Vishakhapatnam

Vishakhapatnam is also called Vizag and this is both the industrial and heritage city. This city is among the industrial hubs of India and is also the headquarters of the easyern naval command. The city is also famous for the oldest shipyard. Once upon a time, the city was under the control of Chola kingdom and came under the influence of the Mughals in 16th Century. The city was also under the influence of French and British rule. The history of the city dates back to the 6th century BC. One of the splendid heritage attractions is the Bevikonda Buddhist complex. One can find the monastery in this part of the world and it dates back to the 3rd century BCE. In this complex, one can find the piece of bone in urn that belongs to Lord Buddha. From Visakhapatnam, one can visit the Araku valley and this is located in the eastern ghats. This is a hill station and tourists can come here to beat the heat of the plains. It is well known for its coffee plantations. Organic coffee brand was produced here and it started in the year 2007. Because of the scenic beauty of this place, many south Indian movies are being shot here. Move a distance of 40 km from Visakhapatnam and one can find a 2000 year old Buddhist site by the name Sankaram. This is an important site for many tourists who are interested in the archaeology and heritage of south India. One of the main areas of trade in the city is fishing. The city of Vizag has one of the largest harbours in the country and is well known for its sea food exports. For the international and domestic tourists who want to arm themselves with the knowledge of steel industry and trade, they can find the famous Vizag steel plant here and this comes under the ministry of steel, government of India.