 1920, originally as a wedding gift for his son.The building was designed as a leisure resort and had ample recreational facilities for royal indulgence. It also has a beautiful garden spread over acres of land. The four minarets and the central dome of the Guest House are a prominent landmark of Bobbili. The two adjacent outhouses served as servants� quarters and the kitchen.
Bobbili Veena
The Bobbili town is famous for the manufacturing of Veenas carved by the sculptures located in Gollapalli(v) near the Town. Nearly 300 households of this village involved in the preparation of Veenas for their livelihood for the last 100 years. One single piece of Panasa and Sampangi wood is being used for its preparation by the sculptures. There is also a famous Venugopala Swamy temple in the middest of the Town