Vizianagaram district

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.^[8]

The district was formed on 1 June 1979,^[a] with some parts carved from the neighbouring districts of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.^[9] 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.

It is situated within the geographical co-ordinates of 17- 15’ and 19 – 15’ of the northern latitudes and 83 – 00’ and 83 – 45’ of the eastern longitudes. Vizianagaram district occupies an area of 4,122 square kilometres (1,592 sq mi).^[13]

The principal rivers flowing in the district are River Nagavali, Suvarnamukhi, Vegavathi, River Champavathi, River Gosthani and Kandivalasa. There are no major irrigation projects in the district. The Denkada Anicut, Thatipudi Reservoir, Andra Reservoir Project, Vegavathi Anicut, Surapadu Anicut, Seethanagaram Anicut, Peda Ankalam Anicut, Vottigedda Reservoir Project, Paradi Anikut, Thotapalli Regulator and Vengala Raya Sagaram Project are the medium irrigation projects.^[14] The total irrigated area under these projects and the other minor projects are about 285,077 acres (1,154 km²). Jhanjavati Project^{[clarification needed][15]}

The climate of Vizianagaram district is characterised by high humidity nearly all-round the year with oppressive summer and good seasonal rainfall. The maximum temperature recorded during 2004 was 39.6°C during May and the minimum temperature is 17.1°C during December.

The normal rainfall of the district for the year is 1,131.0 mm as against the actual rainfall of 740.6 mm received during 2002–03. The district gets the benefit of both the South-West and North-East monsoon.

The average maximum and minimum temperatures and average rainfall recorded in 2004 at Agricultural Research Station, Vizianagaram are given below:

After bifurcation, the district had a population of 19,30,811, of which 429,764 (22.26%) lived in urban areas. Vizianagaram district had a sex ratio of 1010 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 53.21%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 2,07,333 (10.74%) and 46,884 (2.43%) of the population respectively.^{[18]: 83–88 [19]} Telugu was the predominant language, spoken by 98.76% of the population.^[20]

In 2006, the Indian government named Vizianagaram one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).^[22] It is one of the thirteen districts in Andhra Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).^[22]

The Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP) of the district is ₹18,382 crore (US$1.9 billion) and it contributes 3.5% to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). For the FY 2013–14, the per capita income at current prices was ₹61,157 (US$650). The primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the district contribute ₹4,961 crore (US$520 million), ₹3,148 crore (US$330 million) and ₹10,272 crore (US$1.1 billion) respectively.^[23] The major products contributing to the GVA of the district from agriculture and allied services are sugarcane, paddy, mango, tomato, milk, meat and fisheries. The GVA to the industrial and service sector is contributed from construction, manufacturing, minor minerals, education and ownership of dwellings.^[23]

Industry

Certain famous industries include

• The Ferro Alloys Corporation Limited^[24] at Sriramnagar, Garividi
• Jindal Stainless Limited (Ferro Alloys Division), Kothavalasa^[25]
• Andhra Ferro Alloys Limited at Kothavalasa and Garbham^[26]

There are seven assembly and two parliamentary constituencies in the district.

The district is divided into three revenue divisions: Bobbili, Cheepurupalli and Vizianagaram, which are further subdivided into a total of 28 mandals, each headed by a sub-collector.

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 third week of January. This is a very renowned festival for north andhra people.

Saripilli Dibbilingeswara temple, Jayathi Mallikarjuna Temple are the finest examples of ancient Eastern Ganga Dynasty built monuments in the district.^[34] There are eleven temples under the management of Endowments Department.^[35]

The cuisine is strikingly South Indian style with rice as the staple food accompanied by dals, rasam or sambar, vegetable curries, pickles and curd.

The total road length of state highways in the district is 777 km (483 mi).^[36] 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 Vizianagaram, Cheepurupalli, Bobbili. 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.^[37]

Ramatheertham is a village panchayat in Nellimarla mandal of Vizianagaram district. It is located 12 km from Vizianagaram city.

The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools, under the School Education Department of the state.^[38][39] 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.^[40] The total number of students enrolled in primary, upper primary and high schools of the district are 307,298.^[41]

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–two in each mandal. There are about 41 book depot centres in the district.

• University College of Engineering, JNTU kakinada, Vizianagaram^[42]
• Andhra University Vizianagaram campus
• Avanthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Cherukupalli, Bhogapuram^[43]
• Kodi Rama Murthy College of Physical Education, Bobbili
• Maharajah's Government College of Music and Dance
• Maharajah's Government Sanskrit College, Vizianagaram
• Maharaj Vijayaram Gajapath Raj College of Engineering, Vizianagaram^[44]
• St. Theressa Institute of Engineering and Technology, Garividi (Cheepurupalli)^[45]
• Thandra Paparaya Institute of Science and Technology, Bobbili^[46]
• Maharajah's College
• Sainik School Korukondda

• Kodi Rammurthy Naidu, Indian bodybuilder
• P. Susheela, singer
• Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, Indian cricketer, cricket administrator and politician
• Pusapati Vijayarama Gajapati Raju, Indian parliamentarian and philanthropist
• Gedela Srinubabu, Politician and Businessman
• Praveen Sattaru, film director
• Vidyasagar, music director
• Gollapudi Maruti Rao, Writer and Actor
• Gurajada Appa Rao, Social reformer

• List of villages in Vizianagaram district