Vizianagaram district is one of the six districts in the Uttarandhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh with its headquarters located at Vizianagaram.[6][7] The district was once the part of ancient Kalinga.Saripilli Dibbilingeswara temple, Jayathi Mallikarjuna Temple are the finest examples of ancient Eastern Ganga Dynasty built monuments in the district.[8] The district is bounded on the east by the district of Srikakulam, north by Parvathipuram Manyam south by Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, southeast by the Bay of Bengal, and west by Alluri Sitharama Raju district. It was formed on 1 June 1979, with some parts carved from the neighbouring districts of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.[9] The district is named after the princely state of Vizianagaram (Vijaya means victory and Nagaram means city in Telugu). In 2011, it was the least populous district in Andhra Pradesh.[10]
Vizianagaram district was formed on 1 June 1979,[a] with some parts carved from the neighbouring districts of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam. The Taluks of Vizianagaram, Gajapathinagaram, Srungavarapukota and a portion of Bheemunipatnam Taluk were transferred from the Visakhapatnam District. The Salur, Bobbili, Parvathipuram and Cheepurupalli Taluks from Srikakulam district were transferred to the new district.
Mandals
The list of 28 mandals in Vizianagaram district, divided into three revenue divisions, is given below.[31][32][33]
Towns in district
| Largest cities or towns in Vizianagaram District As per the 2011 Census | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Division | Pop. | |
| 1 | Vizianagaram | Vizianagaram Division | 2,28,720 |
| 2 | Bobbili | Bobbili Division | 56,819 |
| 3 | Rajam | Cheepurupalli Division | 42,197 |
| 4 | S.Kota | Vizianagaram Division | 28,304 |
| 5 | Nellimarla | Cheepurupalli Division | 26,259 |
| 6 | Kottavalasa | Vizianagaram Division | 20,232 |
| 7 | Garividi | Cheepurupalli Division | 18,893 |
| 8 | Cheepurupalle | Cheepurupalli Division | 14,487 |
| 9 | Bhogapuram | Vizianagaram Division | 9,341 |
| 10 | [[{{{city_10}}}]] | [[{{{div_10}}}]] | {{{pop_10}}} |
The below table categorises 34 mandals into their respective revenue divisions in the district:[23]
Politics
There are seven assembly and two parliamentary constituencies in Vizianagaram district. The parliamentary constituencies includes Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram. The assembly constituencies[28] in Vizianagaram district are Bobbili, Cheepurupalli, Rajam, Srungavarapukota, Gajapathinagaram, Nellimarla and Vizianagaram. There are 3 revenue divisions, 26 Mandals, 935 Panchayats and 1,551 revenue villages in Vizianagaram district.[29] The revenue divisions are Bobbili, Cheepurupalli and Vizianagaram. Vizianagaram parliamentary constituency is represented by the former Union Civil Aviation Minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
Culture
Portrait of Gurazada Apparao at Vizianagaram
The predominant religion is Hinduism. The major festivals are Sankranthi, Ugadi and Rama Navami, Maha Shivaratri, Deepavali, Vinayaka Chavithi, Dasara and Vijayadasami. The nine-day festival celebrations during Rama Navami and Ganesh Chaturthi are very popular in many towns and associated with many cultural events including Stage Dramas, Harikathas, Burra kathas etc. Festivals of Gramadevatha are held annually at Vizianagaram, Bobbili, Salur, Parvathipuram and Sambara with much fanfare. The most popular amongst them is Pydithalli Ammavari Jatra, celebrated at Vizianagaram on the next Tuesday of Vijayadasami day. And also Polamma Jatara, at Sambara in Sambara Village of Makkuva Mandal is a Very much state known famous festival being celebrated in every 3rd week of January. This is a very renowned festival for north andhra people.
The cuisine is strikingly South Indian style with Rice as the staple food accompanied by Dals, Rasam or Sambar, Vegetable Curries, Pickles and Curd.
Transport
APSRTC Buses at Vizianagaram Bus Complex
The total road length of state highways in the district is 777 km (483 mi).[26] Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation runs bus services to all the major cities and towns of the state from the district. Major railway stations in the district include Amudalavalasa, Srikakulam Road, Palasa etc. Railway network in the entire district comes under Waltair (Vishakapatnam) division of the South Coast Railway zone. Vizianagaram and Kothavalasa are the main railway junctions. There are 28 railway stations in the district.
National Highways 5 and 43 passes through the district and covers a distance of 200 kilometres. National Highway 43 (India) runs almost entirely in Vizianagaram district for a distance of 83 kilometres and passes through Odisha to Raipur in Chhattisgarh (total length of 551 kilometres). It passes through Vizianagaram, Gajapathinagaram, Ramabhadrapuram and Salur towns. National Highway 5 passes through coastal mandals of Bhogapuram and Pusapatirega. State Highways covers a distance of 122 kilometres, major district roads 852 kilometres and rural roads 781 kilometres.[27]
Tourism
1000-year-old Sri Rama temple on top of Bodhikonda, Ramatheertham
Ramatheertham is a village panchayat in Nellimarla mandal of Vizianagaram district. It is located 12 km from Vizianagaram city.
Education
The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under the School Education Department of the state.[28][29] As per the school information report for the academic year 2015–16, there are a total of 3,875 schools. They include, 85 government, 2,060 mandal and zilla parishads, 1 residential, 618 private, 16 model, 33 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), 112 municipal and 423 other types of schools.[30] The total number of students enrolled in primary, upper primary and high schools of the district are 307,298.[31]
Vizianagaram district has been comparatively backward in the field of education. The literacy rate is 51.82% as against the average of 61.55% for the entire Andhra Pradesh State.
There are 38 Branch Libraries in the district managed by Zilla Granthalaya Samstha. They are located 1–2 in each mandal. There are about 41 book depot centres in the district.
- University college of engineering, JNTU kakinada, vizianagaram. Vizianagaram.[32]
- Andhra University Vizianagaram Campus
- Avanthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Cherukupalli, Bhogapuram.[33]
- Kodi Rama Murthy College of Physical Education, Bobbili.
- Maharajah’s Government College of Music and Dance.
- Maharajah’s Government Sanskrit College, Vizianagaram.[34]
- Maharaj Vijayaram Gajapath Raj College of Engineering, Vizianagaram.[35]
- St. Theressa Institute of Engineering and Technology, Garividi(Cheepurupalli).[36]
- Thandra Paparaya Institute of Science and Technology, Bobbili.[37]
- Maharajah’s College
- Sainik School Korukondda
Temples
There are eleven temples under the management of Endowments Department.[38]
| S.no | Temple | Mandal | Village |
| 1 | Sri Yellaramma Ammavari Temple | Jami | Jami |
| 2 | Sri Ganapathi etc. Temples | Pusapatirega | Kumili |
| 3 | Sri Parammathalli Ammavari Temple | Pachipenta | Pachipenta |
| 4 | Sri Pydithalli Ammavari Temple | Bhoghapuram | Polipalle |
| 5 | Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple | Salur | Salur |
| 6 | Sri Syamalamba Ammavari Temple | Salur | Salur |
| 7 | Sri Venu Gopala Swamy Temple | Salur | Salur |
| 8 | Sri Polamamba Ammavari Temple | Makkuva | Sambara |
| 9 | Sri Kotilingeswara Swamy Temple | Srungavarapukota | Srungavarapukota |
| 10 | Sri Mannar Rajagopala Swamy Temple | Vizianagaram | Vizianagaram |
| 11 | Sri Sanyaseswara Swamy Temple | Srungavarapukota | Dharmavaram |
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